The 2014 Lexus RX350, which is one letter and a third-row seat away from the proposed TX.
Because the world simply can't do without another three-row crossover, Lexus is considering getting in on the action with a new luxury family hauler, according to Automotive News. Likely to be named TX, the new truckster would slot in above the RX in size—or at least length—and price. Indeed, Lexus already has two three-row 'utes, the large GX460 and the even larger LX570, but both are old-school gas-swilling, body-on-frame SUVs. The TX, on the other hand, would be a relatively featherweight—and more fuel- and space-efficient—unibody crossover.
Lexus floated the idea of a three-row crossover in the past, but has yet to offer a direct response to posh people-movers like the Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GL-class, and Infiniti QX60. Toyota's luxury brand plays in nearly every other SUV segment, though, from the aforementioned big trucks to the fresh and small NX cute-ute, so the TX would fill one of the few remaining holes in Lexus's lineup.
Exactly what platform the TX would ride on remains to be seen, but we wouldn't bet against it sitting on more or less a lengthened version of the popular RX's architecture. (Think Toyota Highlander, which features standard three-row seating, with a nicer badge and trimmings, and bingo.) The AN report does raise the possibility that the TX could be built on Lexus's rear-drive IS/GS sedan architecture, similar Cadillac's (sweet-driving) CTS-based first-gen SRX, but we think that's highly unlikely.
- Official Photos and Info: 2015 Lexus NX / NX200t / NX300h Crossover
- 2013 Lexus RX350 F Sport Test: Stretching the Definition of Sport
- Lexus RX Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Photos, Reviews, and More
In any case, the TX likely could be offered with both gasoline and hybrid powertrains, just like the Toyota Highlander, and it would expand Lexus's appeal to cache of buyers looking for a manageably sized rig with a third-row seat. In the AN story, Lexus Division chief Jeff Bracken points out that "third-row seating is the No. 1 issue we hear from dealers." If it's green-lit, look for Lexus's three-row to address those dealer queries sometime after 2015, when the next-generation RX based on the latest Highlander debuts.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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