Just as the Toyota 4Runner has been around for ages with nary a change, so to has the Lexus GX. But it seems to finally be getting a new generation. And we’re not being facetious about a redesign. The current generation has been around since the 2010 model year. That’s nearly 15 years without major changes.
The teasers naturally don’t reveal a whole lot. But we do get a solid peak at the front. The hood has fat, chiseled bulges on each side. It wraps over the edges and covers the tops of the fenders. It really gives an air of chunky ruggedness, almost like a tank. The headlights have a more horizontal orientation now, too. It all looks similar to the new LX, but a bit more aggressive.
The rear shot gives away much less. It’s a close-up of the new Lexus word mark atop a full-width taillight, which is a departure from the simple, separate vertical lights on the current model. There’s a little tab on the rear window that suggests it will still be possible to open it separately from the tailgate. It’s unclear whether the tailgate will still open from the side, or if it will adopt a top-hinged hatch. That side-hinged tailgate was a leftover from the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, the GX’s twin. That design allowed for mounting a spare tire to the outside, though the GX hasn’t had one in some time.
We expect the GX will continue to be closely related to the Land Cruiser Prado, just like how the LX is a twin with the regular Land Cruiser. That would mean that it would continue to be a body-on-frame design with a more conventional four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case. Odds are, a new Prado is around the corner, as well as a new 4Runner, since the 4Runner has been based on the Prado platform, albeit with a bit more modification in overall design.
The new GX probably won’t be available with a V8, though. While the old 4.6-liter unit wasn’t especially powerful or efficient, it was a smooth and charismatic engine that we’ll be sad to see go. We would expect some kind of V6 instead, likely turbocharged, to take its place. Hybridization is possible, too.
Toyota gave no date for the GX reveal, but we’re sure it will be shown in the next few months. It will probably go on sale near the end of this year or early next year.
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