In 1998, the Lexus LX sport utility was redesigned and renamed the LX 470. The previous 4.5 liter inline six was replaced by a 4.7 liter V-8, which was designed for Toyota's full size T-100 truck. The seven passenger SUV still utilized the rugged Land Cruiser platform and body, but Lexus continued to refine the interior fittings and exterior details.
The new V-8 produced 230 horsepower, which propelled the 5400 pound LX from 0 to 60 in 9.9 seconds. This was quite impressive considering the bulk of the full size SUV. Acceleration through the higher gears was still a bit sluggish, but test drivers noted the improvement. The adaptive variable suspension system provided perhaps the best ride among all sport utilities, but the soft suspension caused some wobbles when cornering.
This year, the Lincoln Navigator joined Lexus, Land Rover, Cadillac, and Infinity in the growing full-size luxury SUV market. With the exception of the Range Rover, other competitors found that they were attracting more a high profile in-town crowd, rather than off-road adventurers. Lexus responded with a new LX that seemed to sacrifice some of the 4x4 capability of the previous LX 450.
