"It could be any number of solutions," Bracken told Automotive News (subscription required) when asked about such a vehicle being launched. "We could bring it to market in 2016 or 2017.”
Bracken said launching a crossover with third-row seats was a priority because there is strong demand for a crossover with more than the five seats of the RX, but didn't confirm whether a new one was coming. Lexus does have the GX and LX SUVs, but both of these feature truck-like body-on-frame construction and don’t match the fuel economy of crossovers offered by rivals.
Instead of replacing the GX, which is a highly profitable model for Lexus, the automaker may simply launch a stretched version of the next-generation RX. The next RX, which is due in late 2015, will share its platform with the latest Highlander, which already offers a third row, so building a version for Lexus with the third row intact shouldn’t be too difficult.
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