It's not a Lego model, but Lexus has gone in an extreme cube direction here (Photo: manufacturer's website)
After a very long tenure, dating back to 2009 and a reputation that places it in the pantheon of SUVs alongside names like the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G Class, the Toyota Land Cruiser is about to give way to a new generation.
We get the trailer for it from the luxury division Lexus, which presented its counterpart, the GX. And while in many cases, relying on Toyota's assemblies doesn't really do its products any favors (see UX and ES value), in the case of SUVs, it only earns points that its competitors in the luxury group don't have – with the possible exception of Land Rover and Mercedes with the very expensive G Class.
The base, which it shares with the Lexus LX, uses the new TNGA-F platform, which, despite retaining the characteristics of an SUV with a ladder chassis and live axle at the rear, should ensure a noticeable improvement in road handling. Some of it will come from a new calibration for the front suspension and an electric steering wheel boost.
Still with a ladder chassis and a live axle at the rear (Photo: manufacturer's website)
The GX is larger than the outgoing generation with 4.95 meters in length, 1.98 meters in width and only the lower height figure - 1.86 meters. The wheelbase is long and reaches 2.85 meters.
There is no reference to a short version of the model at this time. This may be due to the fact that Lexus hasn't offered the 3-door configuration before, but it certainly raises questions about what this means for the Land Cruiser in this aspect. Will we see an abandonment of the shorter, cheaper configuration in the next generation? Either way, those who have benefited from this growth in dimensions are the second and third row occupants as well as the volume of the trunk.
By the way, despite the growth in dimensions, the angles of access and abandonment were not affected. The first has been slightly improved and now stands at 26 degrees and the second remains unchanged - 23 degrees.
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Its growth will benefit the third row occupants and the volume of cargo (Photo: manufacturer's website)
Powertrain in the first stage is powered by a 6.3-litre turbocharged V4 petrol engine with 349 hp. And although it misses two cylinders compared to the outgoing generation V8, the turbocharger bumps it from 301 horses to current power. The gearbox is a planetary automatic with 10 ratios compared to 6 in the past and the drive is a fixed dual, of course with a low transfer ratio and a lockable central differential.
Also in the current generation, a combat off-road version called Overtrail with original protection, metal stairs and a catalog of options that includes an equipment awning. It also has 33-inch off-road profile (AT) tires, active stabilizer rods that allow them to be extended at slow crawling speed and hardened to stabilize the body at high speed, and rear differential locking.
Let's hope some of this trickles down to Land Cruiser as well (Photo: manufacturer's website)
But if the exterior has made a makeover in its appearance, what shall we say about the cabin. This is already a significant leap forward with a head-up display, a 14-inch multimedia screen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a Lexus that has improved a lot in its latest models, especially since the NX, seems to have maintained a good balance between control from the screens and physical switches and dials.
The list of safety systems has also moved significantly away from the Land Cruiser's very short. It's called the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 and features pedestrian detection, automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure correction, road sign reading, emergency maneuver assistance and more.
The GX will be assembled at Toyota's flagship factory in Tahara, Japan, alongside some Lexus and Toyota models, and will begin marketing in early 2024. According to the importer of Lexus to Israel, it is currently unknown whether the model will reach Israel. We think the fact that it wasn't "no" is optimistic enough for us. The Land Cruiser itself is expected to be unveiled in the coming months, in the hope that we will see it in Israel as early as 2024.
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- Toyota
- Lexus
- Land Cruiser
- SUV
