Will the Lexus TX Be Based on the Toyota Grand Highlander?
Toyota makes excellent cars for the average customer but also for buyers looking for extravagance. As a result, vehicles from the automaker’s luxury brand, Lexus, have many similarities with Toyota cars. So it begs the question: Will the upcoming Lexus TX be based on the new Toyota Grand Highlander? Here’s what we know about the two upcoming crossover SUVs.
Will the Lexus TX be based on the Toyota Grand Highlander?
Yes, the Lexus TX will be based on the Toyota Grand Highlander. That fact shouldn’t be too surprising because both SUVs are entering the market around the same time and in the same segment, though the TX will be the luxury version. For that reason, the TX will likely differ greatly from its Toyota cousin in terms of interior features. That said, Lexus hasn’t revealed much about the TX so far.
But we know the segment it’ll occupy. Toyota offers plenty of SUV models, but consumers and critics agree the brand has been missing a three-row crossover. These unibody models are larger and more spacious than most crossovers, but they aren’t as large and cumbersome as full-size body-on-frame SUVs like the Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX.
As for release dates, Motor1 says the plan is to debut the Toyota Grand Highlander a few months before the Lexus TX. The former could hit dealerships as early as mid-2023. The latter will arrive later that year, though it has no firm release date yet.
Toyota Grand Highlander specs
Because both SUVs are so far from their debuts, many of their specs are also unknown. That said, we know the Grand Highlander, as its name implies, will be a larger Highlander. It won’t be as big as Toyota’s full-size SUVs, but it’ll be a longer version of the Highlander. That extra length will allow the Grand Highlander to fit that coveted third row to seat eight.
Because of its size, we can speculate about its price. The Grand Highlander is positioned between the smaller Highlander and the larger Sequoia, so its capabilities and price should fall somewhere between the two Toyota SUVs. The Highlander starts at about $35,000, while the Sequoia starts at around $50,000. As such, a starting MSRP of about $37,000 would be a reasonable guess for the Grand Highlander.
The SUV’s powertrains are also a mystery right now. That said, Motor1 reports that Toyota filed a trademark for the TX that implies it will offer a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version. So the Grand Highlander could also provide a PHEV option, though the automaker hasn’t confirmed it yet.
Toyota’s other upcoming models
The debuts of the Toyota Grand Highlander and Lexus TX are a ways off, but the automaker has some upcoming vehicles that are closer to reality.
For example, the bZ4X is Toyota’s latest entry into the BEV market, and it’s a crossover as well. This brand-new Toyota EV is expected to hit dealerships in mid-2022.
Starting at about $42,000, the Toyota bZ4X packs an electric motor producing 201 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque. It has a decent range of about 252 miles, but that’s with its standard front-wheel-drive option. Folks who want all-wheel drive will have to pay a $2,000 premium and lose about 24 miles of range.
