“You can live in your car, but you can’t drive your house!” That’s the logic car enthusiasts sometimes give you for buying an incredibly expensive car. Especially one that costs as much as a luxury apartment. Like the Lexus 450d, that’s almost like a luxury apartment on wheels and was launched recently at Rs 2.32 crore, ex-showroom Delhi.
Lexus is Toyota’s more expensive cousin. In March this year, Lexus announced its entry into India with a sedan and an SUV – the hybrid ES 300h sedan priced at Rs 55.27 lakh and the RX 450h priced at Rs 1.07 crore, ex-showroom Delhi. At that time, it also showcased the Lexus 450d, but had not put a price tag to it.
What’s the Lexus 450d About?
This huge SUV with a rather confusing nomenclature is an uber-luxury cousin of the Toyota Land Cruiser. The over 200% import duties in India have ensured it gets a price tag that is rather astronomical. Yet, it has plenty of creature comforts and performance to kind of justify it.
It weighs over 2.5 tonnes and boasts a mammoth 4.5-litre V8 diesel engine that pumps out 261 bhp of power and 650 Nm of torque with a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. It can hit 100 kmph in about 8.6 seconds, clocking a top speed of 210 kmph.
The design is pretty radical, with a sharp, angular front and triple-lens projector headlamps. The interiors are draped in beige and black leather, with an onboard 19-speaker infotainment system. There’s also four-zone climate control, an air suspension to keep everyone comfortable, 10 airbags, traction control and terrain monitoring to keep everyone safe.
A sunroof, moonroof, radar-based cruise control, a 12-inch screen, automatic lights and lane-departure warnings are all part of the package. And yes, it is pretty roomy, being over 5 metres long and with enough space for seven adults. Still thinking of buying an apartment?
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