Lexus dealers have been yearning for a three-row crossover that's larger than the RX L but smaller than the body-on-frame GX and LX SUVs. Turns out, their wishes will be granted next year as Lexus – and apparently Toyota – will be introducing three-row crossovers for their respective lineups: the Lexus TX and the Toyota Grand Highlander.
The information came from Automotive News, which cited unnamed sources that are privy to the matter. Unsurprisingly, Toyota declined to comment about these future products to the said publication.
Gallery: 2022 Toyota Highlander Bronze Edition
According to the sources, the Lexus TX will be based on the Toyota Grand Highlander. The latter will be a longer version of the Toyota Highlander (also known as the Kluger in some parts of the world) to accommodate a spacious third row. Both are allegedly due to arrive in the same year, with the Grand Highlander to arrive six months earlier by mid-2023. Both will also be assembled at Toyota's facility in Indiana.
It's unclear whether the Toyota Grand Highlander and the Lexus TX are to be based on revamped underpinnings, or just a stretched version of the current Highlander platform. The current-generation Highlander was introduced in 2019, so the timeline's quite tricky.
This isn't the first time that we've heard of both nameplates. Toyota has filed trademarks for both in the past two years, with the Lexus TX chalked for three flavors: the TX350 and TX500h, and the PHEV TX550h+. Meanwhile, Toyota filed a trademark for the Grand Highlander name in 2021.
Note that the trademark filings, as well as this report, aren't confirmations of the two models' arrival or their trim levels. The automaker has yet to officially announce the two names. But given the timeline mentioned by the sources, we could be formally hearing about them by the end of the year.
