Lexus LX 700h on the way – trademark filed in Canada

The new Lexus LX is currently offered either as a turbocharged petrol LX 600 or a turbodiesel LX 500d, but thanks to trademark filings in Canada now we know Lexus is preparing to add a third hybrid variant called the LX 700h. Previously this hybrid variant was rumoured to be called the LX 750h.

The question is which hybrid system will it get? Toyota has a few different ways of building a hybrid system around its larger engines. One way is a rather complicated Multi Stage Hybrid system found in the LS 500h, which involves both a CVT and a four-speed auto gearbox. Other simpler Toyota hybrid systems also involve two electric motors called MG1 and MG2 with a power split device integrating it all together.

However recently Toyota also introduced a different type of hybrid system built for the demands of a full sized truck, which is most likely what will be used in the LX 700h. The system is called the i-FORCE MAX and made its debut in the Toyota Tundra pickup truck.

The i-FORCE MAX is a more traditional hybrid system in the sense that it puts a motor into a 10-speed transmission’s bell housing. In the Tundra its paired to a 3.5 litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, which is similiar to the engine that the LX 600 uses, so in this case LX 600 + i-FORCE MAX system = LX 700h.

In the Tundra, the i-FORCE MAX engine + motor system produces 437 horsepower and 790 Nm of torque, compared to the non-hybrid version’s 389 hp and 649 Nm. There is no plug-in feature on the Tundra, so if the big Lexus shares the same system, it’s likely the LX 700h won’t have a plug-in feature either.

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