2026 Lexus LX700h review: Australian first drive

If you’d told someone at the October 2001 launch of the first Toyota Prius in Australia that the technology would one day end up in the Lexus version of the LandCruiser 4WD, you would’ve been labelled crazy.

The Lexus LX700h is the first body-on-frame SUV sold in Australia by the Toyota automotive group that can drive on electric power alone, and precedes a hybrid LandCruiser 300 Series due later this year.

Don’t confuse the hybrid technology in this car for a Prius, Corolla or RAV4 hybrid.

Whereas those cars, and most popular Toyota and Lexus hybrids sold locally, use two electric motors and a complex array of gearsets, the LX hybrid slots an electric motor between the existing twin-turbo petrol V6 and 10-speed auto, 4WD system and low-range transfer case.

It means it is pitched as a ‘performance hybrid’ – a power boost and slight fuel saving without compromising towing or off-road performance – rather than the ultimate saviour of polar bears.

There’s plenty to like about the LX700h – but it may not be enough to justify the massive $16,000-plus upcharge.

The Lexus LX is not a cheap car, but the 700h hybrid takes it to new heights for five- and seven-seat versions of the luxury LandCruiser.

It is only available in Sports Luxury and F Sport variants, so it is already bound to cost more than the base LX Luxury, but hybrid prices start from $196,000 plus on-road costs, and span up to $202,000 plus on-roads.

The LX700h is $16,200 dearer than an equivalent LX600 petrol, and $19,700 to $20,900 more expensive than an LX500d diesel depending on model grade.

The $202,000 F Sport flagship is the second-most-expensive LX ever, only surpassed by the defunct four-seat $220,950 LX600 Ultra Luxury. This seven-seat Sports Luxury test vehicle is $199,800 plus on-roads, or an indicated $214,557 drive-away in NSW, according to the Lexus website.

There are no direct rivals to its proposition as a ‘plug-less’ hybrid luxury four-wheel drive, but similarly sized SUVs from Germany cost $211,990 plus on-roads in the BMW X7 M60i V8 petrol, and $189,100 plus on-roads in the Mercedes-Benz GLS450d diesel.

The Land Rover Defender offers plug-in hybrid power, but only in the 110 body style that’s closer in size to the smaller Lexus GX, and for $143,200 plus on-roads in P300e X-Dynamic HSE form.

An extended-length Land Rover Defender 130 with a 5.0-litre V8 is $226,500 plus on-roads.

Lexus claims fuel consumption for the LX700h in mixed conditions of 10.0 litres per 100 kilometres – down from 11.9L/100km in the LX600, but still higher than 8.9L/100km in the LX500d diesel, according to the same lab testing.

In my brief time with the car – focused on town driving and a few country-road kilometres to test the LX’s abilities at higher speeds – I saw consumption drop as low as about 11 to 12/100km in flowing traffic on flat roads, when the engine can switch off.

It is similar in very slow traffic, but fuel use climbs as soon as power is needed, rising to 14–15L/100km in hilly town driving, and up to 17L/100km in more demanding conditions.

I didn’t have an LX600 to test back-to-back, but even if there is a fuel saving from the hybrid system, the LX700h is no eco warrior.

The other compromise is reduced fuel capacity, the main tank dropping from 80 litres to 68L, while keeping the 30-litre sub-tank, for total storage of 98L, down from 110L.

It means that even if you can achieve Lexus’s 10L/100km average, the LX700h claims a driving range of 980km, only modestly higher than the LX600’s 924km.

It is also worth considering the purchase price. At a fuel price of $2/litre, you would need to cover 427,000km to recoup the hybrid’s $16,200 premium in the showroom over an LX600, assuming you can achieve Lexus’s claimed consumption figures.

The LX500d is more efficient than the LX700h, costs $20,000 less in the dealer, and diesel is typically similar in cost to 98-octane unleaded.

Even with inflated diesel prices in recent times, $20,000 buys a lot of fuel – though, in a Sports Luxury with seven seats, the fuel tank is even smaller than the hybrid at 80L.

The Lexus LX is covered by the brand’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with up to five years of additional coverage available on the battery pack subject to annual health checks.

Service intervals are short, however, set every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first.

Combined with pricey visits, the five-year service cost comes to a whopping $7950.

The LX is sold with three years’ complimentary access to the brand’s flagship ownership perks tier, Lexus Encore Platinum.

Above the standard benefits included for three years with a GX purchase – “exclusive offers” and “events”, an Ampol fuel card discount, the DriveCare program, and a service loan car – it adds eight valet parking entries at selected locations, and four airport lounge passes.

Owners can also use Lexus On Demand four times, for up to eight days at a time, allowing access to other Lexus models in the line-up – for example, an LC sports car for a weekend away, or an LM people mover when more space is needed.

Once the three-year period expires, LX buyers can purchase Lexus Encore Elevate for $1899 annually, which deletes the service loan car and DriveCare access, and limits valet parking, Lexus On Demand and airport lounge entries.

The Lexus LX is not covered by ANCAP testing, but the related LandCruiser 300 Series is a five-star car based on 2021 testing.

A broad suite of advanced safety systems is standard in the LX – listed below – and all work well, without excess intrusion, in the real world.

Lane-keep assist is not too insistent, the driver monitoring camera is not overzealous in chiming at the driver for glances away from the road to check mirrors or adjust the air conditioning, and the speed-sign alert only flashes an icon when the limit it detects is exceeded, rather than play a sound.

The LX is the largest vehicle Lexus sells, and its most imposing, with a bluff profile and, on this Sports Luxury grade, 22-inch wheels offset by plenty of chrome.

An F Sport variant is also available, with a unique front bumper, grey 22-inch wheels, and other exterior details.

All LX variants receive LED headlights and tail-lights, side steps, and rear privacy glass.

The LX’s cabin is certainly a cut above that of a LandCruiser 300 Series, and plush and roomy to partially justify the $200,000 price.

There is unsurprisingly a sense of size from the driver’s seat, with a wide dashboard, long bonnet and high seating position that lends a commanding view over the road ahead.

Front-seat comfort is excellent. Heating, ventilation, massaging, and lumbar are standard on both front positions, plus great power adjustment, including an under-thigh extension for tall drivers.

The upholstery is not a high-end nappa leather, rather “leather-accented”; a mix of genuine leather and synthetic trim. It feels premium, if not the last word in softness.

Power adjustment is included in the steering column – though I wish it could be extended closer to my torso, and lifted higher – and the wheel itself is leather-trimmed and heated, with woodgrain accents and straightforward buttons.

Soft-touch, leather-like materials are used nearly everywhere you can touch – in black, in this test car, but other colours are available – with well-damped controls, plenty of physical switchgear, and excellent build quality in this near-new test vehicle.

The storage box under the centre armrest doubles as a cool box – and its lid opens both ways – though space for items is a little tight elsewhere, with a tiny glovebox and door pockets not as generous as the LX’s footprint on the road would suggest.

A wireless charger is placed behind of the chunky gear shifter – not ideal if you’re the kind of person to be distracted by it – but there’s some storage ahead of the gear lever for the passenger’s phone, which is useful.

Amenities are well catered for, as you’d hope, with four-zone climate control, a glass sunroof, ambient lighting, a digital rear-view mirror, keyless entry and start with a fingerprint reader, two front USB-C ports, a 12-volt socket, and even a HDMI port for plugging in multimedia devices.

At 186cm (6ft 1in) tall, space in the second row for someone of my height is respectable, with ample knee room and excellent head room, though toe room is quite tight.

It should be better for a car this big, though, and a lack of a sliding seat base will prove a challenge for extra-tall adults, as well as those in the third row (more on that shortly).

The outboard second-row seats are heated, and there is no shortage of features, from dual seatback entertainment screens with another HDMI port to retractable window shades, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, two rear climate zones, air vents, and two USB-C ports.

Access to the third row is not as difficult as in many seven-seaters. The second row tumbles forward electrically to clear the path of entry, though a lack of sliding function – combined with the LX’s height – means some contortion is required.

Once in, adults can fit, but I found my head wedged into the roof unless I lean forward, my knees perched up to touch the seatback in front, and limited toe room. Kids will have a much more comfortable experience, so that may be a job well done for your needs.

Cupholders are found on the side of the car, plus two USB-C ports, air vents, and power recline and folding functions on the rearmost seats. The side curtain airbags extend to cover all three rows, too.

There’s a rude surprise to be found upon opening the hands-free power tailgate: a significantly higher floor.

That is due to the packaging of the battery under the rear floor, which means the third-row seats sit on top of it, rather than fold into it – eating into space, and requiring a shelf to be fitted behind the seats to cover the height difference once the third row is lowered.

It is not quite as egregious as the flimsy plastic box in the back of a seven-seat Toyota Prado with its mild-hybrid system, but it does limit space, and means heavy items must be lifted even higher to access the cargo area.

There is at least a household power socket in the boot for charging devices off the hybrid battery, plus a light and a few small hooks. A full-size spare wheel remains slung under the rear of the car.

The 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen in the LX was updated as part of a model upgrade nine months ago, and while it is better than the dated system that came before, it has been in vehicles from Toyota and Lexus for close to five years.

Response times are not glacially slow, but it is not that snappy by modern standards – cars one-fifth of the price have faster technology – and menus are bizarrely laid out, with no central home screen and icons that are quite small.

Wireless and wired versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted – with wireless CarPlay operating well in my time with the LX700h – plus embedded satellite navigation, and digital radio.

The 7.0-inch display below it for certain climate-control and drive mode functions is seemingly backed by greater processing power than the main display, and it is high resolution with clear, if dated graphics.

Fan speed runs through this screen, but Lexus has retained physical switches for temperature, recirculating air, auto climate, heated/ventilated seats, and the heated steering wheel, plus various off-road drive controls.

The 12.3-inch instrument display is not the most customisable, but it can be switched between a range of driving parameters and a small navigation map. The standard head-up display takes the load off it most of the time for speed and basic information.

The 25-speaker Mark Levinson sound system is excellent, as with similar systems in other Lexus models.

Hybrid power improves the Lexus LX driving experience, but not by as much as you might hope.

The electric motor can supply just 36kW – about a third of what the electric system in a Toyota RAV4 can supply – so it takes a very light touch of the throttle to accelerate the LX700h without its engine on.

In real terms, the LX runs on battery power at low speeds – in car parks or crawling in traffic – as well as while cruising at a constant 60 to 80km/h, when there’s little accelerator load being applied, and there is enough electric grunt to sustain speed without the engine on.

A firmer press of the accelerator pedal, and the engine switches on. It does so smoothly and without sending a jolt through the car, as we’ve come to expect from other Toyota and Lexus hybrids.

The electric motor’s role then switches to a performance boost, taking some of the load off the V6 under acceleration, and disguising turbo lag when you call for a burst of power. There’s little downside to the hybrid system on the road.

The twin-turbo petrol V6 – marketed as a 3.5-litre, but it’s actually a 3.4-litre – delivers strong performance on its own. Its laid-back rather than energetic and responsive character is well suited to the car, and it produces a pleasant, bassy note reminding you of its power.

The 10-speed automatic shifts smoothly and stays out of the way in regular driving, but one or two fewer ratios would likely help downshift faster on a request for acceleration.

Compared to a luxury Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Range Rover, the LX has a hand tied behind its back in the comfort stakes, retaining a heavy-duty ladder-frame chassis and an old-school live rear axle that's best for off-roading but not soaking up bumps.

Yet adaptive suspension translates to excellent ride comfort given its technical make-up, soaking up bumps big and small with a supple edge, and only reminding occupants of its construction over sharp imperfections or rough road surfaces.

The suspension is set up to be soft – especially in Comfort and Normal modes – so it can feel floaty over speed humps, and body roll is ever-present, but they are to be expected. Sport mode helps tie the suspension down on country roads, without shattering your spine over little bumps.

The steering is suitably heavy and responsive enough for gentle driving – though it is hardly a corner-carver, and it’s not especially precise on tight roads – and grip from the Dunlop tyres is surprisingly good, should you end up on winding tarmac.

The brake pedal is well calibrated for the most part, blending the electric motor’s regenerative braking and the ‘friction’ brake discs well, but it can seemingly be caught out in certain scenarios with an odd jolt, and more braking power than you expect.

Tyre roar and wind noise are as well isolated as you’d anticipate for an extra-large luxury SUV.

I didn’t take the LX off-road on this occasion – nor hitch a trailer up to the unchanged 3500kg limit – and the 22-inch wheels and road-focused bumpers mean it is not designed to compete with hardcore 4WDs off the tarmac.

It is equipped with full-time four-wheel drive and a low-range transfer case, should the need to go off-road arise, plus Auto/Dirt/Sand/Mud/Deep Snow/Rock terrain modes, hill-descent control, a low-speed off-road cruise-control system, and plenty of cameras, including an ‘under-floor’ view.

There are no locking front or rear differentials, nor even the F Sport’s limited-slip rear differential.

It is worth calling out the LX700h's payload. Lexus has increased the Gross Vehicle Mass by 100kg (to 3380kg), but the Sports Luxury seven-seat hybrid is 160kg heavier than a comparable LX600, so payload is cut to 540kg.

It makes it even more difficult than in the standard LX600 or LX500d to fill all seven seats, especially if they're adults. If passengers one to five weigh an average of 87kg each, the sixth and seventh could weigh no more than 52.5kg to avoid breaching the GVM.

The LX is not the only seven-seater with this problem, but it defeats the purpose of a third row if the car is not rated to use it.

The Lexus LX is, as ever, a capable luxury SUV that is just as at home on the streets of Toorak, Vaucluse or Hamilton as it is on gravel roads in the country.

But it is very difficult to make a rational case for the hybrid over regular petrol or diesel versions.

The LX700h is peppier than an LX600, and uses less fuel, but it is hardly a fuel miser, the boot is compromised, and it does not save anywhere near enough to justify the $16,200 upcharge in the showroom.

It also cuts the available payload to just over half a tonne, so it's even harder to fill all seven seats of the vehicle with adults and remain under the Gross Vehicle Mass, even before hitching a trailer.

If you want the fastest and best LX – at whatever cost – the hybrid remains a great vehicle, but if you’re making your purchase on a spreadsheet, it’s hard to make the numbers stack up.

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner

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