Lexus
GX
Model Profile
From $130,715
Driveaway estimate · NSW · priced Aug 2026. Varies by state. Details →
Australia waited two decades for the Lexus GX, and when it finally arrived in May 2024 it sold, fast. This is the first GX ever offered here, a body-on-frame, three-row off-roader that shares its ladder-frame bones with the Toyota Prado and slots in under the big LX. A 3.4-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 drives all four wheels across three grades, from the seven-seat Luxury to the five-seat Overtrail and the indulgent Sports Luxury. Inside eighteen months it had become a strong seller in its high-end segment, a genuinely capable Lexus in a field of soft-roaders.
May 2024
Australia never got the GX 470 or 460; the GX 550 is the first Lexus GX sold locally.
Twin-turbo V6
A 3.4-litre petrol V6 (260kW/650Nm) in a class that runs on diesel.
3,500kg
The seven-seat Luxury tows the full 3.5 tonnes on body-on-frame hardware.
What matters to you?
260kW
Power650Nm
Torque3130–3500kg
Braked towing12.3L/100km
Fuel economyRange shown across the GX line-up. Pick a priority to see the numbers that matter to you.
Images are illustrative and digitally rendered. They may not reflect the exact variant, colour or trim. Details →
Living with the GX.
The Lexus GX is the car enthusiasts asked for and finally got. Two earlier generations sold in North America from 2002, but this third-generation GX 550 is the first to reach Australia, landing in May 2024 on the same ladder-frame platform as the Toyota Prado and LandCruiser. It sits between the two in the showroom: more luxury than a Prado, more accessible than an LX, and built around a charismatic twin-turbo petrol V6 in a segment that mostly runs soft and quiet. Three grades cover it, all 3.4-litre V6 and full-time four-wheel drive.
For most buyers the entry Luxury is the one that makes sense, from around $130,586 driveaway in NSW. It carries seven seats, the full 3,500kg braked towing rating, three-zone climate, heated and ventilated front seats, a 360-degree camera and the same 260kW and 650Nm V6 as the grades above. The catch is running cost. Lexus backs the GX with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and three years of Encore roadside, but the petrol V6 wants servicing every six months, and at $695 a visit that runs to about $6,950 over five years. It is the recurring asterisk against an otherwise strong value story.
Higher up, the range splits by intent rather than luxury. The Overtrail drops to five seats and rides on taller 18-inch all-terrain tyres, the setup AU launch reviews consistently rate the best-riding and most capable in the range despite the smallest wheels. The Sports Luxury goes the other way, on 22-inch wheels with a fixed panoramic roof, a heated steering wheel and the fullest driver-assist kit, though its towing rating falls to 3,130kg and its 22s draw the firm-ride note the smaller grades escape. Choosing a grade here is mostly choosing your wheels and your seat count.
Underneath the badge, the GX is honest about what it is: a heavy, body-on-frame four-wheel drive with a thirsty petrol V6 and no hybrid option in Australia, so the segment's diesel rivals still win on touring range and running costs. The seven-seaters keep their third row for occasional use, and the press flags wind noise at highway speed. What you get in return is real off-road hardware, a high-quality cabin and the Lexus ownership experience, in a shape with genuine presence. We'd pick the GX if you want a properly capable luxury four-wheel drive and refinement matters more to you than outright range; the cross-shops are covered below.
1,197
Segment leader in its first full year, outselling the BMW X7 (VFACTS).
GX Range Walk
The GX range is unusually flat for a luxury ladder: every grade shares the same 260kW V6, full-time four-wheel drive and core luxury kit. What changes as you climb is the wheels, the seat count and the towing rating, not the engine. Prices below are NSW driveaway.
- 01
Luxury
Seven-seat valueFrom $130,715
From about $130,586 driveaway, the seven-seat value entry: 20-inch wheels, the full 3,500kg braked towing rating, three-zone climate, heated and ventilated front seats and a 360-degree camera. Nothing key is missing for everyday family use.
- 02
Overtrail
Serious off-roadFrom $137,560
Around $137,431 driveaway and the off-road specialist: five seats only, but taller 18-inch all-terrain tyres and the off-road hardware that make it the range's capability pick. Adds a head-up display the Luxury misses.
- 03
Sports Luxury
Luxury presenceFrom $144,054
About $143,917 driveaway, the indulgent flagship: seven seats, 22-inch wheels, a fixed panoramic roof, heated steering wheel, automatic high beam and a driver attention monitor. Its towing rating drops to 3,130kg and the big wheels firm up the ride.
Driveaway estimate · NSW · priced Aug 2026. Varies by state. Details →
Under the skin.
How much can the Lexus GX tow?
The Lexus GX is rated to tow up to 3,500 kg with a braked trailer and 750 kg without trailer brakes. That maximum applies to the Luxury; across the range the braked rating spans 3,130 kg to 3,500 kg.
Heaviest braked trailer allowed, quoted as ATM: the loaded trailer including ball weight.
3,500 kg
Limit for trailers without their own brakes.
750 kg
Gross vehicle mass: the most the loaded vehicle may weigh, ball weight included.
3,150 kg
Gross combination mass: vehicle and trailer together, both fully loaded.
6,650 kg
The vehicle as delivered, before people, cargo and accessories.
2,525 kg
Everything you may add: people, cargo, accessories and ball weight.
625 kg
Downward load on the tow ball; it counts toward GVM.
250 kg
Figures for the Luxury. Other grades differ; pick a variant in the checker below.
What's left once the van is hooked up
Hook up 3,500 kg with 250 kg on the ball and the Luxury has 375 kg of payload left for people, cargo and accessories.
The GCM allows the full payload and the full tow rating at the same time, which is rarer than it sounds in this class.
Assuming 10 per cent of the trailer weight.
Two adults plus luggage is roughly 400 kg.
Over a limit. This combination does not comply.
Tow rating
0 kg under the 3,500 kg braked rating
Vehicle GVM
Over GVM by 125 kg. Lighten the load or the ball.
Combined GCM
225 kg spare across the whole combination
Tow ball limit
Over the 250 kg ball limit by 100 kg
The rules and the fine print
Figures are manufacturer maximums for the Luxuryand can change with model year; the compliance plate and handbook of your exact vehicle govern. In Australia, trailers over 750 kg GTM (the loaded weight on the trailer's own wheels) need their own brakes, and over 2,000 kg they need brakes on all wheels plus a breakaway system. Ball weight typically runs 8 to 12 per cent of ATM. Axle loads and tyre ratings are not modelled here. Checking a different car against your van? Use the towing calculator.
The GX is the rare large luxury SUV that backs its badge with real off-road hardware, and the twin-turbo V6 is the heart of it. Buy the seven-seat Luxury for the sweet spot: it tows the full 3,500kg, carries the safety and comfort kit, and costs the least. Step to the Overtrail if you regularly go off-road and can live with five seats, since it rides best on its 18-inch all-terrains. The Sports Luxury is the indulgent pick, prettier on its 22s but firmer and rated to tow less. Look at a diesel Prado instead if touring range and running costs lead your brief, or a Land Rover Defender if you want more design flair.
- First GX in Australia, and a genuine off-road luxury SUV
- Charismatic 260kW twin-turbo petrol V6
- 3,500kg braked towing on Luxury and Overtrail
- Five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty
- Seven-seat flexibility on Luxury and Sports Luxury
- Petrol V6 is thirsty, with no hybrid option here
- Servicing runs $695 every six months, about $6,950 over five years
- Sports Luxury's 22-inch wheels firm up the ride
- Third row suits occasional use only
- Not yet ANCAP rated
Where the GX has been.
Past generations. Context, not the car on sale today.
The GX nameplate dates to 2002, but its history is almost entirely a North American one. Australia is a recent arrival to the badge, getting its first GX only with the current third generation. The two earlier cars are context for the lineage rather than vehicles local buyers ever shopped.
2002 to 2009: GX 470 (North America)
The first GX, a body-on-frame off-roader based on the Prado of its day, sold in North America and selected eastern markets but never in Australia. It established the formula the current car still follows: genuine four-wheel-drive hardware under a Lexus badge.
2009 to 2023: GX 460 (North America)
The long-running second generation, again Prado-based and again not sold in Australia. It built the GX's loyal off-road following overseas across more than a decade on sale, but the nameplate remained absent from the local Lexus range throughout.
May 2024 onward: GX 550 (first in Australia)
The model on this page and the first GX offered locally. Built on the TNGA-F ladder frame it shares with the Prado 250 and LandCruiser 300, it brought the nameplate to Australia for the first time with a 3.4-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 across three grades.
Asked about the GX.
By Yuri Cartland, Editor