The chief engineer of Lexus LX, Takami Yoko, talked about the differences of the new generation Lexus LX. As you know, the flagship Lexus SUV is a luxury Land Cruiser, but not everyone understands (or everyone doesn’t understand) what you’re paying extra for.
TopGyr studied the interview of the main engineer of Lexus LX600 with Drom, and made the main “excerpts” about the differences and features of the Lexus LX 2021 and Toyota LC 300. Below is the list of the main points worth reading:
- In terms of the number of crossbars, the frame of the fourth generation LX is no different from the previous one, but their shape and cross-section have been changed. The same applies to the spars.
- In the new Lexus LX, the hood, roof, fenders, and rear door are made of aluminum. Thanks to aluminum, the weight of the car and the center of gravity have been reduced, which improved its road performance.
- Lexus LX and Toyota Land Cruiser 300 have identical outer panels of the front and rear doors.
- The body door openings of Lexus LX and Toyota Land Cruiser 300 differ slightly due to differences in the thickness of the door glass, shape of interior trim elements, and the location of the speakers.
- The inter-axle differential in the new generation LX remains the same – self-locking, planetary type, with helical gears.
- The new generation Lexus SUV features a forced locking front axle differential. This was done not least at the request of customers from Eastern Europe. By the way, all three differential locks are electromechanical.
- The inter-axle and wheel differential lock buttons are separated: the “wheel” buttons are located behind the steering wheel, on the panel, and the “inter-axle” button is on the central tunnel.
According to the chief engineer, this is done because:
- the inter-axle differential lock is considered basic equipment. It is often used, so the button was placed on the tunnel so the driver can always see it and quickly use it if necessary.
- Wheel locks are optional. Moreover, the driver uses them at low speeds and very rarely, in the most difficult conditions. Therefore, they were deliberately “hidden” (including for safety reasons: the driver should use them more thoughtfully).