2024 Lexus GX review: International first drive
The styling alone has all but ensured the new 2024 Lexus GX will be a hit in Australia, but launching before the Prado on which it is based also gives it a head start. Trent Nikolic samples the new GX on-road and off, to find out whether it's as good as Aussie buyers hope it will be.
2024 Lexus GX550
The all-new 2024 Lexus GX is an important vehicle for the brand in Australia – and it's certainly not because Lexus needs any sales help in our local market. The Japanese luxury brand rebounded strongly from its own pandemic supply delays to have an impressive 2022 and a record 2023 in terms of sales volume.
Those results are no mean feat given the sheer volume of luxury competition in our market. Despite that, Lexus continues to surge ahead, and with or without a GX in the line-up, the brand would continue its march.
The reason the GX is so important relates to more than one single factor, one of which is the reality that it fills a gap in the brand's line-up, which now covers all key segments in our local market. Further, it's the first time this Prado-based 'proper' four-wheel-drive has been offered in Australia.
Americans love the GX – perhaps unsurprisingly. And, they love it as a new-vehicle purchase or as a second-hand offering, whether it's for on-road use or off-road touring.
Its all-round ability has ensured Americans have fallen in love with the GX platform. The reason that's important for us is that the GX has earned a reputation in the States as a bona-fide off-road performer, beyond its luxury around-town focus.
We know how much Aussies love the Prado, so it follows that the Lexus GX (which is based on the Prado, and mechanically similar in a number of areas) is going to be a popular choice. But, the fact the GX offers off-road prowess Lexus buyers might not expect is an added bonus.
Yes, the LandCruiser-based LX is a genuine off-road contender too, but I'm not sure too many Aussies are spending that much money to cross the Simpson or head to Cape York...
GX will be the first Lexus in Oz to go on sale with a variant featuring all-terrain tyres straight out of the dealership, and the first with a cabin focused as much on robust hard-wearing utility as it is luxury. The Overtrail variant (that we spent most time in for our launch drive) is very firmly honed in on off-road performance, and as such it looks and feels like a Lexus, but its brief is a little different.
I like it. Range Rover has been illustrating for decades that luxury and dirt go together, so why shouldn't Lexus offer the same ability?
The segment the GX slots into is fascinating in our market too. Everything from track-focused performance SUVs to rough and tumble off-roaders sit within the segment we refer to as 'large SUV'. And, while the GX550 is a little different to both those examples, it's going to go head-to-head with established competition that doesn't offer Lexus robustness, the ownership experience, or in some cases luxury to match the off-road prowess.
We reckon the only problem Lexus is going to have will be accessing enough supply to satisfy demand. Our news story details the Aussie line-up, with three models available – Overtrail, Luxury and Sports Luxury – not in that order of pricing scale. If you plan on doing any off-road work at all, the Overtrail is the model grade you want.
We don't know what the GX550 will cost in Australia, yet, and we won't know until we get closer to our local launch. By way of Sherlock Holmes-level deduction, I've come to the conclusion that it should (and I'm taking a punt here) land around a starting price of $110,000 before on-road costs.
Maybe just beneath that threshold. Where did that deduction come from? First work backward from where the larger LX600 with petrol power starts from around $155,000 before on-road costs. Then look at LandCruiser 300 pricing, which starts from around $94,000 before on-road costs. Lastly, Toyota Prado, which currently tops out just under $90,000 before on-road costs. Keep in mind, too, that the new Prado will be more expensive.
Seriously, my $110,000 figure is a guess, but I reckon it might be close. Time will tell if I'll end up with egg on my face. For now, use it as an approximation. We'll let you know as soon as we have more accurate pricing information.
What ends up being the competitive set when GX launches is just as fascinating as what the launch pricing will be. I suspect Land Rover Defender buyers will take a look – that's certainly the prevailing feeling in the US market – as well as LandCruiser 300 Series and possibly even Ineos Grenadier buyers.
Nissan Patrol buyers might also consider the GX550, and that's before we look at the large SUVs that aren't off-road-focused if your needs are around town only.
You're forking out at least $110K for an Audi Q7, BMW X5, petrol Genesis GV80 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. There's a hell of a lot going on in the large SUV segment as stated above, and as such, the buyer for the new GX is likely to be as diverse as its resume.
That this is the first Lexus sold in Australia that is likely to go off-road with any intent is an interesting point for debate, which might change where the buyer comes from. As you'd expect, Overtrail is the off-road-focused variant and it gets 18-inch rims with all-terrain rubber. Luxury rides on 20-inch wheels, while Sports Luxury gets 22-inch wheels.
Final specification for the Australian market is yet to be nailed down as well, so we'll report back with a more comprehensive guide once we have all that information. There's a six-seat, captain's chair version that will go on sale in America, but Aussie GX models will all be seven-seat, unless you buy Overtrail, which is a five-seater.
Key details | 2024 Lexus GX550 |
Engine | 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol |
Power | 260kW @ 4800–5200rpm |
Torque | 650Nm @ 2000–3600rpm |
Drive type | Full-time four-wheel drive |
Transmission | Ten-speed torque converter automatic |
Power-to-weight ratio | 99.7kW/t to 102kW/t |
Weight | 2540kg to 2608kg |
Spare tyre type | Full-size |
Tow rating | 3130kg braked (Sports Luxury) 3500kg braked (Overtrail and Luxury) 750kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 12.0m |
Lexus buyers expect luxury inside the cabin of any Lexus, and the new GX doesn't disappoint regardless of specification grade. Unsurprisingly, all model grades feel insulated, well equipped and premium.
The Luxury grade will be the price-leader and features synthetic leather upholstery, 20-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting, dynamic auto-levelling headlights, rear privacy glass, flush roof rails, eight-way seat adjustment with lumbar and memory, heated and ventilated seats, heated outboard second-row seats, three-zone climate control, powered tailgate and electric third-row seats.
Connectivity is a highlight, with a high-quality 14-inch infotainment touchscreen that controls the multimedia system. A short test of wired Apple CarPlay indicated that the system is accurate and responsive. Luxury also gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10-speaker audio system and 12.3-inch digital driver's display with a colour head-up display.
Sports Luxury gets an even punchier 21-speaker Mark Levinson premium audio system along with more seat adjustability and more premium trim with semi-aniline leather 'accented' upholstery, massaging front seats, heated steering wheel, fixed panoramic sunroof, and other detail changes.
You won't struggle to keep your devices charged on a road trip in the GX, with five USB-C ports, a regular 12V socket hidden behind a sliding door up front, a 220V socket in the rear and wireless charging as well. Storage is a strong point, too, and Sports Luxury gets a cooled fridge in the centre console.
2024 Lexus GX550 | |
Seats | Seven |
Boot volume | 292L to third row 1138L to second row 2178L to first row |
Length | 5005mm |
Width | 1980mm (Overtrail 2000mm) |
Height | 1920mm (Overtrail 1935mm) |
Wheelbase | 2850mm |
In the US, there's a six-seat version of the GX with captain's chairs in the second row, but the Australian GX will retain a five or seven-seat layout. Overtrail accommodates five, while Luxury and Sports Luxury have room for seven. There's plenty of room in the second row, but consider the third row occasional for adults or taller children. If you're touring four or five up, though, the GX is a luxurious way to get around.
Visibility was a highlight on test. Whether you're on-road or off, you can always see where the GX is pointing, and positioning it in the lane is easy. Fore, aft, or rear three-quarter when you're parking, you won't feel like the GX is too big. It's one of those 4WDs that starts to feel smaller than it looks the minute you start driving.
Yes, it is big, at just beyond 5m long, but it doesn't feel like a behemoth from the driver's seat. Useful adjustment means even shorter drivers will be able to see out of it easily. On the subject of visibility, the dash design, which is flat across the top, and the flares at the edges of the bonnet are all designed to ensure you know exactly where the corners of the GX are at all times.
In the luggage space, you'll find 292L with the third row in use, 1138L to the second row, and a whopping 2178L with all the seats folded down. There's a full-size spare under the floor, and the rear hatch folds up not out. You can also open the glass window only as well, which is handy for removing smaller items.
Safety assistance is well catered for, and Lexus has provided technology that you would expect from a new model. There's a panoramic view monitor with 360-degree and side and front detail views, tyre pressure monitoring, nine airbags, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and lane-centring assist.
While Australia remains a diesel-focused off-road market, the demands of emissions expectations around the world are making the use of diesel more and more difficult for manufacturers. As such, the 2024 Lexus GX550 gets its drive from a smooth petrol engine rather than the diesel engine that long-distance tourers might prefer. The success of vehicles like Nissan Patrol and Ford Ranger Raptor indicate, though, that Aussies are more and more open to the possibility of a petrol-powered off-roader.
The engine measures in closer to 3.4 litres than 3.5 litres, but 3.4 looks and sounds a bit wonky, so let's call it a 3.5-litre, twin-turbo petrol V6, which is mated to a conventional 10-speed automatic and full-time four-wheel drive. The Overtrail gets centre and rear diff locks, genuine low-range gearing, and off-road-focused drive modes. Despite the undeniable focus on that sense of premium that is so hard to define, the GX is much more than a one-trick pony.
The engine is effortless on sealed surfaces, such is the easy nature of the 260kW and 650Nm it punches out, and the smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic is an able partner in crime. Nail the throttle, and the big GX gets moving with some urgency and it certainly never feels sluggish.
You'll find around-town running as comfortable as you will the highway, and the combined claim of 13.5 litres per 100 kilometres seems reasonable. A few points here. That fuel claim is higher than it would be if the GX was either hybrid or powered by a diesel engine. I suspect, though, that the buyer won't care, especially around town. Let us know in the comments section below what you think.
Where the fuel use will be a factor to consider is if you do any regular long-distance touring. We saw a live figure in the 11s on a short highway run, and you can expect to use more than the claim in traffic. The GX550 has a relatively small fuel tank, though (for the segment specifically), 80L to be exact.
If you run the numbers against the claim, and with a 50km safety margin, you get a touring run of around 542km. For some of you that might be a pain.
At all speeds, on any road, the GX550 is a lovely large SUV to drive. The relationship between engine and gearbox is almost seamless, there's no clunking or shunting through the driveline, and the steering and brakes are both effective for an SUV of this size.
The steering is noteworthy at parking speeds especially, which makes the GX really easy to manoeuvre around town. It also means it's a cinch to position off-road.
You can't hide that the GX is a body-on-frame four-wheel-drive, and there's a firmness to the ride quality on corrugated surfaces that reminds you this is a 'proper' 4WD, rather than an SUV that can turn its hand to some light-duty dirt road work. But, and it's a significant but, this is also the reason the GX is so incredibly capable off-road.
To dismiss this as an inner-city crawler is to shortchange the depth of engineering that has been centred on making the GX as good off-road as it is on. The 22-inch rims resulted in a ride that was undeniably firmer than that felt with the 18s on the Overtrail. However, on roads that mirrored what we experience in Australia, the GX rode comfortably.
The Overtrail model, which will find favour among Aussie buyers, adds an electronic-locking rear diff to the Torsen locking, limited-slip centre diff, as well as 18-inch rims and all-terrain rubber. There's also adaptive variable suspension, and Multi-Terrain Select to ensure you need to be pretty silly to get into trouble off-road.
The GX gets an even smarter electronic version of the Prado's Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) called e-KDSS, and it ensures you have a tyre in contact with the ground more often than not. Switching into and out of low-range or engaging diff locks was snappy and direct.
Articulation is excellent, as are ground clearance and traction. While the course we sampled at launch was crafted specifically, the moguls, lean angles, and climbing gradients were serious enough to indicate that the new GX is as rugged as it is luxurious.
Crawl assist means even a novice off-roader can have a crack with a genuine degree of safety. Depending on the model grade, you'll get up to 3500kg towing capacity as well, which is handy for tourers with vans.
The fact that the 2024 Lexus GX is an impressive 4x4 is hardly surprising. It's based on a four-wheel-drive that has earned legend status, and it's endowed with the signature Lexus attention to detail. It's also hardly surprising that the first batch will leave showrooms almost before they have even entered. The styling, standard inclusions and quality will ensure the GX becomes a popular offering.
I'm more interested in how Aussies use the Lexus GX. Will it be taken off-road? Will it be used for touring? Or, will it live almost entirely in the city? More testing awaits, with the illumination provided by the understanding of Australian pricing. And, that will come closer to launch.
In the meantime, if you like the look of the new GX, I'd advise that you head for your nearest Lexus dealer with a deposit as quickly as you can get there.