First Look Review: The 2024 Lexus TX PHEV has space, efficiency & class

The 2024 Lexus TX PHEV, Lexus’ inaugural U.S.-assembled plug-in hybrid SUV, is set to reach dealerships early in 2024. Designed as a comfortable mid-size SUV for large families, it features an pluggable electrified powertrain aimed at reducing both emissions and fuel costs. At the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, I got to experience the space, features and comfort of a Wind Chill Pearl TX 550h+ to see if it lives up to its hype. Here are my first impressions:

Design

The 2024 Lexus TX PHEV has an avant-garde exterior that makes it the most elegant Lexus SUV I’ve seen to date. It doesn’t try hard to look sporty or aggressive like the UX, NX, RZ, or RX, nor tough and adventurous like the GX or LX. The TX PHEV strikes a balance between the two extremes, and in my view, this results in a design that is both more elegant and practical.

In my opinion, the 2024 TX PHEV’s Spindle grille is the classiest iteration of Lexus’ signature design cue. The sleek headlamps give the front-end a sleek and slightly sporty look and they remind me of the Lexus LBX, which debuted earlier this year. The smoothly sculpted hood helps the SUV project aggression without straying from its elegant character.

On the sides, I like the color-matched wheel arches and rocker panels, the large, squarish windows, and the straight roofline and beltline. At the back, the full-width tail lamp and the minimalist block-lettered, brand inscription emphasize the vehicle’s width and give the rather boxy SUV a touch of sleekness.

Lexus is renowned for its excellent build quality. On the 2024 TX PHEV, I found that the panel gaps were extremely tight, and the paint quality was top notch. If you were to ask me, the new plug-in hybrid SUV looks the best in the Celestial Silver Metallic color.

Interior

The interior of the 2024 Lexus TX PHEV looks modern but simple, in line with the understated luxury theme of the exterior. I like the sleek dashboard with the driver-centric cockpit area, which includes a compact steering wheel, a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster, and a free-standing 14-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system. That said, I find the asymmetric outer-end AC vents a little strange.

Lexus offers the 2024 TX Plug-in Hybrid exclusively in a feature-rich Luxury grade. 10-way power-adjustable front seat with 4-way power lumbar adjustment, heating, ventilation, and memory (driver-only); heated and ventilated second-row captain’s chairs; and 50/50 third-row seats with power reclining and folding functions are standard.

The interior feature that stood out was the 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a slick UI and a volume control knob. The lower part of the display has temperature readouts, positioned to appear through the temperature adjustment dials of the multi-zone climate control system.

The infotainment system includes wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and cloud navigation with OTA map updates. It has a simple menu structure that makes it easy to use, quick responses, and smooth animations.

The 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster of the 2024 TX PHEV features three customizable modes and shows PHEV-specific details like charging level, electric range, and EV driving ratio. If I were to compare it with the all-digital driver information displays of the 2024 BMW X5 PHEV, I’d say the German model’s unit is a clear winner because of a richer UI and more and better layouts, including an Augmented View that shows live video stream through the front camera along with an animated directional arrow in it to make turns confusion-free.

The compact steering wheel felt perfectly sized in my hands, and I appreciate Lexus throwing in multiple comfort and convenience features – heating, memory, and power tilt-and-telescopic column adjustment. I like the stylish and modular design of the center console, which includes removable cup holders and a retractable wireless smartphone charging tray to make extra storage space.

The dual-opening storage box is notably deep but not that long. A removable semi-console box is available in the second row, which has captain’s chairs for two passengers. It has removable cupholders and it’s big enough to keep small things like a mirrorless camera bag or an Apple iPad.

Lexus has used soft-touch materials in many places in the cabin, but some lesser-noticed areas like the lower part of the dashboard and door cards were also among them. I liked how the company has given soft-touch armrests in both the rear rows as well, though.

Moving to comfort, I’m six feet tall, and in my experience, there were absolutely no issues with ingress or egress in the front of the 2024 TX PHEV. When I was sitting in the driver’s seat, I had plenty of headroom. Under-thigh support was excellent, thanks to an extendable cushion. The side bolsters offered good support and further improved comfort. All-around visibility was great, thanks to big glass panels, slim pillars, and a practically designed body.

In the second row, too, ingress and egress posed no trouble. The captain’s chairs have a manual recline function and lean far back for supreme comfort. I had lots of legroom and knee room, and as there was no panoramic roof, excellent headroom, too. The under-thigh support felt was also good. To access the third row, I had use a switch on the second-row seat shoulder and the captain’s chair tilted and slid forward automatically. I had sufficient space to enter and exit the third row after that.

The third-row seats offered decent headroom, although I’ll have to admit my hair was brushing the headliner in the upright position. I had sufficient legroom and knee room, while under-thigh support felt average. The shoulder room was massive for two adults like me to sit side-by-side during long journeys.

The 2024 TX PHEV has 20.2 cu. ft. of cargo space, which customers can increase to up to 97 cu. ft. by folding down both the second and third rows. These figures are impressive for a mid-size three-row SUV, that too with plug-in hybrid power. Lexus doesn’t equip the 2024 TX PHEV with a spare tire.

Driving impressions

The 2024 Lexus TX PHEV has a 3.5-liter V6 engine combined and two propulsion motors, one at the front and one at the rear. With 404 hp of system power, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and achieve a top speed of 112 mph. An 18.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack gives it a zero-emission range of 33 miles (Lexus-est.). The combined fuel economy of the plug-in hybrid SUV is 29 MPG (Lexus-est.).

Automotive journalists who have driven the 2024 TX Plug-in Hybrid would tell you that though it is more powerful, the 336-horsepower 2024 TX Hybrid feels much quicker. With Lexus claiming a 6.1-second or a 0.2-second quicker 0-60 mph acceleration time for the hybrid model, that was quite obvious. The plug-in hybrid variant has a firm chassis, which is not something customers typically expect of such a people mover, but the up side is that it handles well.

The 2024 TX PHEV might have a silky V6 mill under the hood, but the CVT lacks refinement, meaning it’s not much fun to drive, especially compared to the 2024 TX Hybrid. Under hard acceleration, the powertrain noise creeps into the cabin, and the only fix for that is switching to EV mode, which makes the drive truly calm and relaxing.

Price

The 2024 Lexus TX PHEV, available in a fully loaded Luxury trim, retails at USD 78,050 (incl. USD 1,350 DPH fee).

TopElectricSUV says

The 2024 Lexus TX PHEV might not have the best powertrain in the line-up, but it offers style, luxury, comfort, and plenty of space to make up for that. Factoring in its decent electric driving range (Lexus is expecting it to do 33 miles), it seems even more practical. If priced right, I think it has the potential to be the plush three-row people mover Lexus customers have long yearned for.

2024 Lexus TX PHEV FAQs

This first look review article has contributions from our reader.