Lexus has filed a trademark application for the name LX 700h, pointing to a possible hybrid version of the luxury brand's flagship SUV.
The application was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) March 6 and applies to "automobiles and structural parts thereof." Automakers don't use all of the trademarks they apply for on production vehicles, but an LX hybrid would be in keeping with the brand's emphasis on hybrid powertrains, and could use Lexus parent Toyota's parts bin.
2022 Toyota Tundra
The current-generation Lexus LX launched for the 2022 model year in LX 600 form, shifting to the GA-F platform used by the Toyota Tundra pickup truck that was also redesigned for that model year. The LX 600 also uses the Tundra's twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 and 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Tundra also got its first hybrid powertrain as part of the 2022 redesign. Called i-Force Max, it adds an electric motor between the engine and transmission. In the Tundra, this powertrain is rated at 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque, compared to 409 hp and 479 lb-ft for the non-hybrid V-6 in the LX 600.
2023 Toyota Sequoia
Packaging might be an issue, though. The i-Force Max powertrain is standard in the Toyota Sequoia full-size SUV, but Toyota moved the battery pack from below the second row in the crew-cab Tundra to under the third row in the eight-seat Sequoia. This was done to improve entry and exit into the back, as well as the functionality of the second row, but it compromised third-row space.
That issue aside, a Lexus LX 700h hybrid would make sense. It would give Lexus a hybrid flagship SUV to go alongside the LS 500h sedan and LC 500h coupe.
