2024 Lexus TX (350, 500h, 550h+) Megathread

[shizhi]

Toyota just announced an $803 Million investment at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana (TMMI) that will bring 1,400 more jobs to the Princeton, Indiana plant. As Lexus enthusiasts, here is the most interesting section of the release:
Today, Toyota announced an $803 million investment and 1,400 new jobs at the Princeton, Ind., auto-manufacturing plant in preparation to introduce two all-new, three-row SUVs designed with the active Gen Y American Family in mind. What’s more, only one will bear the Toyota name. The other will officially introduce the Lexus line to Toyota Indiana.
So, what might that be? If you ask us, the answer is pretty simple: The three-row Lexus TX and Toyota Grand Highlander will be brought online at the plant that currently builds the Highlander, Sequoia and Sienna. This notion is further...

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[suxeL]

2-3 years time?

 

[Sulu]

The "X" tells me that this would be a crossover or (body-on-frame) sport utility vehicle, with a 3.5 litre (or power-equivalent) powertrain or a more-powerful hybrid powertrain option. Could this be a TNGA platform 3-row RX (replacing the RX-L)?

 

[Will1991]

Perhaps the production version from the (should be a concept) LFX trademark?

This shows a pretty nice future for Lexus in 2-3 years:
New NX
New model RZ
New RX
...

 

[mikeavelli]

TX reminds me of Texas, I have a feeling its some big ole SUV hahaha

 

[Levi]

Maybe Lexus version of Tacoma?

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

Maybe Lexus version of Tacoma?

That's my guess.

 

[ssun30]

They originally registered the TX name for the RX-L but decided to not use it right?

A separate model name could mean the new generation 3-row RX could be a separate design from the 2-row, which it should be.

This also suggests a high power transverse hybrid system as the 500h with power in the range of 350-370hp which is exactly what RX needs.

 

[Gecko]

They originally registered the TX name for the RX-L but decided to not use it right?

A separate model name could mean the new generation 3-row RX could be a separate design from the 2-row, which it should be.

This also suggests a high power transverse hybrid system as the 500h with power in the range of 350-370hp which is exactly what RX needs.

They had TX trademarked I think almost 10 years ago... TX was originally thought to be a Sequoia-sized SUV. They had JX trademarked too, before Infiniti trademarked JX35, which later became the QX60. I believe JX was expected to be the three row midsize SUV. Again, this was all probably 8-10 years ago now...

Keep in mind that based on the NX 350 trademark, new "350" is likely to be the turbo 4.

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

They had TX trademarked I think almost 10 years ago... TX was originally thought to be a Sequoia-sized SUV.

TX was originally registered on 20 October 2009, and abandoned on 16 June 2017. I wrote about it in a June 2010 Kaizen Factor piece almost as an afterthought when reporting mainly on the FR-S trademark. I naïvely and erroneously predicted TX would be used for what is now NX. When the NX 200t and NX 300h trademarks surfaced on October 2012 (3 years after the original TX filing), guesses for TX shifted to the "Lexus Sequoia". Very apropos considering that such an extension of the Lexus lineup would probably be built in the San Antonio, Texas Toyota BOF truck plant.

They had JX trademarked too, before Infiniti trademarked JX35, which later became the QX60. I believe JX was expected to be the three row midsize SUV. Again, this was all probably 8-10 years ago now...

Indeed, I concluded my Kaizen Factor piece on the NX trademarks with this passage:

Finally, it seems that Toyota and Nissan seem to be playing a game of tit-for-tat with dormant two-letter model prefixes. The NX badge adorned a Nissan Sentra-derived sports coupe in the early 1990’s, and Lexus’ using this previously Nissan-centric name might be payback of sorts for the latter’s usurping of Lexus’ unused, trademarked JX prefix for the Infiniti JX crossover SUV.

According to a screenshot from a Lexus Enthusiast forums thread from 2016, JX was actually filed as JX 470 on 1 November 2004, and abandoned on 13 July 2009.

I wasn't kidding when I said that Nissan usurped the JX trademark from Toyota. Nissan filed JX25, JX35, JX45 and JX47 trademarks on 28 April 2005, barely 6 months after Toyota filed JX 470. Five days before Toyota abandoned JX 470, Nissan added JX20, JX25h and JX30 to its repertoire. In the end, Nissan only used JX35, and only for the 2013 model year before Johan de Nysschen went on his major Infiniti renaming spree and the JX35 became the QX60.

Keep in mind that based on the NX 350 trademark, new "350" is likely to be the turbo 4.

Until now, conventional wisdom suggested that Lexus crossover/SUV line expansions would either be a production version of the LF-1 Limitless concept or a "Lexus Sequoia". TX 350 (either a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 or a 2.4/2.5-liter turbo 4) and TX 500h (3.5-liter V6 hybrid) both seem low numbers for either of those vehicles (especially TX 350). Thus, I'll go along with the consensus here that when Lexus moves its upper mid-size crossovers to the TNGA-K platform, it may well "divorce" the 3-row TX from the 2-row RX.

 

[ssun30]

Strangely, a few years ago in Chinese auto media, the TX was rumored to be one of the two things very different from the Lexus Sequoia rumor in U.S.
>> A 7-seat RX.
>> A production version of the HPX concept based on the GS platform.

In any case, the rumor was that it's 3-row and replaces the GX (and that GX would be discontinued after 2015). Obviously none of these happened.

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

>> A production version of the HPX concept based on the GS platform.

In any case, the rumor was that it's 3-row and replaces the GX (and that GX would be discontinued after 2015). Obviously none of these happened.

Yes, now that you mention it, I remember those rumors in the U.S. as well.

 

[Gecko]

At this point, I think splitting the RX/RXL or 2 row and 3 row RX is a great idea. The market is crazy for CUVs, so offering a more unique and differentiated 3 row model, while letting the RX do what it does best, is a great play.

 

[mikeavelli]

At this point, I think splitting the RX/RXL or 2 row and 3 row RX is a great idea. The market is crazy for CUVs, so offering a more unique and differentiated 3 row model, while letting the RX do what it does best, is a great play.

I like this...

 

[krew]

/images/weblog/20-09-13-toyota-sequioa-lexus-tx.jpg
Lexus has registered trademarks for the TX 350 and TX 500h with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, suggesting a new model could be on the horizon.
In the name of pure speculation, the brawny TX nameplate could be the answer to U.S. dealership requests for a large three-row SUV — this quote from an Automotive News interview with Lexus USA dealer council chairman Carl Sewell III says it all:

Sewell said Lexus could use a Cadillac Escalade fighter — a big, three-row luxury SUV — but there are other considerations beyond what dealers want, such as how vehicles fit into the brand’s regulatory plans.
“I think every dealer would raise their hand for that product, certainly,” Sewell told...

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[Levi]

With the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Lexus just has to have a competitor.

 

[meth.ix]

As Gecko said, I think the best case would be for it to be a separate model from the RX while still filling the same hole in the lineup as the RX-L did.

I don't think a Lexus pickup really makes sense (for now at least). And I don't think Lexus would put a turbo I4 in the production LF-1 or an Escalade competitor.

 

[Gecko]

With the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Lexus just has to have a competitor.

GX/LX are much closer to the Grand Wagoneer, being V8, BOF and full size.

 

[ssun30]

The RX-L packaging was awful. A clean sheet design is of course necessary. I would say Lexus will build a considerably better packaged 3-row design based on GA-K, probably with even more room than the Highlander. The only question is whether dealers are satisfied with that or still demand a real full-size BOF.

 

[Levi]

Looks according to Lexus they are doing well with FWD RX competing against X5, GLE and the likes. They should do fine with FWD against the Ford Expedition and the likes.