While I was attending the Lexus Canada 35th anniversary event in Charlevoix, Quebec, Lexus mentioned that an all-new model will be added to its U.S. and Canadian lineups next month. What could it be? Although we’d all like to see Toyota‘s luxury division finally pull the drape off the much-anticipated LFR supercar, it seems Lexus isn’t ready to reveal its next high-performance project just yet. From a more rational standpoint, all queues actually point to the GX hybrid. Here’s everything we know about it so far.
Review
2024 Lexus GX550 Had Me Searching For Adventure And Thrills
The GX550 may be a posh version of the Toyota Land Cruiser, but it hasn’t lost its ability to convince its owner to disappear into the wilderness.
The GX Hybrid Will Most Likely Not Get The LX700h V-6 Powerplant
With Toyota and Lexus on a mission to basically hybridize all of their vehicles, especially their SUVs, it only makes sense to see the GX also get the gas-electric treatment. Its reveal will also naturally follow along the lines of the recently introduced LX700h, the GX’s bigger brother.
However, unlike the LX700h, which carries over essentially the same V-6 hybrid powerplant as the Toyota Tundra i-Force Max, the GX hybrid will most likely inherit the Toyota Land Cruiser‘s setup instead. If that were the case, then the GX would lose its standard twin-turbocharged V6 in favor of a turbocharged, 2.4-liter four-cylinder hybrid combo. The technical specifications are unclear for the GX hybrid, but in the Land Cruiser, this powerplant pumps out 326 combined horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, and it’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Although Lexus confirmed none of this during the event, some outlets have already speculated on this drivetrain being the chosen one for the upcoming GX hybrid. If this is the case, then it will be the only model in the GX lineup not to be powered by a V-6 engine. The general idea behind this decision would come from the GX being part of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado family of SUVs, while the larger, more powerful LX lives within the “true” Land Cruiser family tree. If you’re confused about what I just wrote, then I strongly recommend you watch Jason Camisa’s excellent video on the matter on the Hagerty YouTube channel.
Why The Lexus GX Hybrid Deserves A V6 Engine
This is going to be mostly based on my own personal opinion and experience from driving both models, but one of the reasons I personally prefer the Lexus GX over the Toyota Land Cruiser is precisely because of its V6 power. Look, the Land Cruiser’s turbocharged hybrid setup is fuel-efficient and obviously kinder to the environment, but it just always feels overworked and annoyingly loud on hard throttle. The hybrid setup also sacrifices some of the Land Cruiser’s cargo space due to the battery.
The GX, however, deals with none of these compromises, looks arguably better, and doesn’t necessarily cost more than a very well-equipped Land Cruiser. So, to cram its hood with a four-cylinder hybrid engine will sort of dilute the reasons folks prefer flocking towards a GX in the first place. But hey, what do I know? I’m still looking forward to what will come out of the upcoming GX hybrid as I still absolutely love the way this thing looks. And I’m sure Lexus will make sure to preserve all of its go-anywhere capabilities. We’ll make sure to report back here once we have more details about Lexus’ mysterious upcoming new model.
