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Growing demand could bring more body-on-frame off-roaders to the Lexus range

Car-based crossovers are outselling truck-derived SUVs by a wide margin, but Lexus still sees a strong demand for models that offer true off-road capability. It hinted that it could soon increase its presence in this segment. Toyota's luxury division entered 2021 with two body-on-frame SUVs in its range: the Land Cruiser-based LX (pictured) and the smaller, more affordable GX. Neither is a high-volume model, but both fared shockingly well in 2020. LX sales in the United States fell by 4.4% to 4,512 units, which is a great result in a year when double-digit declines were common, and GX sales increased by 9.9% to 28,519 units. Clearly, off-roaders are in demand. "What we have seen at Toyota is that there's so much of an appetite for [off-roading] that I see that [moving into] the Lexus brand as well. There is an appetite, a customer desire, a customer push to see all brands giving them more options. I think it would be silly for Lexus not to travel down that path," explained Jack Hollis, the head of automotive operations for Toyota's North American division, in an interview with Automotive News. He added that his team has identified a "white space" in the Lexus range that could be filled with an additional body-on-frame off-roader. He didn't reveal precisely what he has in mind, but there are a few possibilities we can rule out. We know Toyota is wrapping up the development of the next-generation Land Cruiser, even if the SUV might not be sold in America, and seeing a next-generation LX seems like a given, but we don't think that's what Hollis was referring to. Moving into the space above the LX with an even bigger truck is highly unlikely. Similarly, the idea of a Lexus-badged SUV aimed at the Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Bronco is neat but unrealistic. Ford's hotly-anticipated born-again off-roader has captured the attention of executives, however. "Holy cow! They sold out that thing, and I think there's a strong market out there for authentic off-road chops and credibility. We're seeing that with [the Toyota] 4Runner as well. I don't think it's any secret that [the 4Runner] is not all that new, but it continues to set records, and it continues to grow volume," pointed out Lexus brand head Andrew Gilleland in a separate interview with Automotive News. Could we see a Lexus-specific version of the 4Runner? We certainly wouldn't rule it out, especially because making an upmarket variant of the SUV would help Toyota leverage the benefits of economies of scale.

Toyota Land Cruiser vs Lexus LX 570 Suspension Flex Test

There’s no need to explain the Toyota Land Cruiser, one of ToyotaÂ’s earliest successful products. The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition celebrates some 60 years of popularity of a vehicle that has survived the segmentÂ’s “mall wagon” phase and the rise of crossovers. Its already-sterling reputation has received an additional recent push from the rise of overlanding — an outdoor pastime that has always existed but only recently got a press agent. By comparison, the Lexus LX is a more recent development. Debuting in 1996, the LX 450 was little more than an 80-series Land Cruiser with cladding, a Lexus badge and a higher price. The amount of styling differentiation and luxury specialization has increased over the years to the point that the newest LX 570 actually seems like a completely different vehicle. In truth, the 2020 Lexus LX 570 and the 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser are both 200-series Land Cruisers under the skin. They share the same thirsty 5.7-liter V8 engine and the same frame that features a double-wishbone suspension at the front, a five-link coil spring suspension at the rear and a 112.2-inch wheelbase in the middle. The styling is strikingly different, of course, but so are the hidden details of their suspensions. The Land Cruiser employs a simple set of coil springs and shock absorbers, but with an interconnected pair of automatically disconnecting stabilizer bars called KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System). The Lexus, on the other hand, has fixed stabilizer bars and coil springs, but its “shocks” are really hydraulic cylinders that perform height adjustments and transmit suspension movements via piping to remote electronically-adjustable damper valves mounted along the frame rails. All of the above begs a question: Which of them will go farther up my RTI ramp and, by extension, offer better suspension articulation in an authentic off-road situation? Right away, the very approach to the ramp demonstrates a huge difference and a serious issue for the LX. Its normal cruising height (there is a lower height, but this isnÂ’t that) doesnÂ’t provide enough approach clearance to attempt the ramp. The front spoiler contacts the nasty grating before the tire does. ItÂ’s a close-run thing, but from this point on, clearance gets SMALLER as the left front suspension compresses on the way up. If it's touching now, itÂ’s only going to get worse if I go forward.

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.