Lexus GX The Lexus GX is available in two flavours: SE (left) and Overtrail.
Image: Supplied
Like a burly tri-athlete in a tuxedo, the new Lexus GX aims to combine genuine off-road capability with the kind of luxury and sophistication that you'd expect from the Japanese premium brand.
Unashamedly pitched at premium rivals such as the Land Rover Defender, this is the first time that the Lexus GX is ever being offered to South African consumers, although internationally it is now in its third generation.
Just like the larger Lexus LX is based on Toyota's Land Cruiser 300, the GX is a relative of the Prado. Yet after spending two days with the newcomer on a variety of roads and trails in the Eastern Cape, it became clear that this is far more than just a Prado wearing Prada.
While it retains the Prado's basic bodyshell, and 2,850mm wheelbase, the front and rear ends have been completely redesigned, with a somewhat butch interpretation of the luxury brand's usual 'spindle' design theme. With an overall length of 5,015mm, it's a good 90mm longer than its Toyota sibling.
Inside it's anything but a carbon copy, with a fresh cockpit design and materials that are discernibly more upscale. Out on the road, it seemed quieter too.
But perhaps the biggest distinction is beneath the lengthened bonnet, where you'll find Toyota's 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine. Denoted by the GX 550 badge, it's the only powertrain on offer for now, and a brawny one at that, producing 260kW and 650Nm.
Sorry diesel-heads, but there are no plans to offer an oil-burning version of the GX. But if it's any consolation, a hybrid model, featuring a 2.4-litre turbopetrol engine, is currently under investigation for the local market.
The Lexus GX will be offered in two flavours locally, Overtrail and SE, and each has a very distinct personality.
The Overtrail, priced at R1,766,000, has an equipment package geared towards off-roading, while the SE, at R1,829,000, packs more luxury features. And they are easily distinguishable on the outside.
Lexus GX Overtrail (left) or SE (right), which one are you?
Image: Supplied
The Overtrail wears matte grey 18-inch alloy wheels with off-road tyres and also features an aluminium skid plate and additional under-body protection. The SE rolls on 22-inch machined alloys with lower-profile rubber, and while both feature side steps, they're auto-retractable in the case of the SE.
Both versions are built to hit the trails, with a full-time four-wheel drive system featuring as standard, and including a Torsen locking centre differential and electronic transfer case with low range gearing.
The Overtrail ups the off-road ante with an Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, locking rear differential as well as a Multi-Terrain Select system, with selectable modes, and Crawl Control, which serves as a type of off-road cruise control.
A plethora of cameras also shows you what's going on around the vehicle, via the central screen, and including the view in front of the bonnet.
We got to put all of these systems to the test on a semi-challenging off-road trail in the vicinity of Salem in the Eastern Cape - where there are no witch hunts, as far as we know, but you will miss this charming little town if you blink.
The Lexus GX is based on the Toyota Prado, but with numerous design differences.
Image: Supplied
We sampled the Overtrail models on the aforementioned 4x4 course, and we found the steep and rocky sections were easy to navigate thanks to the vehicle's impressive wheel articulation and the Crawl Control system.
Interestingly, the 4x4 instructors led our pack of Overtrail models with an SE version, and as much as we'd be reluctant to take one of these off road, with its glitzy 22-inch rims, owners will no doubt be pleased to know that if they wanted to.. they certainly could.
As we mentioned earlier, this is very much a dual-purpose vehicle and on the tar sections, the GX delivered some surprises too.
Although the boxy shape does lend itself to some wind noise, we were impressed by the overall noise insulation and refined road manners, particularly in the SE version, which felt both comfortable and stable on tar and dirt roads. The Overtrail, with its knobbly tyres, felt a touch jittery by comparison, particularly on the dirt paths.
The GX has a surprisingly sporty side to it too, accentuated in the seemingly uncharacteristic 'Sport +' mode, which liberates maximum engine power and makes the throttle and steering more responsive. Under hard acceleration in this mode, I could have sworn, for a second, that it sounded like a Nissan GT-R!
The twin-boosted V6 also makes overtaking a synch, but the price of this performance without any hybrid assistance - assuming this even matters to prospective owners at the price point - is fuel consumption. Lexus claims a figure of 12.3 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, but our car's readout hovered stubbornly over the 17 l/100km mark throughout the launch drive.
We drove almost 500km over two days, with the route taking us over highways, backroads, gravel paths and off-road trails. At not one point did we feel the Lexus GX was unsuited to any particular terrain. It's a true all-rounder.
The cabin is comfortable and luxurious too.
The interior has a premium feel, befitting the Lexus brand.
Image: Supplied
Both versions are equipped with a 12.3-inch (31.2cm) digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch (35.5cm) central screen, with navigation.
Other standard features include powered front seats, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, heads-up display, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor, lane keeping system and pre-crash system.
The SE gains a 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, panoramic view monitor, digital rear-view mirror, heated steering wheel and Semi-Aniline leather seat upholstery among other additions.
Whereas the Overtrail comes as a five-seater only, the SE brings more for the ride, thanks to a standard seven-seat configuration.
Although commanding roughly R400,000 more than the Toyota Prado, the Lexus GX feels discernably more premium, and with Lexus aiming to sell just 40 units per month, there is an air of exclusivity too.
It is an immensely capable vehicle that excels on almost any terrain, and it's certainly worth a look-in if you're planning on spending almost R200,000 on a luxury 4x4.
GX 550 Overtrail - R1,766,000
GX 550 SE - R1,829,000
IOL
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