Lexus has made its GX 550 luxury off-road SUV available in SA for the first time. The vehicle has sold over 500,000 units globally since its 2002 launch, and the third-generation model is based on the latest Toyota Prado but with a more muscular powertrain, different styling and a steep price premium.
Counting the Land Rover Defender, Mercedes GLE and BMW X5 as rivals, the Lexus GX 550 is a premium SUV with genuine off-road ability.
It is launched locally as a luxury seven-seat SE version priced at R1,829,000 and an off-road-focused Overtrail five-seater for R1,766,000. To boost its terrain-tackling ability, the latter is equipped with crawl control, a multi-terrain monitor, bash plates, a rear diff lock, Multi Terrain Select and chunky gravel tyres. The Overtrail also features a new E-KDSS electronic system to improve off-road traction, and reinforced under protector.
Both variants have a full-time four-wheel drive system complete with a Torsen locking centre differential and an electronic transfer case with low range.
Later this year the Overtrail will be offered with a locally developed off-road package.
Boasting strikingly squared styling, the Lexus GX shares its body-on-frame design with the Prado but wields considerably more power and has a higher ground clearance of 220mm. Where the Prado is moved along by a 2.8l turbo diesel four cylinder engine with outputs of 150kW and 500Nm, its Lexus counterpart gets a 3.5l V6 turbo petrol with 260kW and 650Nm behind its distinctive spindle grille. Both Lexus variants feed their power via 10-speed automatic transmissions and ride on adaptive variable suspension.
The adventure-focused Overtrail is identified by an exclusive front bumper and grille, and high-profile 18-inch off-road tyres on black rims. The SE model wears lower-profile 22-inch road-based tyres and has automatically retractable side steps.
Both models brim with luxury features inside a spacious, deluxe cabin with elegant finishes.
The Overtrail has a 10-speaker Lexus audio system, synthetic leather upholstery, electrically adjustable front seats, a moonroof and a powered tailgate.
The SE ups the luxury ante with a 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, semi aniline seat covers, seat massagers for the driver and front passenger, a powered tailgate with a kick sensor, and a fixed panoramic sunroof. It has a third row of two extra seats that fold up and down electrically at the touch of a button.
Driver-assist features include active cruise control and a lane-keeping aid — if the latter becomes an annoyance, as these systems can often be, it can be disabled by default when the car is started.
Unlike many modern cars, the Lexus GX doesn’t overkill on interior digitisation. Its infotainment functions and driver-assist features are controlled by an infotainment touchscreen that is complemented by quick-access physical buttons to help minimise driver distraction.
I drove the car at its media launch in the Eastern Cape earlier this week on a route comprising tar, gravel and off-road, which Lexus selected to demonstrate the GX’s broad range of abilities.
The big SUV is a brute in a silken glove that blends eager performance with great refinement. Pressing the throttle unleashes oodles of power from the turbo V6, which sounds an entertainingly racy note when the Sport and Sport+ driving modes are selected.
The GX is an inveterate fuel guzzler, with the test vehicle averaging about 15l/ 100km.
At more than 5m long and weighing 2.5 tonnes, the large Lexus feels wallowy in tight corners as might be expected, but its ability to cover all sorts of surfaces in comfort is where its real talent lies. The ride quality is exceptional, especially the way the suspension floats over rutted gravel.
The route included a drive on a rugged, off-road course in the Overtrail. On steep, rocky gradients we tested the Crawl function in low range, which automatically modulates the throttle and brakes on difficult terrain at low speeds.
The Electro-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension system (E-KDSS) can disconnect the front and rear sway bars to provide more axle articulation. Respectable entry and departure angles keep the undersides from being scratched and the Multi-Terrain Select has six modes: Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud, Deep Snow and Rock.
The Overtrail breezed through the course, and manhandling it in tight sections was helped by a multi terrain monitor that shows hidden obstacles on the infotainment screen.
Pricing
Lexus GX 550 Overtrail 3.5T: R1,766,000
Lexus GX 550 Overtrail 3.5T Bi-Tone: R1,776,200
Lexus GX 550 SE 3.5T: R1,829,000
Prices include a seven-year/100,000km warranty and maintenance plan.
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