Photo: Lexus / edited
The Land Cruiser Prado that Toyota doesn't sell in the United States of America has a stateside cousin. The Lexus GX, that is, which is an extremely old design by body-on-frame SUV standards.
Codenamed J150, the second-generation Lexus GX came out in 2009 for the 2010 model year. Manufactured exclusively in Japan, this luxed-up SUV is also joined at the hip to the very popular 4Runner.
Lexus has performed a grand total of two facelifts of the J150 thus far, the first in 2013 for 2014 and the second in 2019 for 2020. That's why – at least from the standpoint of exterior styling – the Land Cruiser Prado's brother still appears modern to many potential customers. The underpinnings, however, couldn't be more archaic. From the naturally-aspirated V8 to the six-speed automatic supplied by Toyota subsidiary Aisin, there's a lot of antiquated stuff hiding under the skin.
The introduction of the Land Cruiser J300 in 2021 marked the introduction of the TNGA-F platform, which Lexus already uses in the J300-twinned LX. Current applications further include the Sequoia and Tundra.
Not long now, the all-new GX and Tacoma will see the TNGA-F platform downsized for mid-size applications. Further still, the aforementioned Tacoma will be joined by a redesigned Hilux for overseas markets. The same applies to the 4Runner, which is probably getting redesigned for as a 2025 model.
In the meantime, Lexus published the first design teaser of the all-new GX, comprising two close-up photographs of the rear and front ends. Brown is arguably the worst color an automaker could use to hype up a long-awaited vehicle, but whatever. As long as the 2024 model year Lexus GX arrives at dealers with as few first-year issues as possible, it will be just fine.
Emphasis on first-year issues because Toyota made a mess of the Tundra's rollout. The most notorious of issues came in the form of failing turbocharger wastegate actuators. On the upside – and in typical Toyota fashion – this problem has already been resolved in both series production and on customer vehicles.
Way different in appearance from the outgoing Lexus GX, the newcomer has a bit of that Range Rover certain something about it, especially up front. The spindle grille, however, is still there. And the front grille is thankfully finished in gloss black instead of chrome.
We can also notice black cladding around the wheel arches, and a black strip with L E X U S bang in the middle out back, written in uppercase letters in black as well. It's hard to tell if the red strip below the black one is a lightbar or merely painted garnish, but all in all, there's no denying the 2024 model is noticeably different from the long-running J150. Noticeable differences will be found under the hood as well, beginning with the all-new Tacoma's rumored turbo-four engine and optional hybrid powertrain. A brand-new automatic is on the menu as well, most likely the Tundra's 10-speeder.
The loss of the aforementioned naturally-aspirated V8 may not sit well with some people, which is understandable because the 1UR-FE is an ultra-reliable mill. On the other hand, the TNGA-F wasn't designed with V8s in mind due to fuel economy and emission regulations. At most, a twin-turbo V6 with hybrid assistance will have to suffice in the next-gen GX.
Lexus has performed a grand total of two facelifts of the J150 thus far, the first in 2013 for 2014 and the second in 2019 for 2020. That's why – at least from the standpoint of exterior styling – the Land Cruiser Prado's brother still appears modern to many potential customers. The underpinnings, however, couldn't be more archaic. From the naturally-aspirated V8 to the six-speed automatic supplied by Toyota subsidiary Aisin, there's a lot of antiquated stuff hiding under the skin.
The introduction of the Land Cruiser J300 in 2021 marked the introduction of the TNGA-F platform, which Lexus already uses in the J300-twinned LX. Current applications further include the Sequoia and Tundra.
Not long now, the all-new GX and Tacoma will see the TNGA-F platform downsized for mid-size applications. Further still, the aforementioned Tacoma will be joined by a redesigned Hilux for overseas markets. The same applies to the 4Runner, which is probably getting redesigned for as a 2025 model.
In the meantime, Lexus published the first design teaser of the all-new GX, comprising two close-up photographs of the rear and front ends. Brown is arguably the worst color an automaker could use to hype up a long-awaited vehicle, but whatever. As long as the 2024 model year Lexus GX arrives at dealers with as few first-year issues as possible, it will be just fine.
Emphasis on first-year issues because Toyota made a mess of the Tundra's rollout. The most notorious of issues came in the form of failing turbocharger wastegate actuators. On the upside – and in typical Toyota fashion – this problem has already been resolved in both series production and on customer vehicles.
Way different in appearance from the outgoing Lexus GX, the newcomer has a bit of that Range Rover certain something about it, especially up front. The spindle grille, however, is still there. And the front grille is thankfully finished in gloss black instead of chrome.
We can also notice black cladding around the wheel arches, and a black strip with L E X U S bang in the middle out back, written in uppercase letters in black as well. It's hard to tell if the red strip below the black one is a lightbar or merely painted garnish, but all in all, there's no denying the 2024 model is noticeably different from the long-running J150. Noticeable differences will be found under the hood as well, beginning with the all-new Tacoma's rumored turbo-four engine and optional hybrid powertrain. A brand-new automatic is on the menu as well, most likely the Tundra's 10-speeder.
The loss of the aforementioned naturally-aspirated V8 may not sit well with some people, which is understandable because the 1UR-FE is an ultra-reliable mill. On the other hand, the TNGA-F wasn't designed with V8s in mind due to fuel economy and emission regulations. At most, a twin-turbo V6 with hybrid assistance will have to suffice in the next-gen GX.
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