News / 17 February 2025 / Michael Taylor

New Lexus flagship SUV goes on sale in South Africa – Pricing

Lexus has officially launched the updated LX in South Africa, adding new options to its flagship SUV.

The biggest change to the lineup is the new 700h – a hybrid that replaces the “600” petrol engine – leaving the LX with two different powertrains.

The LX 700h retails for up to R3,092,100, making it the most expensive Lexus in the country.

Engines

Customer choices begin with the 500d, a 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel engine that produces a total of 225kW and 700Nm.

This power is sent down to each corner via the 10-speed Direct Shift gearbox and a permanent all-wheel-drive system, resulting in an average fuel consumption of 8.3l/100km.

Alternatively, buyers can go for the new 700h, which uses the same 3.5-litre turbo-petrol engine as the outgoing 600, but combines it with an electric motor for an even greater output.

The result is a combined reading of 341kW and 790Nm – an improvement of 36kW and 140Nm over the 600.

However, even with electrical assistance, the hybrid LX has a relatively high average fuel consumption of 10.0l/100km.

Importantly, the battery for the 700h, which is stored below the rear floor, is kept within a waterproof tray, meaning the SUV can still wade through up to 700mm of water without issue.

Additionally, the hybrid models benefit from adaptive variable suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers, which corrects the vehicle’s height and damping forces in response to the road.

Features

Following the update, the Lexus is available in five specifications divided across three trim levels – the F Sport, Overtrail, and VIP.

The trim levels determine both the SUV’s features and the number of seats, as the F Sport has five while the Overtrail has seven, and the VIP has four.

Things start off with the F Sport, which comes with 22-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, daytime running lights, keyless start with fingerprint recognition, a heated leather multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, leather upholstery, aluminium trim, a moonroof, a refrigerator, a 25-speaker Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound System, a wireless charger, a 360-degree camera, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, emergency braking and steering assist, Crawl Control (off-road cruise control), and a parking assistant.

The LX also comes with an updated 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a colour heads-up display, a 7-inch touchscreen for the four-zone climate control, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite navigation.

Next up is the Overtrail – a new trim for the Lexus – which has smaller 18-inch alloys and chunkier tyres better suited for off-roading.

Many of the exterior elements, such as the grille, fog lamp surrounds, rear bumper, wheel arches, roof rails, door handles, and side mirrors, have been given a darker matte-grey finish, and the Overtrail is available with an exclusive “Moon Desert” paint scheme.

Inside, the Overtrail has the aforementioned seven seats, and it swaps out the aluminium trim for wood panels.

Finally, there’s the VIP, which replaces the standard back seats for a pair of heated and ventilated Captain’s chairs with massage functions and an adjustable ottoman with memory settings.