Lexus LX 700h: The Land Cruiser We Hoped For All Along Is Here

When the latest generation of the Lexus LX, dubbed the LX 600, debuted back in 2021, one of the few things missing from the vehicle was a hybrid drivetrain. After all, the LX is built on the same TNGA-F platform that the Tundra is built on, and the two use the same 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine. But only the Tundra was available with the “iForce MAX” hybrid system.

For the 2025 model year, Lexus is filling in that missing piece. The 2025 LX 700h is the brand’s latest (and 12th) hybrid offering. It wears the familiar, trim, and angular styling we first saw in the LX 600, packs a more fuel-efficient powertrain, and perhaps most notably, boasts an Overtrail trim that will finally lean into the vehicle’s terrain-conquering reputation.

That last bit deserves an explanation. Back in 2021, when Toyota announced that the Land Cruiser would not return to American shores for the following year, folks lamented the loss of one of the industry’s most globally celebrated nameplates. However, since 1995, Toyota has offered a luxed-out variant of the Land Cruiser in the U.S. market under its Lexus sub-brand, and the LX 600 arrived for 2022 to continue the trend. American buyers could buy the fancy new Cruiser (the newest generation is known as the J300 in Toyota-geek parlance)—but only if they spent Lexus money.

When Toyota announced that the Land Cruiser name would return to the U.S., what we actually got was the modern Land Cruiser Prado (J250 among ‘Yota nerds). We drove that new Land Cruiser in San Diego last year and came away mighty impressed, but we left with a nagging sense that this new beast was not the grandiose, climb-anything couch that we’d come to associate with the name.

When Lexus debuted the new GX 550 late last year—the smaller brother to the LX—it also rolled out a new trim, the Overtrail. At long last, Lexus had realized just how capable the GX platform was off-road and decided to lean into it. The Overtrail variant of the GX boasts chunky all-terrain tires, off-roading tech like center and rear locking differentials, and a trick electronic system that disconnects the front and rear swaybars at low speeds for increased wheel articulation.

In short, you couldn’t have the whole kit and kaboodle until now. If you wanted a factory-built truck with max off-road prowess, you had to stick to the GX550 Overtrail, which only seats five. If you wanted the Land Cruiser badge, you had to make do with the smaller, J250 Land Cruiser which used the same powertrain as the Tacoma—a hybrid, 2.4-liter turbo-four—rather than the V-6 hybrid system from the Tundra. If you wanted the full-fat J300 Land Cruiser experience, you had to sacrifice off-road capability or turn to the aftermarket.

Finally, with the 2025 LX 700h, you’ll have access to the Overtrail trim, seating for five or seven, and that techy hybrid drivetrain. (Regrettably, Lexus hasn’t released pictures of the LX 700h Overtrail yet. We’d expect those to arrive in the near future, and we’ll add them to this story once they’re available.)

The Overtrail trim brings serious capability here, too. In addition to the Torsen-style locking center differential found on all LXs, you’ll also get electronically controlled locking front and rear differentials. (That’s right, the triple-locked “Land Cruiser” is back in the U.S. for the first time since the J80 series from the late 1990s!) You’ll also get a front skid plate, 33-inch all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels, and a different appearance package that features a matte gray grille, gray roof rails, dark chrome-finished window and bumper trim, and black fender cladding.

The LX 700h rides on a new, revised version of the TNGA-F frame with three crossmembers. With the addition of the nickel-metal hydride battery from the hybrid system, Lexus engineers had to move the spare tire without compromising off-road metrics like departure angle, hence the new adaptation of the frame.

The hybrid drivetrain won’t marketed under the “iForce MAX” name that you see on Toyotas, but what’s there is essentially the same kit. Like the LX 600, the LX 700h will use the 3.4-liter, twin-turbo V-6. Between that gas burner and the 10-speed automatic transmission lies an integrated electric motor that draws power from that battery mounted in the rear floor. Total system output rings in at 457 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque. Lexus estimates a combined fuel economy figure of 20 mpg, one mpg better than what the LX 600 can manage.

Unlike other Lexus hybrids, the LX 700h’s system will feature both an alternator and a starter standard. Why does this matter? The other hybrids in Lexus’ line do away with alternators and use the hybrid system to start the engine. However, if the hybrid system were somehow inactive, you wouldn’t be stranded in the backcountry with a dead LX; rather, the starter could still get the engine running, and the alternator would still power a conventional 12-volt automotive battery that would enable you to press on under just the power from the V-6. Complex, and almost a step backward in terms of tech, but the decision improves reliability, and for that, we salute Lexus powertrain engineers.

Of course, there are other trims for the LX 700h, which parallel what you can find in the LX 600: There’s a road-oriented F Sport Handling trim with specially tuned dampers and a Torsen limited-slip rear diff; a Luxury trim; and an Ultra Luxury trim, which drops seating to just four persons but douses second-row occupants in ridiculously lavish accouterments. As you can tell, the one we’re most excited about is the Overtrail. Production starts late November of this year.

We came away reasonably impressed with the smaller LX 600 and we loved the Overtrail experience in the GX 550, so blending the two should be a compelling offering—at least on paper. We’re looking forward to getting a chance to test our hunch in the future.