2024 Lexus GX SUV

　　2024 Lexus GX Review

　　byRex Tokeshi-TorresAssociate Manager, Vehicle Testing and Operations

　　Rex Tokeshi-Torres has worked in the automotive industry for over 17 years. Rex is a vehicle testing technician and photographer at zzdcar and is responsible for coordinating vehicle testing and logistics, organizing data, and capturing photos for the site and social media. He has written over 100 vehicle-related articles and has rated, tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. He has also contributed content to Autobytel, Autotrader, Automobile, the Associated Press and DSport along with various motorsport teams. His affinity with cars started because of Hot Wheels and his love of modifying cars. He occasionally drives Subarus.

　　6/08/2023

　　What is the GX?

　　In a sea of car-based crossovers, the Lexus GX is one of the few remaining truck-based luxury SUVs, attempting to combine modern expectations for comfort with old-school off-road performance. The current generation has lasted for what seems like eons, with only a handful of updates to differentiate today's GX from the one that debuted in 2010.

　　But things are about to change for the midsize bruiser. The new 2024 Lexus GX finally gets a modern powertrain, an updated safety tech suite, a refined interior with a more cohesive design, and an aggressive, boxy exterior that cribs a bit from the Land Rover playbook.

　　While Lexus has finally moved the GX into the modern era, it did not forgo the SUV's rugged roots. It rides on the same GA-F platform as the larger and more expensive LX 600 — which features a traditional ladder frame — and comes standard with four-wheel drive. There's even a new Overtrail trim that leans into the GX's off-road prowess, adding useful items like 33-inch all-terrain tires wrapped around 18-inch wheels, an electronic locking rear differential for better traction, and an aluminum skid plate. It's visually distinguished from other GX models with black protective exterior fender cladding and an available two-tone exterior paint scheme.

　　What's under the GX's hood?

　　The 2024 Lexus GX will launch with one powertrain: a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 paired to a 10-speed automatic. It produces a stout 349 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque — a major upgrade from the current model's modest 301 horsepower and 329 lb-ft of torque. It also makes the new GX more competitive with the 355-horsepower turbocharged inline-six engine found in higher trims of the Land Rover Discovery. This powertrain offers a towing capacity of 8,000 pounds, which is less than the Discovery's max but much more than rivals like the BMW X5 or Genesis GV80.

　　Looking into the future, Lexus says that a hybrid powertrain will be available in the USA at a later time. Our gut tells us that it will likely be one to two years down the road and is likely to be similar to the 437-hp hybrid unit in the related Toyota Tundra and Sequoia.

　　Even though the new GX downsizes from a V8 to a V6, fuel economy isn't expected to be significantly better. The outgoing GX gets 16 mpg in the EPA's combined cycle, and Toyota estimates the new one will earn a 17 mpg rating. Suffice to say, that hybrid can't come soon enough.

　　We can't talk powertrains without all the Lexus acronyms like Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) — which helps you choose an ideal terrain focus for the vehicle — Downhill Assist Control (DAC) to help with descending a steep hill and the Electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS), which helps improve wheel articulation. These are available alongside Crawl Control (a kind of off-road cruise control) and the 3D Multi-Terrain Monitor, which gives you different viewpoints around the vehicle. The full-time 4WD system also comes with a Torsen limited-slip center differential with a locking feature to assist in varying terrain.

　　How's the GX's interior?

　　The 2024 GX's interior offers a more refined and cohesive design than the outgoing generation. The infotainment screen no longer seems like a tablet attached to the center stack, and there's a nice flow from the instrument panel to the touchscreen. Seating for seven across three rows continues to be the standard, though second-row captain's chairs are available for increased second-row comfort (if you're OK with reducing capacity to six).

　　There's plenty of headroom and legroom for most occupants except in the middle of the second row, where the passenger will have to straddle what seems to be an extension of the center console. The front seats are quite comfortable and have ample cushioning for the thigh and side bolsters. However, the rear seats lack much lateral support, so people in the back might slide side to side a bit on bumpy off-road trails. Cushioning isn't bad, but it's nowhere as nice as the front seats. The trim we saw in person at the Lexus reveal was an Overtrail trim that lacked a third row, so we can't give our impressions of rear seat room just yet.

　　How's the GX's tech?

　　Lexus' touchscreen system has vastly improved in recent years, but the GX is poised to deliver a major upgrade in functionality. The user interface loaded into the 14-inch touchscreen is similar to the ones in recent Toyota and Lexus products, and we find it intuitive and fairly user-friendly. The GX even supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — a coup for a vehicle that didn't offer these applications at all just a few years ago. Also new for this year is an optional head-up display, which is useful for keeping pertinent information in your direct line of sight while you concentrate on navigating around pesky boulders.

　　To top it all off, Lexus offers an impressive array of electronic driver assist systems to help you on the move. Standard on every GX is the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, which includes adaptive cruise control, precollision safety systems, and lane keeping and lane departure systems with steering assistance, just to name a few. These driver aids could help reduce stress and fatigue on long commutes or road trips.

　　What are the GX's trim levels?

　　The 2024 GX is available in six trims. The Premium is the introductory trim, with feature highlights that include heated and ventilated front seats, a 10-speaker audio system, and the aforementioned wireless smartphone connectivity and driver aids. The Premium+ grade adds more features, and from there, you can go the off-road route with the Overtrail and Overtrail+ or fully loaded with the Luxury and Luxury+. We're not exactly sure which trims offer which features, but we do know that heated second-row seats, a power-folding third row, and a 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system are all on the options menu.

　　zzdcar says

　　Functionally, the 2024 Lexus GX is aimed at foiling the Land Rover Discovery's off-road performance. But if you're one to stick more to the pavement, you might be better served by the Audi Q7 or Acura MDX — car-based crossovers that offer less rock-crawling ability but might be more cushy on the road. We'll wait to reserve our final judgment until we can get behind the wheel of the new GX for ourselves.