Lexus is all set to unveil the third-generation GX SUV on June 8. It will continue to sit below the flagship LX and will be a mechanical twin to the next-gen Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUV, which is yet to be revealed.
- All-new GX to replace 12-year-old predecessor
- Will sit on TNGA-F platform
- Could get hybrid powertrain options
Next-gen Lexus GX: What all will be new?
The third-gen GX will be the first all-new Lexus GX SUV since late 2009 and will thus end the second-gen model’s over-12-year life span. The latest teaser shows an upright, boxy-looking SUV, which stays similar to the design ethos of the earlier Lexus GXs and the Toyota Prado. The glasshouse and the upright rear resemble a lot of the Land Cruiser 300.
Unlike the previous GX, the tail-lamps are now placed horizontally with a connected LED strip with prominent Lexus lettering placed in the centre, while the side profile of the new Lexus GX seems to be much flatter with straighter lines than its predecessor. The teaser also shows a much larger wing mirror that looks similar to the Land Cruiser.
As far as platform and features go, the new Lexus GX will continue to have a traditional body-on-frame set-up. It will be loaded with the latest off-road tech – some from the latest LX full-size SUV and the Land Cruiser 300, along with other top-notch luxury features.
The new Lexus GX and the upcoming Prado will sit on the TNGA-F modular Ladder frame architecture that underpins the LX and the Land Cruiser. A derivative of the same TNGA-F platform underpins the recently unveiled Toyota Tacoma pickup and will also form the basis of the next-gen Toyota Hilux and the Fortuner SUV.
Next-gen Lexus GX: hybrid powertrains expected
While there is not much known about what will power the next-gen GX, we expect the new Lexus SUV to get at least two petrol-hybrid powertrain options, which are currently available on the Tacoma. Lexus will most likely offer the same 3.3-litre, V6 diesel as the LX500d and the LC300 in markets where customers still prefer a diesel SUV.
Next-gen Lexus GX to be sold in more markets than before
The previous two generations of the Lexus GX SUV were left-hand-drive only and were sold primarily in the North American and the Middle Eastern markets, with some of these markets not getting the Land Cruiser Prado, on which the GX is based. This, however, will change as the next-gen GX will be built in the right-hand-drive configuration as well, and the model has already been confirmed for launch in markets like Australia and Japan, among others. While it is not confirmed, we expect Lexus to bring the new GX to India as well at some point.
Lexus models are now unveiled before their Toyota siblings
The usual trend where Toyota models make global debuts first followed by their Lexus counterparts now seems to have reversed. The all-new Lexus LM was the first model to be unveiled and its Toyota counterpart, the all-new Vellfire is yet to see the light of day. Similarly, the new GX will be shown to the public before the global debut of the all-new Land Cruiser Prado.
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