Questions over when Australia (and the rest of the world) might see a hybrid version of the new Lexus LX model drew a stonewall reaction at the recent launch of the vehicle in Hobart.
Car companies are notoriously coy about revealing future model plans, so Lexus Australia’s chief executive John Pappas’ refusal to speculate is nothing new.
Instead, the assembled media got the mission statement which lays out Lexus’ commitment to an electrified future.
“We are fully committed to powertrain diversity. And we review all our models over time. Our target and commitment is that 80 per cent of our line-up is electrified by 2025,” Mr Pappas said.
Which is fair enough, but as a high-end and relatively thirsty vehicle, a hybrid version of the LX seems like a worthwhile pursuit on many fronts.
And even if the LX remains a non-hybrid for now, that 2025 target isn’t getting further away.
Which suggests the LX’s mid-life facelift might involve a hybrid option for us. That said, when you’re selling every single car you can get your hands on, there isn’t always the impetus to broaden its appeal.
Which got us thinking about what form a hybrid LX might take.
The most obvious solution would be to use the V6 petrol-hybrid powerplant that’s just been released in the 2022 Toyota Tundra in the USA.
Using more or less the same twin-turbocharged V6 engine as in the petrol version of the LX just launched here, the Tundra adds a 1.87kW/hr battery and an electric motor in parallel, that is, the motor is mounted between the engine and 10-speed automatic transmission.
When the driver demands it, the electric motor can deliver an extra 36kW and an impressive 250Nm for totals of 325kW and 790Nm, well up on the Aussie petrol’s LX’s 305kW and 650Nm, and eclipsing even the Australian turbo-diesel’s torque peak of 700Nm.
Interestingly, Toyota has stayed away from an Atkinson-cycle petrol engine in the interests of torque, even though that involves a sacrifice in fuel savings.
As it is, the hybrid Tundra has a combined fuel economy figure of 10.7 litres per 100km, compared with 11.8 litres for the non-hybrid V6 petrol Tundra.
The other consideration would be to maintain the towing and hot-weather performance that Australian buyers consider necessary.
That shouldn’t really be a problem, though, as Toyota rates even the hybrid Tundra to tow up to 5400kg (with the correct hitch).
And although that’s not class-leading – the new F-150 boasts a 6.3-tonne limit – it’s worth remembering that the new Tundra features a coil-sprung, multi-link rear suspension in place of the old leaf-sprung technology.
Just like the Lexus LX does.
Keyword: A turbo-diesel V6 not enough? A hybrid engine could take the Lexus LX to new heights and blow away the Land Rover Discovery