Tow Test: Lexus LX 450d 2018

Only a couple years ago Lexus promised it would never sell a diesel vehicle here. But when a version of the big Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series-based Lexus LX became available to it with a Toyota 4.5-litre twin-turbo diesel V8, the lure of distillate was too hard to ignore.

What better way to broaden the LX’s appeal to those who tow a caravan or horse float than offering the big Lexus with a torquey, efficient diesel?

Diesel duty
It makes sense to have a diesel offering in the large SUV segment. A diesel’s superior torque and better efficiency — and hence fuel range -- is magnified in big, heavy SUVs.

So it’s no surprise that Lexus Australian finally launched the new 2018 Lexus LX 450d in March.

Lexus Oz boss Scott Thompson said at the time that the new model would boost Lexus sales with the turbo-diesel being “the powertrain of choice in the luxury 4WD market”.

Between then and the end of September, 84 LX 450ds have found homes, versus 122 for the LX 570. The diesel’s not killing it but clearly there’s a market for it.

More than a nose job
The Lexus LX is not just a 200 Series with a nose job and different badges. It get more trick gear than the top-shelf ‘Cruiser such as adaptive dampers and hydraulic height-adjustable suspension, electric-assist steering and 20-inch rather than 18-inch wheels.

There’s also a bigger infotainment screen (12.3-inch versus 9.0-inch for the Sahara), wireless phone charging, easy access for seats and steering column, smart key card, rear sun blinds and leather-wrapped dashboard and centre console.

Mass exodus
Lexus says that to make sure owners didn’t too easily exceed its GVM, the diesel LX had to drop some mass.

As we outlined during the launch drive of the LX 450d, the big luxury wagon misses out on some equipment that the petrol LX 570 has as standard.

Rear media screens, seat ventilation for the front seats, seat ventilation and heating in the back, and the sunroof are features missing from the LX 450d brochure.

The LX 450d also lacks the third-row seating and the 45-litre sub fuel tank of the LX 570, but retains the 93-litre main fuel tank.

Lexus says the LX 450d weighs 2740kg -- exactly the same as the LX 570 and every version (petrol and diesel) of the LandCruiser except GX, which is 100kg lighter -- and an identical GVM of 3350kg.

All LandCruiser 200 and Lexus LX vehicles each have a 610kg payload. Gross Combined Mass for the Lexus LX 450d is 6850kg, meaning that it can tow to its maximum 3500kg capacity while also at its maximum (GVM) weight.

Price point
At $134,129 plus on-road costs, the LX 450d is about $14K more expensive than the top-shelf LandCruiser Sahara but about $9K less than a (petrol) LX 570.

Our test vehicle had optional premium paint ($1500) and was fitted with a Lexus towbar and wiring ($542) and an electric brake controller ($600). Total price as tested was $136,771 (plus ORCs).

While there’s no mistaking the familiar silhouette, the latest Lexus L-finesse front-end design gives the Lexus a very different look to the 200 Series Cruiser. Despite the core engineering and design dating back to 2007, because of its most recent update (2016) the LX doesn’t look out of date.

The spacious bone-colour interior of the test vehicle was a bright sumptuous place to sit in and there didn’t seem to be a stitch or piece of trim out of place. This is Japanese attention-to-detail at its finest.

The seats are comfortable, vision great and main controls easy to use. The expansive 12.3-inch central screen is great, although the Lexus mouse controller takes some getting used to. There are better ways of drilling down in to screen menus.

Quiet times
The 4.5-litre diesel settles into a quiet idle and you’re not painfully aware it’s a diesel. On the move you’re never affronted by unwanted noise or vibrations. It is quieter than the 200 Series, but doesn’t lose the ‘Cruiser’s nice V8 rumble.

The big Lexus absorbs most bumps very well, although its ride gets a bit jittery over abrupt surfaces when unladen, even when in the softest of its suspension settings (Comfort). That’s accentuated in the firmer Sport mode, which you’d only ever use on a relatively smooth fast country road, preferably not one dotted with sharp bumps.

It’s in that situation where you also notice the one thing that betrays the age of the LX 450d’s core engineering -- just the slightest hint of body flex. Let’s not forget that under the skin this vehicle started life as a 2007 Toyota LandCruiser.

Time to tow
We hitched up a 2714kg Tare Jayco Silverline (with a 200kg towball download) loaned to us by the guys at Jayco Sydney in St Marys.

The hitching process was made much easier with the LX 450d’s reversing camera screen, which has not only side marker lines for the LX’s intended trajectory but also a centre marker for the towball’s path. It is not perfectly accurate but its guidance is helpful.

The ride improved with the van hitch up, smoothing out the sharp bumps on the road. On faster, undulating roads the front began to pitch up and down in Comfort mode but flicking over to Sport fixed that. It is about the only time you’d resort to Sport mode though -- in most situations it’s just too firm.

Rock solid
One thing that the Lexus adjustable suspension doesn’t change over the 200 Series’ coil-spring set-up is stability. You would have to go out of your way to make a LandCruiser 200 feel unstable when towing, and the LX 450d feels the same.

After towing two caravans, both around the three-tonne mark, the Lexus didn’t for a moment sway or squirm.

At 100km/h in sixth gear, the V8 diesel is spinning at 1800rpm, or at about 1400rpm when the torque converter locks – which was not very often with the heavy van behind.

While the almost three tonnes behind the big Lexus obviously blunts performance, it’ll still pull quite responsive up to 100km/h -- on the plains at least.

On our set-piece hillclimb with a 90km/h start, the Lexus broached the hill with foot to the floor at 83km/h – which is not bad performance at all given the weight. You’d have to look at the big RAM 2500 with its 6.7-litre 1000Nm diesel to do better than that.

Engine braking with this amount of weight behind was acceptable rather than brilliant: with a 70km/h start, the LX 450d ended up creeping up to 73km/h at the end of the descent.

Fuel thirst
Now to the Lexus’ fuel consumption, the one thing that is sure to get comments below. In the thousands of kilometres of towing I’ve done in the very similar LandCruiser 200 4.5 V8 diesel, this engine can sip as little as 13.0L/100km when towing something fairly light on flat terrain, or north of 20.0L when it’s towing up around three tonnes with mountainous terrain thrown in.

The LX 450d achieved 20.6L/100km towing the Jayco, which was around what I expected for the 200km of easy 80km/h and 100km/h Sydney’s M4 freeway cruising and a climb up the Blue Mountains and back.

With the 93-litre fuel tank you’d get 400km (with a 50km safety margin) with our fuel consumption average.

Winding up
The Lexus LX 450d makes a compelling argument as a premium heavy-duty tow vehicle, and one that is a lot cheaper than the likes of Range Rover and that does not cost a lot more than the LandCruiser Sahara.

Sure it likes a drink when working hard, but rewards with its rock-solid stability and towing performance.

How much does the 2018 Lexus LX 450d cost?
Price: $136,771 (as tested, plus ORCs)
Engine: 4.5-litre V8 twin-turbo diesel
Output: 200kW/650Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.5L/100km (ADR Combined), 20.6L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 250g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBC