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Updated 2016 Lexus LX 570 bows in Monterey

Lexus just pulled the wraps off its 2016 LX 570, and though the updates are minor, they're long overdue. A new one-piece spindle grille – framed by a satin chrome trim – defines the front end aesthetically, and adds a more aggressive look, bringing the eight-passenger SUV up to speed with Lexus's current design language. New LED headlights, turn signals, and foglights further distinguish the front end. The LX 570 adds new wheels, the standard 20-inch split 10-spoke wheels, with an available 21-inch option. While the new LX keeps the brawny 5.7-liter V8 – rated at 383 horsepower, with 403 pound-feet of torque available at 3,600 rpm – it adds a new transmission. For 2016 the LX 570 drops the six-speed in favor of a new eight-speed automatic transmission. This combination means the LX is capable of towing 7,000 pounds, and we expect the 4WD system – the LX flaunts its Toyota Land Cruiser roots – to be as formidable as on the current model. Drivers will appreciate the new Drive Mode Select, which adjusts throttle and suspension calibration with the turn of a dial. The system works in conjunction with the adaptive variable suspension, which adjusts damping, and makes for a smoother ride in the cabin. Drivers can choose from four modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Sport +. The LX gets more standard safety features for 2016, including the Lexus Safety System+, a blind spot monitoring system with rear cross traffic alert, and a tire-specific TPS that gives pressure readings for each tire. Additionally, the multimedia system gets a boost with a new 12.3-inch screen with a remote-touch interface. The Panoramic View Monitor, and "Climate Concierge" are now standard features, while a heads-up display is now an available option. Scroll down for the full details in the press release. Making a Classic Entrance: Lexus Debuts Refreshed 2016 LX 570 Luxury Utility Vehicle at Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance ???? - Redesigned Exterior Highlighted By One-Piece Spindle Grille ? New Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission - More Standard Safety Features: Lexus Safety System +, Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Tire Specific Tire Pressure Monitoring System - Upgraded Multimedia With Larger 12.3-inch Screen and Remote Touch Interface - Added Standard Features Including Panoramic View Monitor and Climate Concierge - Available Lexus Enform Service Connect - Available Heads-up Display MONTEREY, Calif. – Aug.

NHTSA may investigate new Toyota unintended acceleration case

After paying a $1.2-billion settlement to the US government last year, Toyota largely put the unintended acceleration recall behind it. Although, there were still some civil lawsuits to handle. A new case where the owner of a 2009 Lexus ES350 is petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open another analysis could draw the issue back to the forefront. Investigators are still deciding whether to research these claims further, though. According to this petition, the owner's wife was driving the ES350 in February 2015. While pulling into a parking space, the sedan allegedly surged forward, and there was a low-speed accident. The claim asserts there are at least two other similar cases in NHTSA's database: one in a 2009 Camry in 2009 and another in a 2010 Corolla in 2014. Specifically, this person wants an "investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases even when the accelerator pedal is not depressed," according to the agency. NHTSA will do further research into this person's claim and will decide whether to conduct a full investigation into the alleged issue. This won't be the first reappraisal of unintended acceleration in Toyotas by the agency in recent months, though. Between September 2014 and May 2015, NHTSA evaluated a similar petition with allegations covering 2006-2010 Corollas, and the government body decided to deny that one because the problem couldn't be replicated. Related Video: INVESTIGATION Subject : Low-speed surging Date Investigation Opened: JUL 09, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: DP15005 Component(s): VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL All Products Associated with this Investigation close Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) LEXUS ES350 2009 Details Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation SUMMARY: In a letter dated June 19, 2015, a consumer petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for an "investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases even when the accelerator pedal is not depressed." The petition was prompted by a February 2015 crash involving a model year (MY) 2009 Lexus ES350, which allegedly surged as the petitioner's wife was pulling into a parking spot.

Lexus planning a hydrogen fuel-cell LS by 2017

Toyota's Fuel Cell System will certainly migrate to other vehicles in the carmaker's lineup, but Australian car site Motoring reports that one of the models at the head of the queue is the Lexus LS. According to its sources, the executive barge powered by hydrogen will be released by 2017 and take the top spot in the range, rolling in above the LS Hybrid. We're told that Toyota engineers will find a way to slide two hydrogen tanks into its bodywork with the same general setup as on the Mirai – one under the rear seats and another under the rear parcel shelf. The 150-kW fuel cell stack will be placed under the front seats. Motoring says the resulting sedan and its 220-kW electric motor would come in "at around 2,100 kg," which is 4,620 pounds; that's a ginormous 539 pounds less than the listed curb weight of the current LS Hybrid, and 387 pounds more than the standard LS. Assuming all goes as planned, it would have a range of roughly 238 miles, a few dozens less than the Mirai's range of about 300 miles. It would look slightly different, too, the front end getting larger intakes to cool the power unit. It wouldn't surprise us if Lexus does have a hydrogen LS planned – it would be a statement car, and the company likes making statements, even if few heed them; it has stuck with its LS 600h for the past seven years, yet of the 7,539 LS models sold through the end of November this year, only 61 of them were hybrids. The timing would be intriguing, however; by the time the LS hybrid came out, Lexus had already worked over its filet-and-potatoes models. And if the hydrogen version is going to come in above the $120,440 hybrid, well, that will be a statement indeed.