With everything going on at BMW recently in terms of
gargantuan grilles, people have forgotten that Lexus has done something similar
to the GX ever since the second-gen was updated in 2014. Now, for the 2020 model year the grille has carried over, albeit with an updated
pattern that makes it look humongous. Flanking it are the new triple-beam LED
headlights, standard across the range.
Toyota’s luxury car brand will be offering customers
of the revised GX an optional Sport Design Package. Available for the Premium
and Luxury trim levels, it adds an exclusive lower grille surround, side mirror
casings, rear diffuser, matte black exhaust tip and scarlet taillights. All of
these, including the 19-inch alloy wheels, sport a gunmetal metallic finish.
This option also swaps the second-row seats for captain’s chairs.
Another novelty is the introduction of the Off-Road
Package. Limited to the Luxury grade, it adds several cameras, Multi-Terrain
Select, Crawl Control, transmission cooler and protection for the fuel tank.
All of these enhance the SUVs driving abilities on arduous terrains, with the
aid of a 4.6-liter V8 that carries over with 301 hp and 446 Nm of torque, linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. There’s
also a Torsen limited-slip differential, two-speed transfer case and four-wheel
drive. As for the towing capacity, that would be 2,948 kg.
The Lexus Safety System+ is now standard across the
2020 GX lineup. The bundle of safety items includes Intelligent High Beams,
Lane Departure Alert, Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection and
High-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. Aside from the addition of the
new Rioja Red leather with black headliner option (joining the Black, Sepia and
Ecru), the interior has remained the same.
Full pricing details and availability will be
announced in due course. Meanwhile, the outgoing Lexus GX 460 starts at US$ 52,505
and is available in three grades called 460, 460 Premium and 460 Luxury.
