AUSTIN, TX – In today’s market, a brand can never have too many SUVs and CUVs. Customers can’t seem to get enough of them and profit margins are healthy, a good thing when automakers are investing large sums to fund the design, development and rollout of of electric vehicles.
For the ’24 model year, Lexus is enhancing its utility-vehicle portfolio on two fronts: the first-ever TX and third-generation GX.
Three TX Powertrains
Based on the same TNGA-K platform and incorporating most of the mechanicals of the newly introduced Toyota Grand Highlander CUV is the first-ever Lexus TX. It takes on greater importance now that the previous-generation Lexus RX-L with its tiny third-row seats has been discontinued.
The new 3-row TX fills in a large white space in the Lexus lineup between the car-based midsize 2-row RX and the existing, truck-based 3-row GX and LX. It will be available in Standard, Premium, Luxury and F Sport Performance trims and three powertrain configurations: TX 350, TX 500h and TX 500h+.
The TX is assembled in Princeton, IN, and will be the first Lexus product built in North America.
Lexus TX.
Available with front- or all-wheel drive, the TX 350 uses a turbocharged 2.4L 4-cyl. similar to the one in the Grand Highlander, tuned to 275 hp and 317 lb.-ft. (430 Nm) of torque and mated to an 8-speed step-shift automatic transmission. The estimated EPA combined city/highway rating is 21 mpg (11.2 L/100km).
Similar to the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max, the Lexus TX 500h also features a 2.4L turbocharged 4-cyl. but teams it with a hybrid electric system for 366 hp and 409 lb.-ft. (555 Nm) of torque. It uses torque-vectoring Direct4 AWD and works through a 6-speed automatic transmission. The manufacturer-estimated combined city/highway EPA rating is 24 mpg (9.8 L/100km).
Arriving later in the model year is the TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid. Equipped with a 3.5L V-6, a continuously variable automatic transmission and Direct4 AWD, it will produce 406 hp, has a 33-mile (53-km) all-electric driving range and a manufacturer-estimated 30-mpg (7.8-L/100 km) combined city/highway rating.
Lexus TX interior.
Much of the focus with the TX revolves around its roomy third-row seating, the best of any Lexus CUV, which will accommodate a pair of full-grown adults plus up to seven airport roller bags in the cargo area aft of the third row, Lexus says. The TX seats a total of seven passengers when equipped with a second-row 60/40 bench seat available in lower trims and six with a pair of captain’s chairs.
First offered in the ’23 Lexus RX and RZ, the new TX 500h features Dynamic Rear Steering. The system provides opposite-phase rear steering at low speeds to enhance maneuverability and tighten the turning radius, and in-phase rear steering at higher speeds to aid stability.
New GX Tough-Looking Outside, Elegant Inside
Echoing fond remembrances of your father’s Land Cruiser, the third-generation Lexus GX wears its family DNA proudly with a squared-off shape and nearly flat glass all around.
Just three inches (76 mm) shorter nose to tail than the flagship LX 600, the new GX bristles with capability and personality. It rides on the same TNGA-F platform as the LX 600, sharing the flagship’s stout body-on-frame underpinnings and advanced features such as optional variable suspension damping. There are six available trims: Premium, Premium+, Luxury, Luxury+, Overtrail and Overtrail+. The Tahara, Japan-built ’24 Lexus GX goes on sale in the first quarter of 2024.
Under the hood of the new GX is a detuned version of the twin-turbo 3.4L V-6 that powers the LX 600. Rated at 349 hp and 479 lb.-ft. (649 Nm) of torque, the new biturbo V-6 replaces last year’s 301-hp 4.6L V-8. It is teamed with a 10-speed automatic transmission and full-time 4WD. The manufacturer’s estimated combined fuel economy rating is 17 mpg (13.8 L/100 km).
Standard is a Torsen limited-slip center differential with a locking feature. Depending on trim, GX towing capacity rises to as much as 8,000 lbs. (3,630 kg), up from 6,500 (2,950 kg) on the previous-generation version.
Lexus says a hybrid powertrain will be available for U.S. GX customers a bit later on.
Lexus GX interior.
There’s a considerable amount of off-pavement capability built into the new GX, but the new Overtrail grades promise even more with standard 33-in. all-terrain tires, a wider stance, black-accented fender flares, an aluminum skid plate and electronic locking rear differential.
Also available on Overtrail models are multi-terrain select, downhill assist control, crawl control, a 3D multi-terrain monitor and a kinetic dynamic suspension system. Striking available 2-tone paint combinations help set the Overland trims apart as well.
Rugged-looking on the outside, the new GX stays true to its luxury roots inside with room for six or seven passengers, standard heated and ventilated front seats, and available heated second-row seats. Seat coverings are semi-aniline leather, NuLuxe faux leather or Ultrasuede and NuLuxe in inviting 2-tone designs.
Although space behind the third row of the new GX appears to once again be on the skimpy side, access to the cargo area is now improved with a conventional rear liftgate replacing the previous GX’s horizontal swing-out lower tailgate. A separate opening swing-up rear window is retained.
Both the new TX and ’24 GX roll out with the latest in Lexus infotainment, safety and advanced driving-assistance technology. Standard in both utility vehicles is the Lexus Interface Multimedia system with a horizontal-format 14-in. (36-cm) infotainment touchscreen as well as Lexus Safety System+ 3.0. The advanced driver-assistance system brings improvements and updates such as intersection support and oncoming vehicle detection for the Pre-Collision system and curve-speed management for the adaptive cruise control.
