The 2027 Lexus TX loses its plug-in hybrid version and gets a few small changes, so the three-row SUV now comes with petrol and hybrid powertrains only.
Most model-year updates are about what a car gains. For the 2027 Lexus TX, the biggest news is what it loses. Lexus has dropped the TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid from the line-up.
Lexus calls the rest of the changes minor, and that’s accurate. The three-row SUV now comes with two powertrains: the petrol TX 350 and the TX 500h hybrid. Beyond that, this is a light refresh rather than a rethink.
What’s new for 2027
Most of the updates are small details:
- Matador Red Mica paint is offered on non-F SPORT models.
- Lexus has retuned the TX 350’s vacuum brake booster and revised its brake hold function.
- The TX 500h swaps its “DIRECT4” badges for simple “AWD” ones.
- The 20-inch wheels on the TX 350 Premium get a darker grey finish.
- Red-painted brake callipers are a new option on F SPORT grades.
The badge change is a curious one. Lexus still calls the system DIRECT4 in its own materials, but the tailgate now just says what it does. That’s one less piece of branding for buyers to decode.
Two powertrains remain
The TX 350 uses a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, also found in the RX and NX. It makes 275hp and 317lb-ft and drives through an eight-speed automatic. Buyers can pick front- or all-wheel drive. The AWD system varies the front-to-rear torque split between 75:25 and 50:50.
The TX 500h pairs a 2.4-litre turbo engine with a hybrid system for a combined 366hp and 406lb-ft. It uses a six-speed automatic, a 64kW motor up front and a 76kW electric axle at the rear. The nickel-metal hydride battery sits under the second row.
The hybrid comes only as the F SPORT Performance Premium or F SPORT Performance Luxury. Both get Adaptive Variable Suspension and Dynamic Rear Steering as standard. At low speed, the rear wheels turn against the fronts for tighter manoeuvring. At higher speed, they turn with them for stability.
Platform and cabin carry over
Underneath, the TX still uses the GA-K platform it shares with the RX and NX. Lexus points to body adhesives, short-pitch spot welding and a multi-link rear suspension as keys to its ride and handling. The bonnet and front guards are aluminium, which helps balance the weight front to rear.
Inside, every TX gets a 12.3-inch multi-information display as standard. Depending on grade, the second row has either captain’s chairs or a 60:40 split-folding bench. The captain’s chairs come heated and ventilated, and a slide-assist walk-in function makes it easier to reach the third row.
Where the plug-in leaves a gap
Lexus hasn’t said why it dropped the 550h+, and its announcement focuses on the models that remain. Even so, the change narrows the range. The self-charging TX 500h is now the only electrified TX and the most powerful model in the line-up.
That matters most for families who wanted a three-row Lexus they could plug in at home. For 2027, the TX no longer offers one, so the TX 500h is now the closest option.
