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Lexus LX570 luxury SUV worth 3 crore becomes official car of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde now has a new official car – a Lexus LX570 SUV. In the latest convoys of Eknath Shinde, he was spotted in the white-coloured Lexus LX570. This is a new addition to the convoy of the chief minister. We are not sure if it is an official car or a personal car. Interestingly, the former CM Uddhav Thackerey used to drive around in his own Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The latest videos of the convoy of Eknath Shinde show the Lexus LX570 as the main vehicle in which the minister travels. The Lexus LX 570 was the flagship offering from the Japanese luxury car maker, which is a wholly-owned arm of Toyota. During its official presence in India, the Lexus LX 570 was the only variant of the flagship Lexus SUV, which came with a 5.7-litre naturally-aspirated V8 petrol engine and an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The Lexus LX was also available with a 4.5-litre V8 diesel in the LX 470d variant with the same 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The Lexus LX was a more luxurious and heavily-restyled version of the iconic Toyota Land Cruiser, which was also available in the Indian car market and is soon going to enter the market back in its all-new generation avatar. The all-new version of the Lexus LX, which is set to enter India in early 2023, is said to be offered in the sole LX 500d variant. This particular variant of the Lexus LX is powered by a 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 diesel engine, which produces 305 bhp of power and 700 Nm of torque and is coupled to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. Even the all-new Toyota Land Cruiser will enter India in the same time frame, though with a V8 petrol engine only.

Toyota Land Cruiser LC200

Lexus LX570 luxury SUV worth 3 crore becomes official car of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

On most occasions, the convoy was headed by a Land Cruiser LC200. The white-coloured pilot car is also a part of the Eknath Shinde’s convoy. The Land Cruiser is the first choice of many politicians in India and across the world. The massive SUV is known for its reliability and of course, its road presence.

In India, Toyota offered the diesel version of the Land Cruiser LC200 only. This Land Cruiser is powered by a 4.5-litre V8 diesel engine that generates a maximum power of 261 PS and a peak torque of 650 Nm. The engine transfers the power to all four wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. It is a full-time 4WD system that gets functions like Crawl Control, Multi-Terrain Select, Toyota A-Trac traction control system, Multi-Terrain Monitor and more. The Land Cruiser LC200 is quite capable and wades through 700mm of water.

Former CM used to drive his own car

Interestingly, the former CM Uddhav Thackeray used to drive around in his own S-Class. Uddhav Thackeray did not choose the official state-sponsored car. Instead, he used his personal Mercedes-Benz S-Class. He drove around on his own while the security convoy protected him.

Shantonil Nag

Shantonil brings a refined blend of expertise and enthusiasm to motoring journalism at Cartoq.com. With a career spanning over 11 years, he anchors Cartoq's insightful car reviews and test drives. His journalistic journey began as a correspondent at Gaadi.com, where he honed his skills in content writing and scripting car reviews. Later, as Senior Editor for Autoportal.com, his expanded role included curating and structuring web content. At Cartoq.com, his expanded role includes assisting the video team to create high-quality car reviews. (Full bio)