- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr He Ar
Lexus GX. Glamorous ‘Prado’
The Lexus GX is a mid-size luxury SUV manufactured by Lexus (Japan) since 2002. The ‘GX’ letters stand for Grand Crossover. This third SUV in the brand’s range is the luxury version of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The Lexus GX is not available in Israel, while other markets offer its second generation after the 2019 restyling. However, our market can offer the Toyota Land Cruiser (alias the Prado). So let’s figure it out what their connection is.
Which came first?
Born in 1951, the Toyota Land Cruiser has become a socio-cultural, economic and artistic phenomenon. This is what happens when a vehicle is so great that it becomes extremely popular for its indisputable and infinite merits. The creator can now relax, rest on the laurels and release new models under the legendary name, completely different from the original. All car manufacturers do this, because their main goal is not to satisfy fan requests and not to comply with the soul aspirations, but to gain profits by pressing on the strings of our souls. But there are, and quite a few, examples of how the production of a successful model is simply terminated without turning a fighting dog into a weak decorative dog (Mitsubishi Pajero, for example). You may wonder what the Lexus GX has to do with it. But, not knowing what the Land Cruiser is, you will not understand what the Prado is, and without this there is no point in talking about the Lexus.
After World War II, Japan played the role of a supply base for the United States. America was at war with Korea (1950-53), which affected the industry of the Land of the Rising Sun. Nietzsche’s aphorism, “What doesn”t kill you, makes you stronger’, can apply to Japan’s state in those hungry years. In the most difficult time, a strong and well-behaved off-road vehicle named Land Cruiser was born. To be born and survive requires an amazing margin of safety and ingenious design. This fully applied to the Land Cruisers during the first 50 years of their release.
The Lexus GX is a luxury version of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Life became more comfortable with time. Starting with the Land Cruiser 200, the indestructible Land Cruiser turned into a luxury vehicle stuffed with electronics not designed for puddles and dust. Just look at its huge swollen body and modified large headlights and you will see that this ‘bulky fellow’ will not squeeze through the forest along a goat path. As a result, the main target audience, including hunters, fishermen and wildlife lovers, turned away from the clumsy vehicle. The Land Cruiser has moved to a new niche, being too expensive to handle off-road and too technically sophisticated to fix it in a remote village. It looks like a former athlete who went into business: rich, overweight, although its former strength still shows through the layer of well-fed life: after all, the frame structure and the rear axle have been preserved.
Simultaneously with the Land Cruiser in 1989, Toyota launched the Prado, a kind of ‘Cruiser Light’, designed for normal use, but capable of conquering difficult off-road conditions. This particular vehicle is sold in Israel as the Land Cruiser. This model served as the basis for the Lexus GX, which we will finally start reviewing below. So, let’s switch from the over-grown full-size Land Cruiser to the more graceful Prado in a luxury Lexus version.
The first generation
It was produced from 2002 to 2009. Attractive and graceful, the first Lexus GX SUV is based on the third-generation Land Cruiser Prado, which debuted in 1997. Therefore, the first Lexus GX is a classic Japanese vehicle with the square body, inherited from the ancestors, influenced by waves of progress and ‘biodesign’ of the 1990s. As a result, the vehicle looks elegant and cute, reminiscent of a boxer in a good suit who came to the photo shoot and stood between the older LX470 and the younger RX350.
The vehicle was equipped with a 4.7-liter V8 engine (a fairly simple 2UZ-FE). The engine offered an output of 235 hp and a torque of 434 Nm. In 2005, the engine received the VVTi system, and the output grew to 270 hp. The engine was coupled with a 5-speed automatic hydromechanical transmission with electronic control. The vehicle was made with love at the Tahara plant in Japan, from where it was sent to the North American market. The luxuriously finished interior comfortably accommodated up to eight passengers, who could easily go to the mountains or the forest: the vehicle was not only four-wheel drive, but also had a lockable center differential and a low range. And smart engineers tuned the chassis of the SUV in order to ensure comfortable everyday driving.
The ‘GX’ letters stand for Grand Crossover.
It’s actually quite challenging to get excellent traveling comfort from a body-on-frame vehicle with a continuous rear axle. For the sake of comfort, the Lexus GX has a double wishbone independent front suspension. It also received air suspension, shock absorbers with variable stiffness, and the optional Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) that could automatically adjust the stiffness of the front and rear anti-roll bars, adapting the suspension travel to specific road conditions, both on the highway and off-road. And since this is a Lexus, it got an impressive list of equipment: 8 airbags, dynamic stability control and traction control systems, as well as hill start assist and hill descent control, tire pressure monitoring, a rear view camera and other useful (probably) things. The vehicle was highly reliable.
The second generation
It has been produced from 2009 to the present, and was restyled several times. The second Lexus GX has retained its Asian image and is similar to its predecessor: a good product does not have to adapt to the consumer, it can actually change tastes. The new GX 460 index stands for a 4.6-liter V8 petrol engine. The new 1UR-FE model was equipped with Dual VVT-i (dual variable valve timing), ACIS (Acoustic Control Induction System), EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) systems and, depending on the market, could offer an output of 296-301 hp at 5,500 rpm and a torque of 446 Nm at 3,500 rpm. The engine was paired with a redesigned 6-speed automatic transmission with electronic control. Weighing 2.4 tons, the vehicle could reach 100 km/h in just 8.2 km/h seconds.
With a third row of seats, the GX460 could sit 8 people. The second row of seats could be moved by shifting it back and forth. Plus, it was easy to change the trunk size, and the third row could be folded into the floor using an electric drive, forming a flat platform. Another interesting feature was the rear window that could be opened separately from the tailgate. The vehicle was well-elaborated and chic. It even had three-zone climate control, and the first and second row of seats were heated (front seats were ventilated). The entry-level vehicle features a rear-view camera, a sound system with nine speakers, etc.
2013 restyling
In 2013, the vehicle underwent restyling. The restyled model started looking more attractive and acquired more equipment. Following the existing trends, Lexus introduced new LED dipped headlights and a new media system. The SUV could be equipped with an adaptive chassis with an automatic rear suspension leveling function, auto-dimming side mirrors, a heated steering wheel and many other cool options.
2019 restyling
The second restyling was also needed. After all, the original Prado continues already has the fourth generation, and it is very necessary to correspond to the trends of the world and the brand itself. The exterior of the 2019/2020 Lexus GX460 has been updated. The vehicle features the new radiator grille that looks more pretentious and fully LED optics (versus the previous halogen high beam).
The new Lexus GX features a new steering wheel and four USB ports. There are new trim options. Moreover, the GX460 offers a modern version of the Lexus Safety System+. It includes an accident prevention system with a pedestrian recognition function, lane control, automatic headlight switching, adaptive cruise control, etc. There is also an off-road assistance system (Multi Terrain Monitor). However, the powertrains are the same.
