KEY POINTS:
Never mind the planet - feel the luxury. While makers of massive prestige off-roaders are gravitating towards torquey-but-relatively-thrifty diesel engines, the new Lexus LX570 still sticks with petrol power.
The LX570's 5.7-litre V8 makes 270kW/530Nm. Although the Lexus claims a 10 per cent improvement in fuel economy compared with the outgoing 4.7-litre LX, it still chews through 14.8 litres per 100km in the Australian Design Rules cycle, so expect the real-world figure to be substantially higher.
It's an interesting choice of powertrain, largely aimed at the petrol-focused American market. More so when you consider Toyota makes one of the best V8 turbo diesel engines in the business: the 4.5-litre mill in the latest Land Cruiser, with 195kW and a monster 650Nm of torque.
The LX570 is based on the Cruiser, but with almost every body panel and bell and whistle on board changed, the LX570 boasts sat nav, parking cameras at the front, side and rear, radar-enhanced cruise control, air-conditioned front seats and power-folding rear chairs.
A Mark Levinson Premium audio system, audio input jack and 19 speakers is standard equipment, as is a nine-inch high definition rear seat DVD entertainment system.
The airbag system includes driver and passenger front, side and knee airbags, second row side airbags and curtain shield airbags for all three rows. The recommended retail price of the LX570 is $173,500.
