For the first 30 years of its life, Lexus was one of the most conservative premium brands. In terms of design, design school, and model lineup. Sometimes more expensive versions «Toyota» were offered under this brand for the Japanese market. And today Lexus seems to be trying to make up for lost time. Bold advertising campaigns, ambitious racing programs, futuristic design in the style of Star Wars and Transformers. And novelties, one brighter than the other. Here you have the LBX small car, the LM bead that compensates for its toy-like appearance, and the GX, which turns into a full-fledged… SUV. So, in addition to brand-new products that are poured out to fans of the brand, the Japanese are also revamping existing models.
New looks, new positioning, new capabilities — GX has been reborn from a Prado clone into a macho one.
Everyone liked the first generation GX (2002-2009). It was well-built, durable, and, which is rare for a premium car, practical. The only weakness of the Consumer Reports reliability rating favorite was its nondescript appearance. Remove the logos, and you can play the game «who’s here?»
Content
The very first «G-xer» (serial number — J120) was released back in 2002, and seven years later its successor (J150) appeared. And both times they were clones of the Land Cruiser Prado of the current generations. But despite the secondary design and construction, the 150 lasted a record 14 years on the assembly line by modern standards.
And now, for the first time in its history, the «GX» debuted before the Prado. It has radically changed its image and positioning. Lexus GX looks not just expressive and convincing, it breaks patterns and burns bridges with the past. Ten years ago, the market demanded more individualization from SUVs. Toyota lamented this, saying that «s now buy with their eyes, but hoped to make a facelift that would reduce the average age of the buyer from 45 to 40 years. It didn’t happen, and even dumping didn’t help: the updated GX in the «base» costs only slightly more than the flagship Prado.
So I had to get out of my comfort zone — now the GX has so many right angles and sharp edges that you can cut yourself. Next to it, even the Defender and Bronco look like pets that have been dressed up for a beauty contest. By the way, the chopped style with almost flat panels hides a significant increase in dimensions: J250 is 7 cm longer and 9.5 cm wider than J150. Only the color palette, half of which is made up of shades of gray, is upsetting.
Even after leaving the stage, the GX of the second iteration (2009-2023) knows it’s worth. As a rule, the longer a model is on the assembly line, the more noticeably it depreciates. The «Jeep Jeeper» has been in production for 14 years, but on the secondary market, it is often asked for more than its peer competitors from European brands, which are inherently pricier and prestigious. Conceived as a premium LC Prado, it has long since stopped chasing fashion and looking back, becoming both a fashion designer and a model in its own right.
Such attention to appearance is more typical of crossovers, which are created on the principle of «not to be, but to appear». And I have devoted so many lines to design not only because the developers themselves, led by the project’s chief engineer Koji Tsukasaki, call it a priority when developing the latest SUV. But also because there are no other fundamental differences. For which we are very grateful.
Yes, the GX has remained faithful to off-road canons: a cone frame and a one-piece spring-loaded axle, so that crossover nutritionists with their load-bearing bodies and independent suspensions don’t get in the way. And now it is the largest «Toyota» TNGA platform: GA-F, thanks to which the GX has the same wheelbase (2850 mm) as its older brothers LX and LC 300. The final 5 meters of length and 2.6 tons of pride — real heavy metal!
The suspension architecture hasn’t changed either: double wishbones at the front and a solid — axle at the rear. And the optional AVS adaptive adjustable suspension. We are also grateful that the GX has a full-fledged off-road transmission, with a Torsen center differential and a low gear instead of all these electronic imitations. Perhaps the only nod to progress in this area is the transfer case with improved performance. Plus electric power steering instead of «hydraulics».
But to call the design rudimentary — means to accuse Tsukasaki-san of retrogradation, conformism and other harmful things. Because all of this works on asphalt, and especially where not every tractor will go. And this is perhaps the main problem with the Lexus GX — it can only show its main talents far from civilization. For example, in the Carpathians, where there are more than enough roads of varying degrees of deterioration.
At the top of the Lexus GX version pyramid is the Overtrail version. The GX has become an all-terrain vehicle, but it’s a straightforward off-roader. The off-road package includes a body kit made of unpainted plastic, aluminum «protection» underbelly, rear differential lock, suspension with E-KDSS hydraulic stabilizers with improved wheel articulation. In addition, specially welded Toyo Open Country A/T tires with a 265/70R18 «wicked» tread pattern (outer diameter — 33 inches) come from the factory. The Overtrail will cost UAH 4.143-4.176 million, depending on the configuration. It is already available for order.
The GX was literally created to solve such problems with one unknown and many variables. It is here, on the roads broken by life and heavy construction equipment, that the air-conditioned frame, 22-centimeter ground clearance, and locking center differential are appropriate. They allow you to avoid stalling on the tracks broken by logging trucks and on the loose ascents to Dragobrat, on the soil that has been acidified by several days of rain and when fording numerous rivers.
In our case, all this was overcome even on civilian tires — Michelin X-Ice Snow 265/50R22. The main thing is not to be afraid of hanging the wheel or scratching the protective plastic. Even more important is to understand the variety of Multi-Terrain Select off-road modes. Now there are six of them — Deep Snow has been added to Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud and Rock for driving in deep snow.
Depending on the type of surface, the electronics adjust the fuel supply, brake and adjust the amount of permissible slippage. Plus, the front and rear cameras, to which the Multi-terrain Monitor assistant broadcast’s trajectory tips for avoiding obstacles. So now any pretty shepherdess can handle the off-road «— Playboy would write. And he would be right, in fact.
The basic Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 active safety package includes adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist, road sign recognition, collision avoidance with pedestrian and even animal detection. The coolest feature is the rearview camera in the interior mirror. It transmits images in high quality, and at night you can see everything better than in the mirror. And, of course, the camera is located under the rear window, and the rear wiper clears the view
It’s a good thing that the designers had enough enthusiasm (and the management — courage) not only for the exterior. Inside the GX 550, there are no quotes from its predecessor either. The front panel is now much closer to the LM in terms of layout, and total «touchscreen digitalization» is out of the question. On the contrary, by modern standards, there are too many «physical» keys-buttons-washers plus the usual «for old believers» fixed automatic selector. Even the driver’s virtual 12.3-inch instrument panel can be selected «for antiquity» — with analog dials. Yes, yes, the SUV has finally got a virtual dashboard. As well as a projection HUD display.
The interior has been enriched to match the exterior. The GX 550 will attract new buyers not only because of its up-to-date design, but also because of its very non-trivial interior. In addition to the usual 2-row version, there will also be a 3-row version, but not on the European market. Moreover, in the latter case, the middle sofa can be replaced with a pair of separate «captain’s» armchairs.
A multimedia system with a 14-inch Link Pro touchscreen, Apple Carplay and Android Auto wireless services. The list of orders includes a high-end media system (of course, from Mark Levinson) with 21 speakers, as if the previous 17 were not enough for someone. With a characteristic juicy bass, but the main trouble of all American speakers is — «cold» sound.
The options include a fixed panoramic roof with variable transparency and electric sills, an AC inverter, a cooled armrest, front seats with massage, and an electric tailgate. The luggage door now opens upward instead of sideways. The only feature retained is the rear window that can be lifted separately, an indispensable thing when transporting long vehicles. Unfortunately, the short-armed wiper is still in place. It’s good that the rearview camera now has normal resolution and color reproduction, and the wiper wipes it — a cool feature.
But a dozen cupholders — this is more like a movie theater. And the color scheme here is appropriate – pale. Let’s hope that Lexus will eventually shake things up and come up with brighter interiors and body colors. Remember how cool it looked in cherry color?
Everyone liked the 4.6-liter V8. Very reliable, with a rolling grunt, quite economical and not at all lazy — 300 hp and 438 Nm. And, mind you, no animal cruelty — all «horses» their own, atmospheric.
It would seem that the size of the hood increased by the designers means that there is an even more voluminous engine under it. Alas, downsizing has come here, too. At one time, the Japanese separated the GX and Prado into different niches, assigning only V8s to the former and — «four» and «six» to the latter. Now they are getting rid of the multicylinder archaic in favor of «engines with high efficiency and power provided by» high-speed combustion technology.
From now on, everything is driven by the biturbocharged 3.4-liter V6 (354 hp and 650 Nm), familiar from the LX/LC 300. In addition, it has been deformed for the sake of subordination by 61 hp. And the «550» index actually shows its position in the model lineup.
Traditionally, there will be no diesel version, and over time, the first mild hybrid in the history of the model will appear, and no electrification is yet foreseen. However, it is already clear that the hybrid is addressed to the Eastern European markets and will consist of an electric motor, an 8-speed automatic transmission and a 2.4-liter «turbo four», like the Toyota Tahoma pickup.
The air suspension on the rear axle is not so much for off-road capability as it is for body leveling when the load is high. As a result, the Overtrail can now tow a boat trailer with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tons, up from 2.5 tons previously. The optional Trailer Sway Control system is trained to suppress sway caused by a gust of wind, road bumps or sudden steering movement. But it’s a bit of a pain to talk about traction characteristics in this age of total navigation ban.
Along with the V8, the good old 6-speed hydromechanics left us, giving way to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It would seem that everything is correct — a more agile gearbox is needed for a larger torque and traction unit. Because the previous one was not particularly agile, although it did its job. So far, the new «automatic» has been remembered only for its slightly slow response when accelerating. But the criterion of truth is practice. Or, in our case, a full-fledged test drive with mandatory changes in coatings, loads, and locations.
It’s safe to say that the GX 550 is now faster than ever on the dirt. On the highway, it’s as stable as a cruise ship. Even in corners, the rolls are not threatening, and repositioning does not cause rolling. Finally, there is a fairly light steering wheel with a clear zero, you can, of course, complain about the not quite responsive feedback, but the transmission is also special.
Usually, the paragraph about fuel consumption of this model is more like «shock content». Because in traffic, the V8 «eats» 20-25 liters without choking. Tested on two family «Lexus». Fortunately, in Transcarpathia there are traffic jams only at border crossings. Surprisingly, despite all the transformations that the GX has undergone, its appetite has remained unchanged — the same average of 12.4 liters per 100 kilometers (mixed cycle of the EPA standard). Although, by definition, the numbers should be different in the more rarefied mountain air.
But the price list is growing. Now it starts at UAH 4,142,000. Remember, 10 years ago, depending on the equipment, the GX was asking for 1,177,000-1,374,000 hryvnias. However, the German premium is estimated to be much pricier. Everything is in line with the covenant of the father of the Lexus project, Eiji Toyoda, who coined the motto «to outperform competitors, but at the same time be more affordable».
At this level, the Lexus GX has no competitors in the premium segment. Every single one of them has a frame body instead of a frame and «honest off-road qualities». The more expensive Mercedes G-class has cool features and can compete off-road, but it has enough of its own features that not everyone agrees to coexist with, especially those related to space. The Land Rover Defender has also moved away from the frame to the side of the frame body. And although it hasn’t lost its abilities, it still trusts electronics more.
It is worth saying that Lexus has always found its owners and fans, and in its new form it will definitely grab attention, partly even from Toyota Prado because it offers a completely different philosophy, engines, and attention to detail. And we should expect to see motorcades of armored «Lexus» on the roads in the near future.
| Body, type | SUV |
| Dimensions (LxWxH), mm | 4960/1980/1935 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2850 |
| Declared ground clearance, mm | 220 |
| Trunk volume, liters. | 1063/2000 |
| Curb weight, kg | 2600 |
| Engine | 3.5 |
| Working volume, cubic cm | 3445 |
| Power, hp. | 354 |
| Torque, Nm | 650 |
| Type of drive | 4х4 |
| Pendant | Two-lever independent / Four-lever with continuous bridge |
| CHECKPOINT | 10AT |
| Dynamics 0-100, s | — |
| Maximum speed, km/h | — |
| Fuel consumption, l (mixed) | 12,3 |
| Cost, UAH | 4 142 469 |
| The cost of the test car, UAH | 4 390 713 |
| Competitors | |
| BMW X5 xDrive40i — 3 820 113 UAH | |
| Volkswagen Tuareg Silver 3.0 V6 TFSI — 2 640 590 UAH | |
| Volvo XC90 — UAH 3,088,230 | |
| Toyota Land Cruiser — UAH 3 918 210 | |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.6 V6 8AT — 3 484 800 UAH |
