Best look yet at Toyota Prado-based luxury SUV as Australia set for long-awaited launch
Lexus has provided a more revealing look at the new-generation 2024 Lexus GX and confirmed it will unwrap the rugged Toyota Prado-based luxury SUV in Austin, Texas, on June 8.
Replacing the current second-generation J150 Lexus GX that has been on sale in markets like North America since 2009, the more luxurious and clearly bolder-looking third-gen SUV is all but confirmed to be built in right-hand drive this time around.
Official confirmation of a 2024 Australian launch is expected soon.
Whereas the first teasers revealed the new GX’s tri-beam split headlight cluster, clamshell bonnet, black spindle grille and pronounced flared front fenders, we’ve now got a clearer look at the rear-end styling which includes a full-width LED light bar adapted from the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series-based Lexus LX.
We also get a look at the tough squared-off wheel-arches and pronounced shoulders of the new GX.
No further details have been released, but the 2024 Lexus GX is expected to sit on a shortened version of the TNGA-F ladder-frame architecture that was introduced on the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.
Engineers are believed to have developed the latest GX to be even more capable off-road while improving its on-road abilities, including enhancing its ride comfort.
Two petrol powertrain options are anticipated: a detuned version of the Lexus LX’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 and a development of the RX’s 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid.
On the diesel side, it’s less clear what the new Lexus GX will offer, with some pundits suggesting a revised version of the Prado’s current 2.8-litre engine or a detuned version of the LandCruiser’s 3.3-litre V6. A new diesel-electric hybrid might also be in contention.
The GX is set to be one of three all-new Lexus models coming to Australia by the end of next year.
The others are the LM people-mover, which is due late in 2023, and the LBX crossover that’s expected during 2024.
Lexus Australia was caught trademarking the ‘Lexus GX550’ nameplate with IP Australia in late 2021, suggesting it had already locked in plans to introduce the third-gen GX Down Under.
The new GX would slot into the local range above the latest RX but below the full-size LX, providing the company with a second three-row SUV for the first time.
Keyword: 2024 Lexus GX locked in for June 8 reveal