Lexus is set to give its popular mid-size SUV offering, the Lexus RX, a seven-seater variant soon, according to Japanese publication Mag-X. The three-row version, expected to be unveiled at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show in October, looks poised to take on the BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport, both of which also come in a seven-seat format.

Seeing as the current five-seater model looks rather compact and low-slung, you’d expect a people-carrying version to get some sheetmetal changes to fit the extra row of seats. Indeed, it is said that a longer rear overhang is on the cards, along with a more vertical rear windscreen – although the standard model’s 2,790 mm wheelbase is set to be retained.

Even with the extra changes, the rendering above shows that the rearmost seats will still be a fairly cramped affair, with usage limited to children or for short trips. One benefit of the larger dimensions is that with the third row folded, boot space should be significantly larger than the five-seater’s 521 litres.

A seven-seat RX would likely be an important addition to the Lexus lineup, being the brand’s first car-based three-row SUV. Until now, the only way you could cram more than five people in a car carrying the L badge is by buying the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado-based GX or the massive LX, built on the bones of the full-size Land Cruiser. Both cars are ladder-on-frame and lack the road manners of the RX.

GALLERY: Lexus RX 200t F Sport


GALLERY: Lexus RX 350 F Sport