By Theodore Opara

For years, rumors have circulated that  Lexus  was  working on a three-row variant of its midsize RX crossover. Those rumors will finally be put to rest at this year’s Los Angeles auto show, where the  2018 Lexus RX  350L will make its debut.

Lexus revealed few details on the new model, but confirmed it will offer three rows of seating. A hybrid RX 450hL model will also be available, but will be shown at a later date. A three-row crossover option has been sorely missing from Lexus’ lineup, and now the Japanese luxury brand will have an answer for the  Acura MDX,  BMW X5  and upcoming X7,  Volvo XC90,  Audi Q7, and others. Lexus dealers have been clamoring for a larger  crossover for many years, and the arrival of the RX L likely can’t come soon enough. Through October, RX sales have been flat year over year, while sales of the aging GX three-row body-on-frame SUV are up 10.7 percent.

We last heard that  stretching the RX’s platform wasn’t possible, so it’s unclear if this will simply be a long-wheelbase RX or something else entirely underneath the sheetmetal. The taillight in the teaser image looks like that of the current  Lexus RX, but who knows what platform underpins the RX L. We should learn a lot more about the much anticipated three-row on November 29.