Lexus has filed to trademark the ‘LX600’ name with
the United States Patent and Trademark Office, indicating that its flagship SUV
could be getting a new engine.
In the United States, the current top Lexus SUV is
sold exclusively with a naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V8 delivering 383 HP at
5600 rpm and 546 Nm of torque at 3600 rpm as the LX 570. In other
markets, the Toyota Land Cruiser-based model is also available with a 4.5-liter
turbodiesel with 268 HP at 3600 rpm and 650 Nm of torque between
1600 and 2800 rpm as the LX 450d.
If Lexus were to stick with the same naming scheme,
then it would make sense for the LX600 to be powered by a 6.0-liter V8 engine.
However, as Auto Guide points out, it’s no certainty that the badge reflects
the vehicle’s engine displacement, as numerical badges don’t necessarily
signify the size of the engines, especially with the advent of downsizing. It
would also be somewhat strange to release a big 6.0-liter V8 specifically for
the LX, since Lexus doesn’t currently produce such an engine.
With this in mind, there’s certainly a possibility
that Lexus is instead preparing to offer the LX with another engine from the
Toyota family, perhaps the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 it already offers in
vehicles like the LS500.
Whatever the case may be, it’s obvious that Lexus
still sees some life left in the current LX, even though it’s been on the
market since the 2008 model year.
