Lexus debuts new TX and redesigned GX SUVs in Texas

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the redesigned Lexus GX, the mid-sized SUV popular with off-roaders, and the new three-row TX built specifically for the North American market. Lexus showed off both models at an event in Austin, a hotbed for luxury SUVs and not far from Toyota’s North American headquarters in Plano.

Both vehicles carry over the “spindle body” design language Lexus previewed over the past few years with its concepts, including the LF-30 and LF-Z, but each has its own distinct style and customer base.

A staple with outdoor enthusiasts since 2002, the boxy Lexus GX shares the same platform as the current LX 600, with a design based on the body-on-frame Toyota Land Cruiser (with the next-generation of that vehicle coming later this year). This time around, the GX gets an even more rugged look and a new Overtrail trim that should appeal to the most hardcore fans.

“The GX design introduces a massive change from the previous generation with a square body profile and horizontal design that is optimised for off-road driving,” said Dejuan Ross, group vice president and general manager, Lexus Division.

The GX gets many of the usual improvements typical for an SUV redesign, including a longer wheelbase, wider track and shorter front overhang. The A-pillar has been pulled back and — perhaps surprisingly in this age of ever-shrinking DLOs, the GX’s belt line sits slightly lower. Strong horizontal lines and blocky shapes define the GX exterior, and the rear gets a power-lift door with a pop-out window. Overtrail models get black accented over-fenders, an aluminium skid plate, 33-inch tyres and two-tone colour palettes done in black and earthy shades, which designers said they chose to blend in with nature.

The interior carries over the horizontal theme with a strong line that runs pillar-to-pillar across the IP, which was inspired by feedback from Dakar rally drivers. A new 14-inch central display sits atop the chunky centre stack, and in a time when many controls are going digital, designers say customer feedback lent them to keep many of the analogue dials such as those for audio volume and air conditioning. In the Overtrail model we saw in Austin, we admired touches such as the two-tone interior accented with olive Ultrasuede and the sculpted door pulls with a brushed metallic finish.

At its launch in the US the GX will be powered by a 3.4-litre twin-turbocharged V6 that makes 349 horsepower (more powerful than the predecessor’s V8), and 479 lb.-ft of torque. Lexus says a hybrid powertrain will be available in the US at a later date.

The TX, meanwhile, is designed to be a city family hauler, with an available third row to seat up to seven people. Designers say aerodynamics were a top priority, and as such, surfacing is sleeker and more refined, with a variation of the horizontal spindle grille that is reminiscent — but not as aggressive — as the gargantuan metal face of the larger LX.

Above the grille, a slim, signature light bar connects thin, stretched LED headlamps. On the body side, designers highlight a blacked-out rear pillar that helps to hide the volumes and arrow-shaped ornamentation that adds a bit of panache. In the rear, the TX gets a thin horizontal lighting treatment that echoes the front light bar and the new version of the Lexus logo, spelled out.

The interior design is clean and elegant compared to its rugged sibling, with a flowing IP that wraps into the doors and a 12.3-inch centre touch screen that sits across wide, low-profile air vents. Designers say storage and utility were priorities, and point to the console lid that can be opened from either side, as well as removable cup holders. Second-row seating is available as a bench seat, or with twin captain’s chairs plus a removable console box in between.

Although the most recent Lexus concepts have featured EV powertrains and company executives have promised more electrification going forward, Lexus and parent Toyota have lagged behind other automakers that have forged ahead with a BEV lineup. The TX shows progress on that front, however, as it will be available as a plug-in hybrid with a 3.5-litre V6 engine rated at 406 hp and with pure EV range of up to 33 miles. A standard hybrid option will be paired with Lexus’ 2.4-litre turbocharged motor, while the entry-level TX will be powered solely by the 2.4-litre ICE engine.

Notably, this is the first Lexus that will be built at the company’s US factory in Gibson County, Indiana, with deliveries expected to begin in the fall of this year. Both SUVs face steep competition, but with the smaller, two-row Lexus RX holding steady as the top-selling SUV in the US, Lexus is hoping some of that good mojo will rub off.