Whilst all attention yesterday was centred on a certain national automaker and its staple best-selling nameplate, not forgetting a Chinese upstart with a lifestyle EV off-roader offering, Lexus Malaysia quietly took to its official Facebook page and teased a surprise new model that's set for launch very soon.
Despite the darkened silhouette, it doesn’t take much to figure out that the firm teased the new third-gen Lexus GX three-row luxury SUV in said image. Moreover, the accompanying texts and caption suggests an official launch is happening soon too.
Lexus GX Premium guise pictured above.As a refresher, Toyota’s L-badged luxury sub-brand debuted the third-gen GX back in June 2023. Slotting in between the LX and RX, the GX rides on the same GA-F body-on-frame base as the larger LX model mentioned.
From its global debut, the GX sees either a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol or 2.4-litre 4-cyl turbo petrol hybrid powertrain choices available. The former puts out 415 PS and 650 Nm whilst the latter – shared with the Toyota Tacoma – has 326 hp and 630 Nm instead.
We’ll add that said petrol-electric hybrid choice pairs both an e-motor and compact 1.97 kWh NiMH battery pack that brings a 48 hp boost into the mix.
In terms of powertrain, both a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol and 2.4-litre 4-cyl turbo hybrid petrol choices are available. It's unclear still if Lexus Malaysia will offer both or just either one locally.In its latest third-gen form, the Lexus GX also brings a more rugged ‘Overtrail’ guise that primes it with all-terrain tyres plus an E-KDSS suite – Electronic Kinetic Dynmaic Suspension System – derived from the latest Land Cruiser 300.
E-KDSS is essentially a trick active suspension suite that works by locking or releasing the front and rear anti-roll bars independently to enable further wheel articulation – perfect for when drivers tackle difficult off-road terrains.
The GX typically brings a luxurious cabin affair all Lexus models are renowned for, and it ups the ante further with three-rows of seats too.Despite it’s luxury-oriented build, the Lexus GX is still an off-road capable SUV also thanks to its 26-degree approach, 23-degree departure, and 23-degree breakover angles brimmed into its design and dimensions.
Certainly, once launched by Lexus Malaysia, the GX will serve as the ‘flagship’ of sorts for the firm’s local SUV line-up, which currently includes the LBX, NX, RX and all-electric RZ.
