2018 Lexus LX570 five-seater revealed, not coming to Oz

Lexus has unveiled a five-seat version of its LX570 four-wheel drive for the Los Angeles motor show, though it won’t be coming to Australia.

Under the skin, the five-seater is the same as the three-row car. That means power from a 5.7-litre V8 engine making 270kW and 550Nm of torque, hooked up to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

But where the eight-seater has just 44.7 cubic-feet (1266L) of space behind the second row, the five-seater has a (seriously) handy 50.5 cubic-feet (1430L) to work with. Lexus says the extra room will appeal to smaller families, empty nesters or households with multiple cars, where holding a eight people is less common.

Instead of screaming kids and their bratty friends, the company expects owners to use the space for golf clubs, ski gear, bikes or – and we aren’t making this one up – antique furniture. According to Lexus, owners occasionally have a penchant for antique collecting.

In case the extra boot-space isn’t enough for all your bikes, skis or antiques, the car also comes with roof running rails as standard.

Just one trim level will be offered in the two-row LX 570, with essentially all the gear owners could want. That means a full-leather interior, four-zone climate control, a moonroof and a power tailgate. Parking assist, complete with a surround-view camera, and blind-spot monitoring are standard, along with rear cross-traffic alert.

Lane-departure warning, auto high-beam and adaptive cruise control are all standard as well – suiting drivers covering long distances on the highway to a tee.

A 12.3-inch infotainment screen sits atop the dashboard, as it does in the three-row car, and owners can use their mobile phone to remotely start, cool and lock their vehicles as part of the Lexus Enform Remote app – although the service is only free for 12 months.

In the USA, the car will be priced at US$84,980 ($112,042) – but don’t expect to see it Down Under. Nick Raman, PR manager for Lexus Australia, said there weren’t any plans to bring the car here at this stage.

Would you prefer a five-seat version of the LX over the standard eight-seater?

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