Lexus GX 2024 Review – International

Three versions of the 2024 Lexus GX 550 have been confirmed for Australian release in mid-2024 – Luxury, Sports Luxury and the offroad-focused Overtrail we’re focusing on here.

Pricing is expected to start above Toyota’s new 250 Series Prado and the existing 300 Series LandCruiser (from $94,301), but well under the larger LX (from $157,061) at around $110,000.

Lexus nominates the Land Rover Defender 110 (from $91,270) as the GX’s most direct competitor and is forecasting a sales split of 45 per cent for the entry-level Luxury grade, 20 per cent for the mid-range Overtrail and 35 per cent for the flagship Sports Luxury in the first 12 months.

But with only 1250 examples coming to Australia in the same period and an unprecedented 1000-plus expressions of interest already received, the GX is almost certain to be a sell-out success even before it arrives Down Under.

Sadly, the hard-core Overtrail is strictly a five-seater in all markets, but the 2024 Lexus GX 550 Luxury and Sports Luxury both come with seven seats as standard, and all variants except the top-shelf Sports Luxury (3130kg) will offer a class-leading 3500kg braked towing capacity (700kg unbraked).

Standard equipment for the Lexus GX 550 Luxury in Australia will include 20-inch alloy wheels including a full-size spare, integrated trailer wiring harness, tow hitch receiver and trailer brake controller, plus a powered tailgate with flip-up rear glass window, auto-levelling LED headlights, rear privacy glass, rear spoiler and flush roof rails.

Inside, there’s a pair of push-button folding third-row seats, black or dark grey leather-accented upholstery, three-zone automatic climate control and heated/ventilated and eight-way power-adjustable front seats.

The range-topping Sports Luxury also comes with seven seats but adds 22-inch alloys, adaptive high-beam headlights, auto-extending side steps, a fixed panoramic roof, higher-grade semi-aniline leather-accented trim, unique dashboard finish, massaging front seats and a heated steering wheel (and more listed in the Technology section below).

In between the Luxury and Sports Luxury is the adventure-focused Overtrail, bringing mechanical upgrades including a locking rear diff, black 18-inch alloy wheels with 33-inch (830mm, 265/70R18) Toyo all-terrain tyres, electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (eKDSS), Adaptive Variable Suspension damping, Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) off-road traction control, Multi-Terrain Monitor, Crawl Control with turn assist and downhill assist control, plus a larger alternator to run ancillaries.

Aesthetically, the Overtrail also adds unique bumpers, extended wheel-arch mouldings, bridge-type roof rails, black exterior trim elements, the option of four two-tone paint colours with a black roof, Olive Green Ultrasuede accents and stitching on the front seats, plus other unique interior highlights, stiffer seat bases with softer side bolsters, a cool box and smart key card.

Lexus Australia is promising a full range of genuine accessories from launch (but is yet to provide further details) and, like all new Lexus vehicles, the new GX will be backed by the premium Japanese brand’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and Lexus Encore aftersales program benefits including capped-price servicing (details also TBC).

All 2024 Lexus GX 550 variants will come standard with Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, the third-generation driver-assistance suite that debuted on the latest NX mid-size SUV in 2022 and is now fitted to the RX and RZ – but not the Lexus LX, which makes do with LSS+ 2.5.

Highlights include nine airbags, tyre pressure monitoring and a panoramic view monitor, but thanks to the addition of front lateral side radar to pre-existing monocular camera and forward millimetre-wave radar, the LSS+ 3.0 package includes not only road sign assist (RSA), automatic high beam (AHB) and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with day/night pedestrian detection, but also day/night bicycle detection, daytime motorcycle detection, intersection turning assist (vehicle/pedestrian/bicycle), emergency steering assist and low-speed acceleration suppression.

All grades also score dynamic radar cruise control (DRCC), lane departure alert (LDA), lane tracing alert (LTA), lane change assist (LCA), adaptive high beam system (AHS), emergency driving stop system (EDSS), proactive driving assist (PDA), blind spot monitoring, parking assist with automatic braking, speed limiter, driver monitor and rear AEB.

Premium variants in the US are also optionally available with parking support brake (PKSB), which includes rear cross-traffic alert (RCTB) and rear pedestrian detection thanks to laterally focused radar sensors in the rear bumper.

The Lexus GX is yet to undergo independent safety testing in the US or Japan.

All comprehensive multimedia array will be standard in all versions of the 2024 Lexus GX 550, including a 14-inch infotainment touch-screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10-speaker audio, colour head-up display, wireless phone charger, 220V/400W rear power outlet and five USB-C ports.

In addition, flagship Sports Luxury grades bring a digital rear-view mirror, multi-colour ambient interior illumination, refrigerated centre storage unit and 21-speaker, 1800W Mark Levinson surround sound system.

Unlike the LX, LandCruiser and upcoming Prado, the 2024 Lexus GX won’t be available with diesel power but will eventually be offered with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid system – which could become the model’s sole powertrain option from 2030 when Lexus goes all-hybrid.

For now, all GX 550s will come with a detuned version of the LX’s (305kW) twin-turbo 3.4-litre petrol V6, in this case making 260kW of power over 4800-5200rpm, and 650Nm of torque from 2000-3600rpm.

As per all four of the Toyota Motor Corporation’s GA-F ladder-frame-based large SUVs (Lexus GX and LX, Toyota LandCruiser 250 and 300 Series), all GX models come standard with a 10-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels though a full-time 4WD system with low-range gearing via two-speed transfer case, plus a Torsen limited-slip centre differential.

In the US, the 2024 Lexus GX 550 has combined fuel consumption of 13.5L/100km and we averaged less than a litre more than that on a mix of backroad and off-road driving at the US launch in Arizona.

That’s not too bad for a lusty petrol-powered 2.5-tonne off-road rig, but daily use will likely result in much higher numbers and the GX 550’s thirst for premium unleaded could result in bill shock at the bowser.

And with an 80-litre petrol tank, fuel range will be well under 600km – and much less in the Outback, so the GX 550 won’t cross the Simpson on a single tank like the Prado can, unless the aftermarket comes up with a side-hinged spare wheel carrier for the tailgate to make way for a sub-tank underneath.

On the road, there’s no mistaking the 2024 Lexus GX 550 for anything other than a large body-on-frame SUV and that’s no surprise since it shares its GA-F platform with the LX, LC300 and, soon, the new Prado.

So there is some pitching over lateral road joins, some jiggling over mid-corner bumps and some wind-up from the full-time 4x4 drivetrain during tight low-speed manoeuvres – all of which you’ll notice if you’re coming from the car-based RX.

For a big go-anywhere rig, however, the GX sits fairly flat in corners even when pushed, steers with accuracy and without interference on almost any surface, and delivers an impeccable level of ride comfort on smooth roads – certainly as good as the LX/LC300 and the outgoing Prado, which is known for its ride quality.

Combined with its spacious and highly refined cabin, the GX is a cosseting place to be – whether on the open road or off the beaten track – and its long-stroke V6 offers plenty of torque right from idle, and spirited acceleration once the power curve takes over between 4000 and 6000rpm, accompanied by a pretty satisfying engine note.

All GXs come with generous, comfortable seats and offer multiple drive modes – including a Sport setting that sharpens throttle and steering response – but in the Overtrail it also firms up the ride and the front seats offer extra lateral support.

In a word: impressive. With the exact same ladder frame, wheelbase and suspension architecture (all-coil with a live rear axle) as the LC300 and LX – excluding the latter’s active height control – the 2024 Lexus GX 550 will go anywhere its well-proven sister models can, at least in Overtrail trim.

With its rear diff locked and its automatic e-KDSS swaybar-disconnect system working overtime at both ends (the new Prado will come with only a manual KDSS system up front), the Overtrail we drove navigated a reasonably hard-core off-road course with ease, including some serious moguls, a 30-degree side slope and a loose 40-degree hillclimb from a standing start.

Combined with its variable damping, multi-mode crawl control and off-road traction control systems – and the Multi-Terrain Monitor’s ability to show you exactly what the front wheels are doing at all times – the Overtrail’s level of mechanical traction on loose surfaces should indeed be class-leading.

Wheel travel and articulation is also top-notch, increasing by 24mm to 559mm without e-KDSS compared to the old KDSS-equipped GX 460 (not sold in Australia), and by 68mm to 621mm with e-KDSS – about two feet of wheel travel.

While the bold new exterior of the 2024 Lexus GX 550 breaks new ground for Lexus and its interior mimics some of that blockiness, the overall cabin theme here is more horizontal, more traditional and a lot like that in the LX.

High-quality materials, faultless fit and finish and a high-tech automatic noise cancellation system result in Lexus-like interior refinement and ambience levels, and one of the quietest cabins in its class – as you’d expect from a $100K-plus Lexus made exclusively at the brand’s Tahara plant in Japan.

The Overtrail lacks the Luxury and Sports Luxury’s seven-seat layout – including their one-touch twin rear seats that fold almost flat into the cargo floor at the push of a button – which is shame for off-road enthusiasts with big families who use their GX as a daily driver.

That said, nobody heads to the Outback with seven people on board and there’s only a token 171 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats when they’re in use.

Absolutely, if you’re at the back of a two-year waitlist for the new Lexus LX 600, don’t care about equipment like automatic height control or a 25-speaker stereo, and wouldn’t mind saving yourself tens of thousands of dollars.

On the other hand, for not much more than the V6 diesel-only LandCruiser 300, with the 2024 Lexus GX 550 you’ll get more luxury, technology and performance, wrapped in an interesting new design and backed by Lexus Encore.

And if you’re holding out for the new (but still 2.8-litre) Prado later this year, for a little bit more again the GX will give you Lexus-like levels of power, equipment, refinement and aftersales treatment.

Indeed, while the homegrown Ford Everest will likely remain the fiercest rival for its title of Australia’s favourite large SUV, the first new Prado in 15 years could face stiff competition from its all-new Lexus GX sister model.

Either way, unless you’re already in the queue, you’re likely to wait a long time to receive any of the four formidable full-size off-road SUVs soon to be offered by the world’s biggest car-maker.

2024 Lexus GX 550 at a glance:
Price: From $110,000 est (plus on-road costs)
Available: Mid-2024
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol
Output: 260kW/650Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 13.5L/100km (US claimed)
CO2: To be confirmed
Safety rating: Not tested