2026 Lexus LX 700h Ultra Luxury Review

This week, I am behind the wheel of the 2026 Lexus LX 700h, the flagship of the Lexus SUV lineup and one of the most unusual luxury SUVs sold in America.

Last year, I reviewed the new LX 700h Overtrail, a highly capable off-road version with locking front and rear differentials, 33-inch tires and enough hardware to tackle some seriously difficult terrain. This week’s Ultra Luxury edition goes in an entirely different direction.

This is essentially an SUV limousine. It seats only four people, replaces the normal rear bench and third row with two executive-style captain’s chairs, and lavishes most of its attention on the people riding in back. The person paying for it may not even be the person driving it.

What’s New

The LX 700h hybrid joined the lineup for 2025, so the mechanical package is still relatively new. Changes for 2026 are minor. Lexus added an F SPORT Appearance Package for the LX 700h F SPORT Handling, expanded exterior color availability and made Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 standard throughout the lineup. The Ultra Luxury carries over largely unchanged.

The current fourth-generation LX debuted for the 2022 model year and remains a traditional body-on-frame SUV, sharing its basic GA-F architecture with the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series sold in other markets.

Exterior

My tester is finished in Atomic Silver, and it is an excellent color for highlighting the numerous curves, character lines and chrome accents.

Up front is the massive Lexus spindle grille with seven horizontal bars. It is impossible to miss, but on a vehicle this large and expensive, subtlety probably was not on the design team’s agenda. Triple-beam LED headlights, L-shaped daytime running lights and large vertical air openings complete the front-end treatment.

From the side, the LX has a tall, substantial stance with pronounced wheel arches, fixed running boards and a relatively upright greenhouse. This Ultra Luxury rides on beautiful 22-inch forged alloy wheels with a machined finish. Roof rails are standard, and this one has the optional crossbars.

At the rear are full-width LED taillights, a roof spoiler and a power liftgate with a kick sensor. The rear wiper remains exposed instead of being tucked beneath the spoiler, which is one of those little design details that always bothers me more than it probably should.

You get a conventional power moonroof rather than a panoramic roof. On a flagship SUV at this price, I still think a panoramic roof should at least be available, but that’s just me.

Powertrain

Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 paired with an electric motor and a nickel-metal hydride hybrid battery. Together, they produce 457 horsepower and a stout 583 pound-feet of torque. Power goes through a 10-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive.

This is not a hybrid designed primarily to deliver spectacular fuel economy. The electric motor is there mainly to add torque, improve response and help move an SUV weighing well over three tons. It is similar in concept to the hybrid systems used in the Toyota Tundra and Sequoia.

One interesting engineering feature is that the LX 700h retains both a conventional starter and an alternator. Lexus says that if the hybrid system becomes inoperative, the engine can still be started independently and the vehicle can continue operating on gasoline power.

The hybrid components are protected for legitimate off-road use. The battery is enclosed in a waterproof structure, and Lexus rates the LX 700h for water crossings up to 27.5 inches deep. This Ultra Luxury is unlikely to spend much time fording rivers, but it is reassuring to know the board of directors can escape the wilderness if the quarterly retreat goes sideways.

Premium gasoline is recommended to obtain the full rated performance.

Interior

The interior is spectacular. My tester has vivid Sunflare semi-aniline leather paired with intricate Takanoha wood trim, and the combination makes the cabin feel far more special than the usual black-on-black luxury SUV interior.

The large front seats are heated, ventilated and massaging, with soft leather, excellent support and numerous power adjustments. Lexus offers five massage programs with five levels of intensity, and it feels like a true massage, not just having your back scratched.

The leather-and-wood steering wheel is heated, and the dashboard, doors and console are covered in stitched leather, genuine wood and metallic trim. Lexus has kept enough physical switches and knobs that you do not have to use a touchscreen for every routine task.

The wide center console contains two cupholders, a wireless phone charger and a refrigerated cool box beneath the padded armrest. The console lid can be opened from either front seat, and the cool box is large enough for several drinks.

Visibility is excellent for a vehicle this size, and the digital rearview mirror provides a clear view even when passengers or cargo obstruct the conventional mirror.

Driver Information Display

The digital gauge cluster is colorful, crisp and configurable. It can display a conventional tachometer, hybrid power information, digital speedometer, fuel economy, navigation instructions and four-wheel-drive information.

The large head-up display projects speed, navigation, adaptive cruise-control information and recognized traffic signs onto the windshield. Its position is linked to the driver’s seat memory.

Center Screens

The upper 12.3-inch Lexus Interface touchscreen controls navigation, audio, phone functions, vehicle settings and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system reacts quickly and is easy to understand, although the graphics remain more conservative than those in some newer luxury SUVs.

Below it is a separate 7-inch touchscreen dedicated primarily to climate controls and vehicle functions. It can display seat settings, differential status, suspension height, drive modes, Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control and Downhill Assist Control.

I like having the second screen. It keeps frequently used climate and chassis controls available without forcing you to dig through layers of menus on the main display.

Drive Modes

For normal pavement driving, the driver can choose Normal, Eco, Comfort, Custom, Sport S or Sport S+.

Multi-Terrain Select provides Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud and Deep Snow settings in high range. Low range offers Auto, Sand, Mud and Rock.

Crawl Control can move the LX forward or backward at one of five low-speed settings while the driver concentrates on steering. Turn Assist applies braking to the inside rear wheel to tighten the turning radius, and Downhill Assist controls speed on steep descents.

Active Height Control can raise the body for additional clearance or lower it to make entering and exiting easier. Adaptive Variable Suspension continuously adjusts the damping.

Unlike the Overtrail I reviewed last year, this Ultra Luxury does not have locking front and rear differentials. It retains the standard Torsen locking center differential and remains far more capable off-road than most owners will ever need.

Second Row

The second row is unquestionably the star of the show.

There are two heated, ventilated and massaging captain’s chairs separated by a wide fixed console. Each passenger receives an entertainment screen mounted to the front seatback, while a touchscreen in the rear console controls climate settings, audio, lighting, seat position and massage functions.

The right-rear passenger receives the full VIP treatment. That seat can recline, extend a power ottoman and move the front passenger seat forward to create additional space. Side- and quarter-window sunshades add privacy, and dedicated overhead vents provide what Lexus describes as a full-body comfort breeze.

The curved headrests, seatbacks and cushions are designed to support the passenger’s head, hips and lower body while reducing movement over uneven roads.

There is no third row. This is strictly a four-passenger SUV, and the fixed rear console means there is no center pass-through. If you need to carry children, their friends and half the soccer team, Lexus will happily sell you a different LX.

Cargo Area

Lexus publishes 30.9 cubic feet of cargo room behind the second-row seats in the two-row LX 700h.

A 62.6-cubic-foot maximum is sometimes listed for two-row LX 700h models, but Lexus footnotes that figure as applying to a vehicle without the rear-seat entertainment system and with the front seats moved fully forward. Since this Ultra Luxury has rear entertainment and its elaborate executive seating arrangement, I would not use that maximum figure for this exact vehicle.

The hybrid battery raises the cargo floor, but Lexus incorporates a shelf arrangement to create a flatter loading surface.

Standard Features

Ultra Luxury equipment includes four-zone Climate Concierge, thematic ambient lighting, power soft-closing doors, a power rear liftgate with kick sensor, rear manual sunshades, a digital rearview mirror and illuminated front door sills.

Entertainment is handled by a 25-speaker Mark Levinson Reference Surround Sound system that is amazing. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with SiriusXM capability, Bluetooth, cloud-based navigation and Lexus connected services.

Rear passengers receive individual entertainment screens, a touchscreen control panel, wireless phone charging, reading lights, dedicated overhead air vents and controls for the seats, climate system, audio and interior lighting.

The LX 700h also has a waterproof 2,400-watt AC inverter that can supply power to equipment outside the vehicle.

Safety

Every 2026 LX comes with Lexus Safety System+ 3.0. It includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian, bicyclist and motorcyclist detection; automatic emergency braking; lane-departure alert with steering assist; Lane Tracing Assist; Road Sign Assist; Proactive Driving Assist; intelligent high beams; and full-speed adaptive cruise control with curve-speed management.

Also standard are blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, a head-up display, Safe Exit Alert and a Panoramic View Monitor.

Advanced Park with Remote Park can assist with parallel and perpendicular parking. The vehicle uses four cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors to control steering, acceleration, braking and shifting. Remote Park allows the maneuver to be operated through the Lexus app while the driver stands outside the vehicle.

Traffic Jam Assist can provide hands-free steering assistance under certain low-speed conditions on limited-access highways, although it requires an active Drive Connect trial or subscription.

Options and Pricing

The Ultra Luxury comes so completely equipped that the installed options on my tester total only $751:

Carpet cargo mat: $150
Tow adapter, seven-pin to four-pin: $17
Key gloves: $35
Crossbars: $450
Wheel locks: $99

The base price is $141,500. With the options, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $142,251. Add the $1,550 delivery, processing and handling charge, and the total sticker price is $143,801.

Ride and Drive

The LX 700h is remarkably quiet, smooth and solid. The electric motor supplies immediate torque before the turbochargers are fully awake, so there is none of the strained feeling that can afflict large SUVs with smaller engines.

With 583 pound-feet of torque, acceleration is strong and effortless. The 10-speed automatic shifts smoothly, and the transition between electric assistance and gasoline power is nearly transparent during routine driving.

Steering is light at lower speeds, which helps when maneuvering this large SUV, but firms up appropriately on the highway. The commanding seating position and excellent visibility make the LX easier to place on the road than its size and weight suggest.

Comfort mode delivers the softest suspension response, while Sport S and Sport S+ noticeably sharpen the powertrain and suspension. Even with the 22-inch wheels, ride quality is excellent, although you can occasionally feel sharp pavement impacts that would be better absorbed by the Overtrail’s taller tire sidewalls.

Fuel economy is 19 miles per gallon in the city, 22 on the highway and 20 combined. The hybrid improves performance much more dramatically than it improves mileage, but moving a 6,260-pound, full-time four-wheel-drive SUV at 20 miles per gallon is still respectable, and most are buying this one for the fuel economy.

Verdict

The 2026 Lexus LX 700h Ultra Luxury is an impressive combination of traditional body-on-frame toughness and genuine executive-car luxury. It can tow 8,000 pounds, operate in low-range four-wheel drive and traverse serious terrain, yet its rear compartment would not look out of place in a private aircraft.

For someone who plans to drive the vehicle personally most of the time, the less expensive LX 700h Luxury may make more sense. It provides the same powertrain, three rows of seating and most of the important luxury features for roughly $20,000 less.

The Ultra Luxury is for the buyer who considers the rear seat the most important seat in the vehicle. In that role, there is very little else quite like it.