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Lexus LQ flagship crossover due around 2022, so what of the LX?

When Lexus debuted the LF-1 Limitless crossover concept at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, Lexus' U.S. general manager waited roughly six minutes to tell the world, as a way of hinting to HQ in Japan, "We have to build this vehicle." Car and Driver says the GM and his dealers will get their wish when the Lexus LQ crossover takes the top spot in the automaker's range in 2022. Underneath the "molten katana" design language that looks like an RX sent back from the future to kill an RX named Sarah Connor, we'll find the inner workings of the LS sedan, possibly including the luxury-specific TNGA-L rear- and all-wheel-drive platform. Engines could be ported straight from the LS stable for standard LQ models, meaning — for now — a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.5-liter V6 helped by two electric motors to produce a combined 354 hp. An LQ F or F Sport model could bolt up the impending twin-turbo V8 and cross the 600-hp mark. Numerous rumors over several years have clouded our view of what's planned for the pinnacle end of Lexus crossovers, though. In late 2018, whispers out of Japan claimed Lexus was working up a twin-turbo V8 with 660 horsepower for a production version of the LF-1 concept due to launch this year, with a milder V6-powered trim to make 424 hp. The V8 part came true, at least. Would an LQ cohabit with the LX as the luxury side of the flagship people-hauler coin? Or would they cohabit at all? Toyota insiders have said the next LX will turn into "an entirely different vehicle" and get far more luxurious, perhaps meaning the LX turns into the LQ. However, last October Lexus trademarked the LX 600 name, a Japanese magazine predicting a month later the next-gen LX would bow in 2021 on Toyota's truck-focused TNGA platform. And with the Toyota Land Cruiser going downmarket, jettisoning the LX would eliminate all those buyers looking for something big, luxurious, and conspicuously rugged.    Toyota has taken the time to trademark the LQ name in the U.S., Canada, France, and China, so dealer lots should clear up the mystery eventually. C/D thinks the entry-level LQ could start around $80,000, and since Lexus won't put its V8 into anything under $90,000, the top LQ trim could demand around $100,000. For comparison, the LS starts at $80,010 before destination, the LX at $86,480. Related Video:      

Lexus US execs want the LF-1 Limitless concept or something like it

Many years ago, Mercedes-Benz counted many blue moons debating about and then hinting at a full-sized SUV, before the GLS-Class arrived in 2007 (known then as the GL-Class). After that, Audi and BMW each grabbed a gilded handle on The Waffler's Cup, equivocating for years about a Q8 and an X7, respectively; both of those luxurious load-haulers are expected in showrooms soon. Having seen the Lexus LF-1 Limitless Concept at the Detroit Auto Show, we wonder if Lexus intends to hoe that same row - dodging years of questions about a production version of the LF-1 Limitless before finally committing. Lexus US general manager Jeff Bracken hopes that's not the case. His address to the unveil audience at the NAIAS included the appeal, "We have to build this vehicle," aimed at his boss, Lexus global chief Yoshihiro Sawa. Bracken stoked the flames of his own desire after the reveal, telling journalists, "We couldn't be happier if we turned this into a production vehicle," and, "We clearly have a gap at the high-end premium cross-utility segment." We're certain plenty of his colleagues share the sentiments, and why wouldn't they? A Lexus LS-based family functionary begs the question, "Why isn't this already a thing?" The LF-1 Limitless does fierce, futuristic service to its Ghost in the Shell design philosophy of "molten katana," and Lexus needs a proper three-row crossover. Not the three-row RX, nor the opulent, cretaceous GX and LX SUVs, but a unibody crossover to challenge the aforementioned German rivals. If Lexus really does "want to be the brand which is emotionally connected with the customer," it would do well to begin its courtship with this rose-copper gem. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lexus LF-1 Limitless Concept: Detroit 2018 View 13 Photos News Source: Wards Auto Detroit Auto Show Lexus Crossover Concept Cars Luxury lexus rx lexus crossover

Toyota sees profit slip but beat earlier forecasts

TOKYO — ToyotaÂ’s July-September profit fell 11% from a year earlier as the coronavirus pandemic slammed global demand, but JapanÂ’s top automaker appeared to be holding up better than weaker rivals that have sunk into the red. Toyota reported Friday a quarterly profit of 470.5 billion yen ($4.5 billion), down from 530 billion yen a year ago. Quarterly sales slipped to 6.77 trillion yen ($65 billion) from 7.64 trillion yen. Its president, Akio Toyoda, told reporters Toyota employees worked extremely hard, including making masks and face shields and boosting efficiency at factories to achieve results despite the pandemic. “Toyota has become gradually stronger,” he said, offering gratitude and praise for how resilient Toyota has proven itself to be. “This shows how each individual worked so hard,” said Toyoda, the grandson of the automakerÂ’s founder, vowing that each of its employees will keep thinking about contributing to a better world. Toyota raised its global sales forecast to 9.4 million vehicles for the fiscal year through March 2021, better than its earlier forecast for 9.1 million vehicles. ThatÂ’s still lagging behind the more than 10.5 million vehicles sold in the last fiscal year. Toyota, based in Toyota city in Aichi, central Japan, said it expects to record a 1.4 trillion yen ($13.5 billion) profit for the fiscal year. It earlier projected 730 billion yen ($7 billion) in profit. Toyota, which makes Lexus luxury models and the Prius hybrid, recorded 2 trillion yen ($19 billion) in profit the previous fiscal year. ToyotaÂ’s operating income fell in most regions, including Japan and other Asian markets, but improved in North America. Operating Officer Kenta Kon expressed caution about the U.S. outlook, given the rising coronavirus cases. But he said ToyotaÂ’s latest models were popular, and dealers were adjusting incentives to get good results. All the worldÂ’s automakers have been slammed by shrinking demand as COVID-19 squelches economic activity. Some nations, including Japan, have sunk into recession. Although uncertainties persist about further outbreaks and when a vaccine might be available, there are signs of recovery in some parts of the world. Japan has managed to keep pandemic-related deaths at fewer than 2,000. It has reported about 105,000 cases nationwide.