As promised, the Lexus 'Double Feature' came under the spotlight on June 8, 2023, at precisely 8 PM Eastern (8 AM Western), which is a nice symmetry, indeed. And, alongside the first-ever TX, one of the main protagonists was also the third generation of the tough GX off-roader – aka Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in other markets.
Born in 2002, more than two decades ago, the full-size luxury SUV was much more than just a badge-engineered Toyota (Land Cruiser Prado) as it is sold not just in North America but also in European and Asian markets – sometimes alongside its Toyota counterpart. And, over the years, it established itself – little by little – as the tougher and more rugged sibling to the LX flagship. Well, the third generation GX puts that relationship into a fresh perspective as the latest iteration looks nothing like its predecessor. It is also far and away from the LX, with its angular body riddled with lots of hard creases as if it's flexing unseen muscles.
The all-new Lexus GX is undoubtedly an SUV to look forward to if you love adventures. And, just like the 2024 Toyota Tacoma introduced an all-new Trailhunter grade to the roster, Lexus is following suit with the first-ever 2024 GX Overtrail and Overtrail+ trims. By the way, the next-generation SUV will be manufactured (as always) at the company's Tahara factory in Japan. It will reach American dealerships sometime in early 2024 with no less than six grades – Premium and Premium+, Overtrail, and Overtrail+, plus Premium and Premium+. Again, that is nice symmetry, right?
Built on the Toyota TNGA-F platform alongside the J300 Toyota Land Cruiser, XK80 Sequoia, XK70 Tundra, and N400 Tacoma, as well as the J310 Lexus LX, the adventure-ready SUV will be motivated by a single powertrain option, at least for now. A hybrid powertrain is coming at a later date, so at the moment, eager fans only have the GX 550 version to look forward to. It will arrive with a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 under the hood, hooked to a ten-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission and full-time 4WD.
The preliminary specifications are nothing shabby, by the way, as they include 349 hp, 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) of torque, a towing capacity ranging between 6,780 lbs. (3,075 kg) and 8,000 lbs. (3,629 kg) depending on trim, plus best approach/breakover/departure angles of 26/24/22 degrees on the Overtrails.
Speaking of the latter, aside from the standard Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 and the Lexus Interface with a 14-inch touchscreen (like on all grades), these new trims also feature stuff like 18-inch wheels shod in 33-inch tires, exclusive two-tone hue combos (Atomic Silver/Black Roof, Incognito/Black Roof, Nori Green Pearl/Black Roof, and Lexus-first Earth/Black Roof), new Black NuLuxe or Chateau NuLuxe with Olive Ultrasuede trims for the interior and an electronic locking rear differential in addition to the Torsen limited-slip center differential with lock feature.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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