The good
✅ Genuinely strong off-the-line and mid-range performance
✅ Smooth, well-resolved 10-speed automatic with no shortage of ratios
✅ Real-world urban fuel use decent given the size and performance
✅ No AdBlue to manage, unlike the diesel
✅ Beautifully built, effortless and easy-going at speed – the LX’s traditional strength remains
The bad
❌ Hesitation when taking off from a standstill
❌ Highway fuel use nothing special
❌ Subtle low-frequency boom when the petrol engine switches on and off
❌ Hard to make a strong economic case over the diesel
The Lexus LX has long been a way to get Toyota LandCruiser DNA with more luxury.
We’ve covered the broader LX package before – the cabin, the comfort, the sheer easy-going nature of the thing – so this time we’re zeroing in on what’s new with the LX700h: the drivetrain.
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It’s the first time hybrid pioneer Lexus has paired a petrol-electric system with its most serious off-roader.
The interest from our perspective is that it’s exactly the same hybrid drivetrain the LandCruiser 300-Series picks up in the second half of 2026.
Lexus LX700h: Price and equipment
The LX700h slots in above the existing diesel LX500d and petrol LX600, and is only available in the upper two trim grades – there’s no entry-level Luxury or off-road-focused Overtrail version with the hybrid engine.
The range opens with the Sports Luxury, available in five-seat form from $196,000 plus on-road costs, or as a seven-seater for $199,800.
The range-topping F Sport we’ve tested here – with five seats only – is $202,000 before on-roads, and replaces the now-discontinued four-seat LX600 Ultra Luxury as the new LX flagship.
READ MORE: Buyer’s Guide: Lexus LX
READ MORE: Buyer’s Guide: Lexus GX
READ MORE: Buyer’s Guide: Toyota LandCruiser 300-Series
That represents a premium of $16,200 over the equivalent LX600 petrol and around $20,000 over the comparable LX500d diesel.
Both grades share the basic equipment of their LX600 equivalents and gain a handful of hybrid-specific additions, such as a 1500W auxiliary power supply accessible via a standard power outlet in the cargo area and an exterior speaker to generate sound when the car is moving on electric power alone at low speeds.
The 1500W inverter is worth calling out for touring drivers; it’s enough to run small appliances straight from the boot, which has appeal for camping use.
One trade-off for the hybrid package is cargo space. The rear-mounted battery means five-seat models drop from 1109 litres to 889 litres of luggage room.
Seven-seat Sports Luxury variants offer 833 litres with the third row folded, and gain a flexible deck board that can lie flat for a level cargo floor or fold up to maximise volume.
Lexus LX700h: Under the bonnet
The headline act with the Lexus LX700h is the hybrid powertrain, and it’s one with serious significance for LandCruiser owners and prospective owners.
The LX700h pairs Lexus’s 3.5-litre (at 3445cc it’s technically a 3.4-litre) twin-turbocharged petrol V6 – the same engine used in the LX600 – with a permanent magnet electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the 10-speed automatic transmission.
It’s the same drivetrain used in the Toyota Tundra large ute (or pick-up truck, as the Americans call them).
The V6 produces 305kW and 650Nm on its own, slightly more than the version fitted to the Tundra, which develops 290kW and 649Nm, while the electric motor adds 36kW and 250Nm.
Combined outputs are 341kW and 790Nm, the latter making it the gruntiest Lexus to date.
Crucially for this story, the Tundra-sourced drivetrain is the same one destined to do hybrid duty in the LandCruiser 300-Series within weeks.
So this is effectively our first taste of the LandCruiser hybrid future – albeit wearing a Lexus badge.
It’s a parallel hybrid system rather than the e-CVT setup used in smaller Lexus hybrids, which means the V6 still drives through a conventional 10-speed automatic and the four-wheel-drive system retains its mechanical low-range gearing.
That’s important for the LX’s off-road credentials.
Toyota and Lexus have been at pains to point out this is a performance hybrid at its heart. If there were fine print, it’d read something like: don’t expect to save a whole lot of fuel.
Speaking of which, Lexus quotes combined fuel consumption of 10.0L/100km.
That’s down from 12.1L/100km for the non-hybrid LX600, but it’s above the 8.9L/100km figure for the diesel-powered LX500d.
Clearly the 700h brief was about adding muscle rather than chasing economy.
Lexus LX700h: Real-world fuel use
This is where it gets interesting for anyone cross-shopping the LX700h against the diesel-powered LandCruiser 300 – or the diesel-powered LX500d that uses the LandCruiser’s engine.
The LandCruiser 300’s 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel is rated at 8.9L/100km combined according to the official fuel cycle, made up of 11.1L/100km urban and 7.6L/100km extra-urban (or freeway).
As is typically the case, we’ve found it uses more than that, typically well into double figures.
The LX700h’s official figures are a combined 10.0L/100km, with 13.9L/100km on the urban cycle and 8.0L/100km on the extra-urban cycle.
So, on paper, the diesel LandCruiser uses noticeably less fuel in every category – about 1.1L/100km less combined, 2.8L/100km less around town, and 0.4L/100km less on the open road.
In the real world, our experience tracked reasonably close to the claims in town but diverged on the highway. Around the suburbs we saw roughly 13-13.5L/100km – a touch better than the 13.9L/100km claim, which is a solid result.
Clearly the electric side of the equation is having a decent impact.
On a freeway loop at 110km/h, though, we couldn’t get near the claimed 8.0L/100km extra-urban figure; we were sitting in the low 11s.
That’s a meaningful gap and one that suggests the diesel is going to be the better cruiser.
One penalty of the hybrid package is a reduction in fuel tank capacity.
The LX700h gets a 98-litre tank, down from the 110 litres available in both the petrol LX600 and diesel LX500d, the hybrid battery and associated componentry eating into the space.
So whereas you might expect around 950km of real-world range from the diesel (excluding towing, accessories and other variables), the LX700h is likely to deliver closer to 750km before needing to top up.
For remote-area touring, the reduction in fuel capacity may be a bigger consideration than the fuel consumption figures themselves. While premium unleaded is widely available throughout most of the outback these days, finding diesel is always easier at remote stations, giving the V6 diesel an advantage for long-distance outback travel.
Weight is another consideration.
The hybrid system adds around 170kg over the LX600 petrol and about 110kg over the diesel LX500d, yet the GVM only increases by 100kg to 3380kg.
That means payload takes a hit, sitting between 540kg and 580kg depending on the variant.
LandCruisers aren’t known for their load carrying ability off the showroom floor, but a little over half a tonne could be limiting for the truly adventurous.
Anyone planning to load up with camping gear, a rooftop tent and a full complement of passengers should crunch the numbers before heading towards the horizon.
Lexus LX700h: Is the hybrid worth it over diesel?
There’s an obvious match-up here in the Lexus showroom (one soon to play out in Toyota showrooms too).
The diesel LandCruiser has less outright performance – think blazing away from a set of lights or blasting up a steep hill on a country road – but is the more efficient long-distance tool, particularly at highway speeds.
That matters for anyone covering big kilometres, as our readers tend to.
But the LX700h makes up points elsewhere.
First, there’s no AdBlue to top up, which is one less consumable to think about on a long trip.
And, of course, looking at recent bowser prices petrol, is cheaper than diesel, which claws back some of the LX700h’s higher consumption.
Servicing costs are identical between the LX700h and LX500d, at least for the first 10 services that are covered by a capped price service program; check-ups need to be performed every six months or 10,000km and cost $795 each.
But stack it up overall and it’s a stretch to call the hybrid the more sensible choice on running costs alone.
The diesel remains the more efficient way to cover ground, especially at highway speeds where the hybrid doesn’t deliver the efficiency gains its urban figures suggest.
Where the LX700h does win is outright drivability and a genuine step up in performance – more on that below.
Lexus LX700h: On the road
On the move, the LX700h is a study in contrasts.
Once it’s up and rolling, it’s genuinely impressive.
The V6-hybrid combination is properly grunty – step into the throttle and it goes hard, with the 10-speed automatic working through its ratios smoothly and cleanly and the LX cruising effortlessly at speed.
There’s a sense of reserve power that’s very welcome in something this size.
The catch is the first second or so off the line.
Bring the LX700h to a complete stop – at a stop sign, for example – and ask it to go again immediately, and there’s a noticeable hesitation.
It feels like the transmission is caught in the wrong gear and needs a moment to sort itself out before the power arrives.
It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a rough edge in a vehicle this polished everywhere else.
There’s also a quirk in the way the petrol engine starts and stops.
Most of the time the LX700h is quiet and refined, with a purposeful, deep-chested note to the V6 under load.
But each time the petrol engine cuts in or out, it lets out a low-frequency boom – like a mild exhaust resonance.
It’s subtle, but it happens constantly around town given how often the system switches between electric and petrol power, and it’s also noticeable cruising at 60-80km/h while modulating the throttle.
It’s not offensive, but it is a little at odds with the seamless experience on display elsewhere.
Lexus LX700h: Drive modes and off-road tech
The LX700h carries over the LX’s full suite of drive and terrain modes, and there’s a lot to work through.
On-road, there’s Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, Sport+ and Custom, with Sport noticeably sharpening throttle response and transmission behaviour.
We spent most of our time in Normal, occasionally dipping into Sport.
For off-road work, the LX700h retains its full-time four-wheel-drive system with high- and low-range.
The Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) selector adds Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud and Deep Snow modes, which tailor throttle response, transmission and the adjustable suspension’s ride height to suit the conditions.
We kept this test deliberately on-road, focused on the new engine, so we didn’t get the chance to put the LX700h’s off-road systems through their paces this time.
That said, the LX700h’s off-road credentials are largely intact despite the added complexity of the hybrid system.
The suspension is independent coil springs up front and a live rear axle with coils at the rear – the same as a 300-Series.
Ground clearance sits at 210mm in standard trim, but the Active Height Control air system can raise the body significantly for more serious terrain; Lexus doesn’t publish the raised figure, but it clearly pushes overall clearance beyond 250mm, which puts it in serious off-roader territory.
The approach angle is 23 degrees and the departure angle 21 degrees. That departure figure is 1 degree less than other LX variants, a small consequence of the rear-mounted hybrid battery pack.
However, the LX700h is only available with 22-inch wheels with low profile rubber; hardly the sort of thing you want for remote touring.
Lexus LX700h: The verdict
As a first look at the engine that’s set to underpin the next LandCruiser 300’s hybrid range, the LX700h leaves a mixed but encouraging impression.
There’s no question it adds genuine performance – this is a properly quick, properly torquey big SUV once it’s moving – and the efficiency gains, while modest, are real in town.
The off-the-line hesitation and higher-than-diesel fuel use are two things that make it less appealing for everyday liveability, especially when measured against the V6 diesel that plays to the large SUV off-road strengths.
Sure, the outright thrust is impressive, but this is – ultimately – a big, heavy, luxury SUV that does its best work in cruise mode, pointing most people towards the diesel.
The same will no doubt apply to the LandCruiser 300-Series.
Lexus LX700h price and specifications
Price: From $196,000 (Sports Luxury) or $202,000 (F Sport), plus on-road costs
Body: Large wagon
Drivetrain: 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 and electric motor
Power: 305kW (V6), 36kW (electric motor)
Torque: 650Nm (V6), 250Nm (electric motor)
Combined system outputs: 341kW/790Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
4WD system: Full-time dual-range 4WD
Tyres: 265/50 22-inch
Ground clearance: 210mm (higher when suspension is raised; exact figures not quoted)
Approach/departure/rampover angles: 23 degrees/21 degrees/NA
Weight: 2800kg (F Sport), 2805kg (Sports Luxury with 5 seats), 2840kg (Sports Luxury with 7 seats)
Gross vehicle mass: 3380kg
Payload: 540-580kg
Tow capacity: 3500kg
Gross combination mass: 6750kg
Fuel consumption: 10.0L/100km combined (ADR); 13.9L/100km urban; 8.0L/100km extra-urban
Fuel tank capacity: 98L
Expected real-world fuel range: 753km
