The Lexus LX 570 is an important model that's reaching near-icon status by delivering a blend of luxury and off-road ability that sets it apart from other $80,000 full-size SUVs. It helps define the brand and add some much-needed cool points based on its redesigned exterior and massaged features for the 2013 model year.

It is easy to dismiss the LX 570 as a big player on the super-SUV scene that also includes the Audi Q7, Infiniti QX56 and the Land Rover Range Rover. After all, the core Lexus high-dollar models like the LS and LF-A make up an increasingly slim portion of sales for the luxury heavyweight, as prices ratchet ever upwards and the competition grows increasingly fierce.

In fact, the biggest, toughest Lexus->ke47 has a strong global following in high-dollar markets as diverse as Russia, North Africa and the Middle East region. The reasons are easy to fathom: unstoppable off-road, a seriously opulent interior, and the hard-earned reliability of the LX’s Land Cruiser sibling all bolstering its image.

The LX has been a fixture since launching in the U.S. exclusively in 1996 as the LX 450, a true bruiser only slightly dressed up for the occasion. The most recent iteration has been around since 2008 and is on a bit of a sales up-swing to nearly 28,000 units globally in 2012. The United States only accounted for 18 percent of that number, but remains a trend-setting market among international consumers.

As such, the 2013 model features heavily updated styling to bring the LX into the latest “spindle grille” and “arrowhead LED” styling themes embraced by the rest of Lexus line. Dozens of detail tweaks also help the LX 570 stay current with the leading luxury off-roaders.

Click past the jump for the full review of the legendary Lexus LX, plus a mega photo gallery of the new exterior and interior and a video from INKAS Armored about their bullet-proof LX 570.

Exterior

The LX 570 now fits much more comfortably in the Lexus full-line photos, thanks to new front and rear styling. Calling the 2013 model of a full redesign is a stretch because the core styling elements of the 2008 model are evident in the 2013 model.

The nose gets the most drastic overhaul, with a new flared shape to the bottom of the five-bar chrome grille up top. New chrome spindle edges follow the edge of the grille as it etches deeper into the front bumper toward a matching lower-intake grille. The lower grille now has chrome slats as well, but doesn't go as far as creating a one-piece “hour-glass” grille like the latest F-sport models.

The style for the LX stays very conservative overall, with only detail tweaks to the design of the headlights and fog light shrouds making the rest of the changes up front. Those fog light housings are now vertical in appearance versus the previous horizontal setup and are trimmed in dark chrome for 2013. LED arrowheads add some class to the lower portion of the main headlights, giving the LX a unique daytime running light signature. This is important when battling the Q7 and Range Rover for attention, because both of those models have noses defined by stunning LED graphics.

The performance of the actual headlights is enhanced for 2013 with standard-fit HID adaptive lighting that’s able to steer the bulbs around a sharp corner.

Out back, the focus again is on detail refinements to the existing shape. A new LED taillight design incorporates the latest “up-swept red lines” graphic seen in the 2013 Lexus GS models, among others.

Overall, it’s less-successful at hiding the basic Land Cruiser shape underneath, but does look very expensive and exclusive on the road.

The 2013 LX re-style is overall very successful at reinforcing the Lexus’s market positioning as the top-dog Japanese off-roader. What the Lexus gives up to the Infiniti QX56 in overall style it more than makes up for in domineering road presence versus the QX’s goofy oversized grille.

Unfortunately, the LX still shares clear familiar traits with the Land Cruiser even with the new nose considered. The surfacing treatments on the side of the vehicle are still goopy and lack the taut precision of both the old and new Range Rovers. More-geometric designs on the aluminum Range Rover leave the LX looking slightly top-heavy and bloated.

Standard Exterior Features:

- 20-inch wheels

- Class-4 towing hitch receiver with revised tow hitch cover

- Front and rear mudguards

- HID headlamps

- Laminated windshield and front door glass

- Large chrome bezel for fog lamps

- Large chrome-plated door handles

- LED DRLS

- LED tail lamps

- Pop-up type headlamp washers

- Power rear door and easy-close tailgate

- Privacy glass for rear windows and door

- Rear reflex reflectors

- Rear spoiler

- Round fog lamps

- Shark fin antenna

- Split five-spoke 20-inch wheels with Liquid Graphite finish

- Turn signals on side mirrors

- Wider style body-side molding

- Exterior colors: Starfire Pearl, Satin Cashmere Metallic, Noble Spinel Mica, Mercury Metallic, Black

Onyx, and Nebula Gray Pearl

- High-strength steel used in body shell

- Reinforced ladder-type frame

- Sound insulated frame profile, interior panels, and carpet

Exterior Convenience Features:

- Aerodynamic heated outside mirrors with power folding and reverse auto-tilt

- Auto-dimming electro-chromic inside rearview mirror and outside mirrors

- Auto on/off projector headlamps

- Hill-start Assist Control (HAC)

- Integrated illuminated running boards with “Lexus” logo on the scuff plate

- Intermittent rear windshield wiper with washer

- Power tilt/slide moonroof with one touch open/close feature, jam protection and speed-sensing wind

deflector

- Rain-sensing, variable intermittent front windshield wipers with deicer

- Rear bumper protector with chrome accent

- Body-color Roof rack

2013 Lexus LX 570 Exterior Dimensions:

Interior

This Lexus is seriously posh inside, no matter how rough the trail ahead. Semi-aniline leathers cover almost all the interior surfaces and are available in light Parchment color or black. Both look nice with the new dark-chrome trim around the center stack. All LX 570’s come exceptionally well-equipped as standard, with all the major interior options lumped into a single Lux option package. When specified, the LX 570 has four-zone climate control, a 14-way power driver’s seat, cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated first and second rows.

On the dash style front, the LX blends the latest in Lexus materials with the dozens of off-road-themed switches and controls that will remain untouched by the majority of U.S. owners. A big four-spoke steering wheel is trimmed in genuine mahogany that also appears across the console, dash and doors. The wood might be super-premium in quality, but the execution is still pretty low-rent. The woods are all heavily lacquered – to the point that they look fake. This is in sharp contrast to the ultra-classy and customizable ‘interior themes’ on the Q7 and Ranger Rover, many of which feature open-pore wood trims that are infinitely better to see and feel.

The biggest meaningful update to the 2013 LX 570 is the inclusion of Lexus Entune 2.0 as the core infotainment solution for navigation, app-based media options, and XM traffic, weather and in-dash Lexus concierge services. Within the large and clear touchscreen lives new camera-based low-speed maneuvering assistants, as popularized by Inifiniti’s AroundView monitor. The optional Lexus Wide-view front and side Monitor system with Intuitive Parking Assist also offers front, front side, and rearview-mirror-mounted cameras to create a seamless overheard exterior view of traffic or terrain conditions.

The backup camera now has better resolution and distance marks and the addition of a relatively tight 39-foot turning circle makes the Lexus easy to drive in tight spots. Tight turns are now even easier thanks to rear brakes help sharpen things further when making tight turns.

The LX 570’s third row seat will be a big selling point for some buyers, as it offers more space than the Q7 and easily beats the new Range Rover, which only comes with two rows of seats. (See Range Rover Sport for seven seats). There is plenty of shoulder and hip room back there, but leg room suffers from the high load floor and getting back there is not easy.

It is an old-fashioned climb-over entry style made easier by a folding second row, but is still not something an adult would accomplish with dignity. Other differences for the LX versus competing cars are a split tailgate with upper and lower hinged portions. The top half is now power operated but from the key-fob only, not by swinging a foot under the bumper as in newer cars.

It’s tough to load the LX one-handed because of the tall lower tailgate. Sticking with a core Land Cruiser trait, the third row does not fold into the floor at the touch of a button (a la Ford Expedition and QX56). Instead, the third row splits and folds up toward the sides of the interior. It’s a compromise required by the LX’s frame construction.

2013 Lexus LX 570 Interior Dimensions:

Cargo Capacity:

Lexus LX 570 Standard Interior Features:

- Navigation System including voice command, high-resolution color LCD display with integrated wide-view backup camera and Enhanced Bluetooth technology

- NavTraffic, NavWeather, Fuel Prices, Sports and Stocks from SiriusXM Radio. Subscription required. One-year trial subscription included

- Lexus Enform, with Destination Assist and eDestination. Subscription required. One-year trial subscription included

- Lexus Enform Application Suite with Bing , iHeartRadio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable, Pandora, Yelp and Facebook Places. Subscription required. One-year trial included

- Advanced voice command; SMS Text-to-Speech with Reply; Enhanced Bluetooth technology with automatic phonebook synchronization

- HD Radio with iTunes tagging; SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Subscription required. 90-day trial subscription included

- Lexus nine-speaker Premium Sound System with HD Radio, Digital Sound Processor, Automatic Sound Levelizer (ASL) and in-dash CD player

- USB and auxiliary iPod minijack audio input for iPod/iPhone and music player integration with audio system

- Bluetooth audio profile for wireless integration of compatible music players with in-vehicle audio system

Major Interior Options:

- Mark Levinson® 19-speaker Reference Surround Sound Audio System features a 450-watt amplifier rated at less than 0.1% THD, 20-20,000 Hz, DVD/CD player featuring DVD-audio and DVD-video playback. ($2,350)

- Dual-screen DVD Rear-Seat Entertainment System (RSES): available dual-screen Rear Seat Entertainment System enables two video sources to be viewed at the same time. Using a single remote control, one can be used as a DVD player, for instance, and the other as a game console or audio player. For your convenience, wireless headphone and a three-prong electrical outlet are also included. ($1,990)

- Wide-view Front and Side Monitor system with Intuitive Parking Assist: available system features a wide-angle front-mounted camera to help you see around blind corners, such as when exiting a parking garage. A second camera located underneath the passenger-side mirror is particularly useful when parallel-parking, navigating narrow passageways, and in tight parking spaces. Intuitive Park Assist uses six ultrasonic sensors located on the front and rear of the LX to detect how close your vehicle is to surrounding objects. Distance is indicated on the navigation screen, as well as on the instrument panel, and is accompanied by an audible warning tone. ($1,000)

- Pre-Collision System and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control ($1,500)

Luxury Package ($1510) – Included Options:

- Semi-aniline, perforated leather-trimmed interior

- Door switch plates with mahogany wood trim and middle-row cup holder cover

- Heated and ventilated front seats and heated middle-row seats

- Center-console-mounted cool box

- SmartAccess card key

Drivetrain, Suspension and Brakes

The LX 570 is one of the last remaining luxury off-roaders with real capability under its posh shell. Built on a solid frame, the LX combines the go-anywhere nature of a Range Rover with unbeatable reliability when actually in the middle of nowhere. As such, the LX 570 comes standard with adjustable suspension and full-time four-wheel-drive with locking Torsen center differential.

This is some seriously tough hardware that can take a real bashing out in the desert, the rocks and mud off-road trails. The suspension is interesting in that it eschews typical air springs in favor of four-wheel independent coil springs with electronically operated shocks and stabilizer bars. The LX 570 adjusts itself for on-road stability via Adaptive Variable Suspension that can soften or stiffen the shocks while also decoupling the roll bars for more wheel articulation.

Adjustable ride height is standard via the X-AHC active height control with automatic load leveling. The combination offers superior control on and off-road without using air suspensions that are notoriously unreliable. The failure of an air suspension can totally disable a truck – something Lexus’s adventurer clientele wish to avoid.

Variable-gear-ratio steering completes the unstoppable off-road package and also makes the LX safer and easier to drive on the road.

In terms of power, the LX series has come a long way from the inline-six that powered the first LX 450. The latest LX 570 model packs a 5.7-liter twin-cam, 32-valve V-8 producing 383 horsepower and 403 pound-feet of torque. Acceleration is impressive for a vehicle this size and weight: o-to-60 mph takes just 7.5-seconds and the LX can reach an electronically limited 137 mph top speed. The 2013 LX 570 tips the scales at exactly 6,000 pounds.

This performance puts it just behind the Q7, Range Rover and Cadillac Escalade but otherwise is mid-pack in the super-SUV segment. Sportier models like the Porsche Cayenne S and Mercedes GL63 are much quicker, while the American entries like the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition are slower.

Safety, Reliability and Recalls

The Lexus LX 570 is an extremely safe truck in crash tests, despite the lack of actual ratings data from IIHS and NHTSA. In addition to packing ten standard airbags, the LX also has all the electronic safety technology needed to keep the truck safe in high-speed driving. Stability control, brake-assist and EBD are all standard, while the Pre-Collision System and radar cruise control are options.

The other Lexus off-roader, the GX, was implicated for high rollover risk by Consumer Reports but the concerns do not extend to the LX or RX models. The LX 570 is also one of the best-built and more durable vehicles ever made, as evidenced by its numerous awards and reputation in harsh conditions. None of the additional tech over the Land Cruiser jeopardizes the Lexus’s ability to keep moving, even under armed assault.

The Lexus LX 570 is the world’s most popular platform for armored car manufacturers. The understated style of the LX plus extremely rugged construction makes it the ideal platform for defensive measures like run-flat tires, reinforced composite reinforcements and bullet-proof glass. The market for armored cars is much broader than many would think: it’s not just for dictators any more. It’s a must-have for important humans around the globe, their families, and anyone traveling in conflicted regions.

Pricing

The LX 570 costs about $81,000 in U.S. dealers, before options. This aligns it closely with the Mercedes-Benz GL but comes in about $20,000 higher than the base Infiniti QX56.

The 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser costs $79,555 before options, so barely any less then the quieter Lexus LX 570.

Competition

2013 Mercedes-Benz GL

The Mercedes-Benz GL comes in three engine options and tops out at the GL63 AMG model. While offering more badge prestige and on-road performance, the GL is more cramped inside than the LX 570 and is less capable and reliable off-road. Also a popular model for armored cars, but attracts more attention among bad-guys.

2013 Infiniti QX56

The QX56 is a far longer and wider vehicle than the Lexus LX 570. This offers certain benefits in hauling and on-road stability, but also means the QX56 is far less capable and trusted off-road and for the VIP armor treatment.

Conclusion

In an unpredictable and conflicted globe, the Lexus LX 570 fits current buyer needs in the super-SUV segment. The LX brings some real capability to the party and is clearly still a tough, bad-ass truck at its core. This marks a stark comparison to soft-roaders like the Infiniti JX35 at half the price.

Car-based models get better fuel economy, ride better and are arguably safer in some crash scenarios versus the largest SUVs. So, families and urban drivers do suffer on-road from all the equipment the LX 570 has to go off-road, most noticeable in on-road dynamics, ease of cargo loading, and fuel numbers.

Among buyers who demand the best off-road capability and tough reputation that money can buy, however, the LX 570 represents a strong contender. Few other vehicles are as comfortable in both Manhattan and Madagascar.

The updated style means buyers needn’t make excuses for their new luxury SUV. With the Lexus LX 570’s deep interior features list, the Lexus LX 570 might even be most comfortable way to make an overland trip around the world's hot zones.