2024 Lexus GX 550 Prototype First Drive Review: Off-Road, On Trend

– Shizuoka, Japan

The success of the first-generation Lexus GX shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Back in 2004, well-heeled consumers snatched up every luxury SUV that automakers could produce, even ones with inefficient V8s and an overabundance of seldom-used off-road capability. But that first-gen model became an overnight success for the brand, and Lexus has stayed true to its formula ever since.

Enter the 2024 Lexus GX 550, a refined and modernized take on the outdoorsy luxury SUV. As an owner of the original Lexus off-roader – the LX 450 – I was keen to try out the GX. Almost identically sized to my old 80-Series, the GX is an appealing aspiration for future-Brett. So when the company invited me to Japan to give it a brief shakedown on an off-road track near Mt. Fuji, I leapt at the opportunity. And given the popularity of both the first- and second-gen GXs on the secondhand off-road market, the automaker will lean hard into outdoor adventure as it gears up for the launch of the third generation.

Acing The Pre-Test

Now, as you can see from the photos, these GXs are pre-production prototypes that didn’t even sport matching paintwork, and my driving was limited to two laps of an off-road course built on the outfield at Fuji Motor Speedway. Furthermore, an engineer rode along with me and coached me through the process, instructing me to leave the SUV in low-range four-wheel drive for the duration of the time behind the wheel. But that said, the course did a wonderful job of highlighting the 2024 Lexus GX’s greatest advantage over the US-market 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser with which it shares its 250-Series internal designation.

Exclusive to the Lexus will be the next-generation, electronically controlled version of Toyota’s Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, dubbed E-KDSS. Sensors within the front and rear anti-roll bars can tell when a wheel drops into an obstacle at off-road speeds, selectively disengaging the relevant stabilizer to improve wheel articulation. And unlike the mechanically engaged previous iteration of KDSS, the electronic system can actuate the front and rear sway bars independently, improving individual wheel control without sacrificing roll stability.

Out on the off-road course, where Lexus had set up an alternating set of undulations and dips, the GX 550 prototype displayed excellent articulation, with the body remaining relatively level and even-keeled while the wheels dipped up high or drooped down low. That impressive suspension composure also yields better traction, but the deep ruts still made it possible to suspend the GX diagonally on two wheels.

In that situation, there’s a locking rear differential to help preserve or resume forward momentum, but the Lexus engineer riding shotgun suggested I just keep even pressure on the accelerator to let the traction control do the work for me. Nearly as soon as the GX detected wheel spin, it braked the suspended tire to help send power to the one with traction, trundling the SUV over the obstacle with limited drama.

The GX also includes the latest iteration of parent company Toyota’s Crawl Control low-speed cruise feature. A more sophisticated braking system and wheel speed sensors nearly eliminate the ABS-pulsing noises and clatter of the old GX’s Crawl Control, allowing the driver to select a speed between 1 and 5 kilometers per hour (0.6 and 3 miles per hour), then focus on steering around obstacles while the SUV smoothly handles throttle and brake application over rocks and ruts.

My brief time off-roading the GX had come to an end, and the short experience was the worst kind of tease. My anticipation for the square-jawed, off-road Lexus is greater now than ever before, especially since the cabin and exterior seem very well-finished and attractive, even in pre-production form.

Overtrail Programming

Even before the GX had been revealed back in June, Lexus seemed to have accepted that its owners like outdoor activities and off-roading. The automaker started the so-called Overtrail Project to explore how Lexus vehicles could better fit into outdoorsy lifestyles, resulting in the RX, NX, and RZ Outdoor Concepts with all-terrain tires and camping accessories. The Overtrail Project might also yield Lexus-approved accessories in the future, as the automaker is evaluating things like body armor, off-road driving lights, roof and hitch racks, and camping equipment.

The first consumer product to come from the project, however, will be the GX 550 Overtrail and Overtrail+, with standard A/T rubber, the E-KDSS suspension setup, and a slick terrain-view camera system. And since the automaker will likely only improve things in the transition from the pre-production SUVs I drove to the ones that will show up in dealers, the 2024 GX Overtrail promises great things to outdoorsy Lexus enthusiasts. My short off-road stint didn’t come close to whetting my appetite, and getting behind the wheel again early next year can’t come soon enough.