This Body Kit for the 2018 Lexus LX 570 Is Superior
The decade-old luxury crossover attempts to stay relevant.
It is difficult to fathom the fact that Lexus' third generation LX is 10-years-old. The body-on-frame LX 570 was first revealed in 2007 at the New York International Auto Show. To put that into perspective, Steve Jobs revealed Apple's first iPhone that same year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe did not exist and Hummer, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn were all still in business as was Mercury. That is how old this car is.
So how does Lexus get away with selling a model that is well past its life cycle? Facelifts. The LX has had three, the most recent of which was introduced just two years ago. This substantial overhaul also included an all-new interior sharing only the roof and doors with the previous model year. The three-ton SUV is still powered by the same 5.7-liter V8 engine first introduced in 2007. This engine produces 383 horsepower and 403 lb-ft of torque.
For 2018, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) Japan is taking the LX a step further by conjuring up a unique body kit. The kit includes new front and rear bumpers, larger, 21-inch forged aluminum wheels and a sportier rendition of the love-it-or-hate-it spindle grille. For its Middle Eastern and Russian customers, Lexus will offer this kit as an optional trim dubbed Superior.
These regions are no strangers to special offerings from Lexus. In Russia, the LX can be purchased with a 4.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 diesel engine good for 268 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. In the Middle East, the 2014 LX came equipped with a supercharger available from the factory for a limited time. With the supercharger installed, the same 5.7-liter 8-cylinder motor put down a modest 450 horsepower. That is F performance territory. An LX F, however, is not in the cards.