- Lexus is adding a new model to its lineup for 2024 called the TX.
- It’s a three-row SUV meant to replace the old RX L, and it’s larger and offers more third-row space.
- Available models including the TX350, the TX500h hybrid, and the TX550h+ plug-in hybrid.
It’s surprising that it took this long, but Lexus is finally ready to offer a legitimate three-row luxury crossover in the U.S. Welcome the 2024 Lexus TX, a new model that’s larger than the two-row RX and is now the biggest SUV Lexus offers other than the truck-based LX600 flagship. It shares a platform with the Toyota Grand Highlander but offers more features, nicer interior materials, a distinct exterior design, and adds an available plug-in-hybrid powertrain.
With a 116.1-inch wheelbase and a 203.1-inch overall length, there’s no denying the TX’s size. It’s larger than competitors such as the Acura MDX and appears to be much more of a legitimate three-row effort than the old RX L, which had a third-row seat only suitable for occasional use. The wayback seats in the TX are far more comfortable than the RX L’s, and access is easy thanks to a second-row seat that flips forward at the push of a button. There’s also more cargo space behind the last row.
The TX’s design offers some items of interest, such as the body-color treatment of the spindle grille design with a chrome bar in the center, plus headlights with an inverted L-shaped accent light. But the slab-sided profile and full-width LED taillight strip are less distinctive.
Two of the TX’s powertrains are effectively the same as the Grand Highlander’s offerings. A 275-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four comes standard in the TX350 and comes with a 10-speed automatic transmission and either front- or all-wheel drive. Lexus estimates it will deliver a 21 mpg combined EPA fuel-economy rating. The more powerful TX500h, a hybrid model offered only in F Sport Performance trim, comes with a 362-hp all-wheel-drive setup with that same turbo-four gas engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, and two electric motors. It also has 22-inch wheels, rear-wheel steering, and adaptive dampers. The TX500h claims 24 mpg combined.
The TX does differentiate itself with a plug-in-hybrid model called the TX550h+ that uses a 3.5-liter V-6 gasoline engine. This combination produces 406 horsepower and claims 30 mpg and a 33-mile electric driving range. It comes with all-wheel drive and a continuously variable automatic transmission but Lexus has not yet released details on battery size or charging capabilities.
Lexus is also hoping that the TX’s interior design separates it from its Toyota sibling. The dashboard features a 14.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an optional digital gauge cluster, and an optional head-up display. It looks and feels appropriately upscale for a Lexus but doesn’t skimp on practicality, with generous storage spaces and numerous charging ports and power outlets. Three interior colors will be available, including Peppercorn, Birch, and Black. Trim levels include base, Premium, and Luxury, along with the RX500h F Sport Performance.
We reckon the TX will cost a few thousand dollars more than the RX, which ranges from $48,950 up to $64,145. The TX350 and TX500h are scheduled to arrive this fall, and the PHEV TX550h+ will go on sale later on.
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Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
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