Toyota files a new trademark at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The trademark's for TX550h+, under the classification of "automobiles and structural parts thereof." The trademark was submitted on March 16, 2022.
This will be the third trademark application by the Japanese automaker in relation to the TX, following the submissions for TX350 and TX500h trademarks in 2020; both are still marked as "live" as of this writing.
As we all know, this alphanumeric naming convention is used on Lexus vehicles, the luxury arm of Toyota. The 'X' represents that the vehicle is an SUV/crossover while the 'h' tells us that it's a hybrid.
Gallery: Lexus TX Trademark Submission
The '+' designation is rather new, representing Lexus's plug-in hybrid powertrain. This was first seen on the second-generation Lexus NX, which was the first from the automaker to have been equipped with the said powertrain.
That said, it looks like the rumored upcoming Lexus TX will be getting a plug-in hybrid powertrain, side-by-side in the range with the non-plug-in hybrid and the one powered by a pure internal combustion engine.
The keyword here is rumor, as it was almost a decade ago when the first report of an upcoming Lexus TX surfaced. It was said that the three-row, unibody TX will be replacing the aging GX – the body-on-frame SUV based on the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.
Of course, trademark applications are not confirmations that the Lexus TX is indeed happening. The model's scarce spy shots aren't supporting the reports. But at the very least, we know that there has been a recent development – one that points toward electrification.
Let's all take these speculations with a healthy grain of salt. At the end of the day, the trademark submissions might only mean that Toyota's protecting the wordmark in case the need for it arrives in the future.
