We have a soft spot for the Lexus GX. But the bulky off-roader is one of the most ancient vehicles around; the current generation entered production in 2009. It's (over)due for a significant upgrade. And recent rumors from Japan (first spotted by CarBuzz) offer a better idea of what that will look like.
The Lexus GX is based on the smaller Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. And the Japanese website Best Car Web offers some details about the new Prado — arriving in summer 2023 (which would likely push the GX reveal back until later). Like the LX 600 and the Toyota Tundra, the Lexus GX will move to the new body-on-frame truck version of the TNGA platform. Best Car Web also says the GX will abandon its current V8 for a four-cylinder hybrid engine.
The 2.5-liter hybrid motor from the RAV4 hybrid is put forward as an option. But Best Car Web believes the most likely engine is Toyota's new 2.4-liter hybrid, which provides the upgraded Hybrid Max engine option for the all-new Toyota Crown. That engine pushes out an impressive 340 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque in that application.
Lexus opting for that engine in the GX would make a lot of sense. It offers a substantial performance and efficiency upgrade over the current engine. And it would still keep the GX neatly slotted below the LX 600, which (for now) only packs the non-hybrid version of the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6.
Upgrading the GX should be a massive win for Lexus. The SUV has been selling very well — outsells the LX 10-1 — despite being seriously old and, until very recently, lacking basic tech features like Apple CarPlay. A modern Lexus-badged SUV to occupy that size and price point should be an undoubted hit.
