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Lexus still planning seven-seat crossover

In case you're thinking, "But Lexus already has a seven-seat crossover in the GX 460," that's actually a proper SUV - the body-on-frame kind with the massive footprint and floaty handling. A report in Automotive News says that Lexus is trying to figure out how to produce a true crossover with space for seven humans, with the options narrowed down to growing the RX (pictured) or sorting out a brand new model.
How badly does the brand want it? Its chief told AN that another row is first on the list of dealer requests, that the offering could be worth 35,000 more sales per year and they don't care if it eats into five-seater RX sales - "We want it." But hey, when 40 percent of monthly sales are made up of the RX, and Lexus moved more than 103,000 of them in 2013, it's understandable that the company wouldn't mind risking a small hit for the chance to increase sales by a third of their current levels.
Toyota applied to trademark the name TX and that's already been mooted in reports as a replacement for the GX, said to end its life in 2016. The latest report, however, suggests that the GX might not go away since it's "highly profitable for the automaker, even at low volumes," and that "TX coding could merely be for a seven-seat variant of the RX 350." AN also wonders if this larger hauler would stay on the recently lengthened Toyota Highlander platform, which offers meager third-row seating, or switch to the rear-wheel-drive platform used by the IS and GS for tauter responsiveness. With Lexus saying it will be at least two years before it could be brought to market, we have a while to wait yet to find out.

Autoblog Minute: New car customer satisfaction down according to latest ACSI report

Customers have spoken and automobile satisfaction is down in 2015. Autoblog's Chris McGraw reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Customers have spoken and automobile satisfaction is down in 2015. I'm Chris McGraw and this is your Autoblog Minute. The American Customer Satisfaction Index or ACSI released its updated numbers and according to the survey, new car buyer satisfaction is down for the third straight year. According to an ACSI press release, customer satisfaction with new automobiles has fallen 3.7 percent, to 79 on its 100-point scale. The ACSI report is based on over 4,100 customer surveys collected in the second quarter of 2015 Sitting at the top of the industry in customer satisfaction is Toyota's Lexus brand with a score of 84. Which was good enough to dethrone Mercedes-Benz, which fell 3% to a score of 83. Of the Big Three, Ford was the only domestic automaker to maintain overall customer satisfaction with its score of 81. General Motors slipped 3% to 79 and Fiat Chrysler had a 5% drop, registering a score of 75 out the possible 100. What's driving this trend of customer dissatisfaction? ASCI points to the rise in recalls and car prices. Where do you land on customer satisfaction spectrum? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on the current state of car ownership and brand quality. For Autoblog, I'm Chris McGraw. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Lexus Mercedes-Benz Car Buying Ownership Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video

Lexus LC F prototype caught testing

The rumored Lexus LC F seems to be real based on these spy shots. A prototype was spied testing in Europe, and it shows a number of significant alterations from the regular LC 500 and LC 500h grand touring luxury coupes. In particularly, they seem to show a bit more of everything for the sporty edition. The nose bears some of the biggest changes compared with the standard models. While the center grille is mostly untouched, the outboard grilles have been cut wide open for more airflow. We can see the reason why, as there are heat exchangers in each of them. A particularly large one resides in the grille on the left side of the car. We can also see that the fenders have been extended over the wheel arches. Whether this is something to throw off observers or a final addition has yet to be seen, since the wheels and tires fitted to this car don't fill the added width, and the rear fenders aren't any wider, either. While nothing has changed to the sides of the car, we can spot the LC F's new brakes. They feature cross-drilled rotors and some beefy calipers. Moving around the back, we see that the LC F will get the signature stacked exhaust seen on the RC F and old IS F. Underneath, the tips will be matched with a wide diffuser that looks rather functional. Based on a previous report, it sounds like the LC F is still a couple of years away. Not much is known about the car, but it's safe to say it will make more than the 467 horsepower of the LC 500's naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. It could possibly have a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 or some sort of hybrid powertrain. To play in the same arena as some of the luxury performance competition, it will probably need at least 550 horsepower. Also expect it to cost significantly more than the LC 500h's low-$90,000s price tag. Related Video: