Lexus gives the GX a rugged makeover
It may have taken years…well, more than a decade, but Lexus has finally given the GX, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado’s more premium twin, a complete redesign. Now in its 3rd generation, Lexus has gone for a rugged off-road SUV theme opposed to all previous generations’ premium luxury SUV vibe.
Dubbed by some as the Japanese Land Rover Defender, it comes as no surprise as this seems to have been designed to directly take on the challenge of competing with the British classic. This new one also previews to us what to expect from the next generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado which just may go for where the popular and recently discontinued Toyota FJ Cruiser left off.
Looking at its exterior, it still gets Lexus’ signature design language but put in a boxy and rugged body shape. In front of course is the large spindle grille flanked by slim LED headlights. The side shows its body lines which seem to have been inspired by previous generations of the Toyota Land Cruiser series. The rear loses the vertical taillights with full-width wraparound LED taillights in its place, keeping up with today’s trends.
An Overtrail variant is also now available for the first time blacked-out fender flares, black door handles, and a black roof. It also comes with 33-inch all-terrain tires with 18-inch wheels that help in adding more ground clearance compared to other GX variants.
Inside, the all-new Lexus GX keeps its premium SUV motif, with a little touch of ruggedness added into it. A large 14-inch toucscreen Lexus Interface infotainment system can be seen right smack in the middle of the dashboard while the driver gets a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster.
Powering the all-new Lexus GX550 is a detuned version of the Lexus LX600’s 3.4-liter twin turbo V6 gasoline engine that produces 349 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque, paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. A hybrid 4-cylinder powertrain is expected to be introduced in the future.
The all-new Lexus GX will be built in Japan with availability first set to be in the United States. Other markets such as the Philippines may follow soon after.
