The brand new-for-2024 Lexus TX is a car Lexus desperately wants—a family-friendly, big-but-not-huge crossover SUV with seating for seven, based mostly intently on Toyota’s 2024 Grand Highlander. However does it have the cachet of a correct Lexus? We traveled to Japan for a short drive of a few preproduction TXs, and whereas we did not get sufficient seat time for a full analysis—that’ll come subsequent month—we expect Lexus has the makings of an unfailingly nice (and worthwhile) three-row SUV.

Consider the TX as a lesson discovered from the three-row RX, a failed try and stretch that common five-seater into one thing it wasn’t. The TX, just like the Grand Highlander on which it’s based mostly, was designed from the get-go as a seven-seater, with a squared-off roofline that gives good baggage area and satisfactory headroom for adults within the rearmost row. It will step right into a busy section populated by automobiles like the Acura MDX, the Infiniti QX60, and the GMC Acadia.

Our drive consisted of some laps round a brief observe at Fuji Speedway, first in a TX350 with a 275-hp 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder and all-wheel drive, after which a TX500h F-Sport hybrid with its 366-hp mixture of engine and motors. Lexus needed to indicate us that the “Lexus Driving Expertise” is alive and properly, even in a family-friendly transverse-engine seven-seater.

Our conclusion: Sure, of us, it’s. Each the TXs we sampled struck a pleasant stability between the solidity one expects from a big car and the agility that retains that very same automobile from feeling cumbersome. The TX tracks properly into curves, with steering that is gentle and responsive however not hyperactive or jittery.

There’s an applicable quantity of physique lean, sufficient to provide useful suggestions however not a lot that it will make the children sick. The TX feels adequate whereas cornering that you would be able to neglect its massive dimension, and the experience is quiet, refined, and easy, simply as we count on from a Lexus. Thrilling to drive? We would not go that far, however making an enormous SUV really feel each substantial and gentle on its toes is a good and infrequently underappreciated engineering accomplishment, and our first impression is that Lexus has achieved it.

Energy-wise, we discovered the four-cylinder engine within the TX350 simply OK for the job it is tasked with. Acceleration is merely ample, and drivers should go foot-to-the-floor to make quick freeway merges. We preferred the hybrid TX500h F Sport significantly better. The powertrain makes use of the identical 2.4-liter turbo engine, however its electrical motors ship a much-needed enhance in pickup, supplying the plentiful energy we count on from a luxurious car. Most Lexus hybrids use a power-split transmission—a type of CVT—however the TX makes use of a six-speed computerized, a part of the Hybrid Max powertrain it shares with the Toyota Crown and Grand Highlander.

Once we mashed the accelerator, the TX550h stepped to with a fast downshift and a speedy burst of acceleration. Lexus has a extra highly effective model coming, as properly: the 406-hp, V-6-based TX550h+ plug-in hybrid, however it’ll use the power-split transmission.

After our fast drive, we had an opportunity to crawl across the TX’s inside. Lexus reminded us these have been preproduction fashions and that not all of the bits and items have been finalized, which can clarify among the less-than-premium plastic components we noticed. Nonetheless, we do have issues concerning the TX’s general strategy to luxurious.

Like the Lexus NX, the TX takes a nontraditional tack, shunning wooden and chrome trim for an easier, monochromatic dashboard. It is totally different than the Grand Highlander Platinum, however is it extra luxurious? That is an open query, we’ll reserve closing judgement till we drive examples which can be nearer to manufacturing spec, and for longer.

We can’t have to attend lengthy; we’ll drive manufacturing TXs subsequent month, at which period we also needs to have details about pricing and gear ranges. For now, our amuse-bouche drive of the TX has us considering Lexus clients—to not point out Lexus sellers—will discover a lot to love on this massive, sensible, family-friendly SUV. The TX could not set spirits afire, but it surely’s shaping as much as be a powerful competitor in a well-liked section.