Lexus LX 450d launched in India at Rs 2.32 crore

Lexus has launched its flagship LX 450d SUV in India and has priced it at Rs 2.32 crore (ex-showroom Delhi).  The luxury Japanese automaker has showcased the LX alongside the RX crossover and ES sedan during its India debut but had not announced prices for the SUV at that time. This SUV is available in a single top-of-the-line model with a V8 diesel engine and across seven colour options.

In terms of looks, the Lexus LX is all about presence and its exterior design conveys this quite well. The face is dominated by the large Lexus grille and LED headlamps while the side is typical old school SUV lines thanks to the flared wheel arches and design of the roofline which flows into the wrap around tail lamps.

The seven-seat cabin is a two-tone leather-lined affair with a deep brown for the dashboard and dark beige for the upholstery. It is quite feature loaded and gets all luxury touches expected from vehicles in this part of the market. Of these noticeable elements include a 19-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, wireless charging port in centre console, screens for passengers in the second row as well as a four-zone climate control system.

The Indian market gets the LX in the 450d trim which means that it is powered a massive 4.5-litre diesel V8 producing 270bhp/650Nm of torque. All this power and torque is channeled through a six-speed AT and an AWD system which can be operated through a terrain management system. The mammoth output has given this 3.3-tonne beast a 0-100kmph time of 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 210kmph.

At this price point, the only competition for the Lexus LX is the Range Rover in the 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography trim level which is priced at Rs 2.27 crore (ex-showroom Delhi).  Such a pricing strategy will ensure that the CBU route model from Lexus will be able to carve out a niche but unique identity among luxury car offerings in the Indian car market.