With the fifth-generation Lexus RX having made its debut at the beginning of this month, the just-launched SUV has been confirmed to go on sale “with just two rows,” a Lexus spokesperson has revealed to Motor1. This means that the seven-seater RX L has seen its sunset along with the previous-generation RX. It won’t be the end of the unibody seven-seater presence in the Lexus line-up, however, as this has been previously rumoured to be succeeded by a three-row SUV called the TX. This has been revealed as part of the brand’s mass-EV showcase late last year, albeit showing up in a rather low-key manner at the time.
Rumours of the TX nameplate have been
around as early as 2009, though this much earlier application was thought at
the time to be for a smaller vehicle. More recently, Lexus Enthusiast came
across filing applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) for the TX350 and TX500h. If the just-launched RX is used as a
parallel, the ‘350’ would mean the use of the T24A-FTS turbocharged 2.4 litre
petrol engine, while the ‘500h’ suffix similarly could mean the addition of a
rear-axle mounted electric motor augmenting the same 2.4 litre turbo petrol
engine.
In the 2023 RX, the 2.4 litre turbo petrol
four-cylinder engine produces 279 PS and 430 Nm of torque, and is paired with
an eight-speed automatic transmission which sends drive to either the front or
all four wheels, depending on variant. As for the RX 500h, the parallel hybrid
system employs a six-speed automatic gearbox where the internal combustion
engine powers the front wheels while the electric motor drives the rear wheels,
yielding 373 PS and 550 Nm in total system output.
