Lexus TX Could be the Three-Row Crossover Customers Have Been Waiting For: Report
A three-row Lexus TX crossover could debut in 2023, built alongside the Toyota Grand Highlander.
Three-row luxury crossovers are hot right now, with cars like the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class selling incredibly well for both brands. Lexus has sort of been left out of the segment, though, with its only three-row SUVs being body-on-frame, off-road-capable behemoths, the GX and LX. However, customers and dealers wanting something more might just be getting their wish, with Auto News reporting that a three-row Lexus TX crossover is coming in mid-2023.
According to the report, a three-row Lexus TX will be built alongside the upcoming Toyota Grand Highlander. As of right now, Lexus hasn't officially confirmed the TX, and I've reached out to Lexus for comment, though last year Toyota confirmed a three-row Lexus SUV was in the works.
Back in August 2021, Toyota announced an $803 million investment into its Princeton, Indiana plant, which would "introduce two all-new, three-row SUVs designed with the active Gen Y American Family in mind. What’s more, only one will bear the Toyota name. The other will officially introduce the Lexus line to Toyota Indiana."
Lexus dealers have long wanted a big luxury people mover, something not built on a rugged body-on-frame chassis but instead something more comfortable and spacious, like the aforementioned BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Currently, the only such car in Lexus' lineup is the RX 350L, a longer-wheelbase version of the standard RX but that still doesn't provide the sort of cabin space or people-moving capacity as a true three-row crossover.
Dealers are champing at the bit for a Lexus TX. John Iacono, chairman of the Lexus National Dealer Advisory Council, said the TX "can't come fast enough," knowing it would provide something Lexus dealers don't currently have. "The only vehicle that we have right now in that size is the RX L. It's done a nice job for us, but it's not the vehicle we're waiting for," Iacono told Auto News.
Iacono feels the TX will attract younger buyers, in their 40s and 50s, who need the extra space for their families but don't want the more rugged nature of the bigger GX and LX models. According to Toyota, the upcoming Lexus three-row crossover will be available with up to eight seats, hinting at three-passenger bench seats for both the second and third rows. A potential hybrid option is also possible, due to the Highlander Hybrid being built at the same Princeton, Indiana factory.
It's a no-brainer for Lexus to do a three-row crossover, similar to its competitors, considering how popular they are. With Lexus not too far behind the luxury sales leader for 2021, BMW, a three-row TX could provide the boost it needs to put it over the top. Both the Lexus LX and GX are great SUVs but, being built on the Toyota Land Cruiser chassis, both are off-road SUVs that have nice interiors. Neither are built from the ground up to be luxury crossovers, so it will be interesting to see what Lexus can do with more interior space and a greater emphasis on comfort.
Got a tip? Email tips@thedrive.com.
