MANILA, Philippines - The side profile and the rear view might seem familiar, but the front end is not just all new, it’s downright compelling.
Head-turning grille designs might be the norm these days, but Lexus certainly has it down pat. The Toyota-owned Japanese luxury car and SUV company has resorted to what it calls the “spindle†grille. And the latest iteration of this design element—as applied to the 2014 GX 460—will certainly garner its share of attention.
The look is bold to the extreme, with a gaping hourglass-shaped opening that spans from the leading edge of the hood all the way down to the bottom of the front bumper. The “spindle†is bracketed on either side by angry-looking LED headlamps and driving (fog) lamps.
The Lexus GX 460 occupies the upper echelon of SUVs. It’s a full-capability luxury sport utility that combines exceptional off-road prowess with luxurious on-road handling and ride quality.
The GX 460’s wide-ranging outdoor capability gets a boost from some indoor changes for 2014, namely a new multimedia system that uses an innovative customizable home screen. Capable of displaying three sections at once, the screen can be configured as a single display (navigation/map), dual display (navigation/map + audio, compass or other function) or three displays on the same screen. Adding information and clarity, the available navigation system features 3D map views.
A new touchscreen multimedia system adds an 8†display, backup monitor, Bluetooth audio, automatic phone book transfer, and a vehicle information display.
The GX 460 is an upscale 7-seat luxury family mover during the week that easily transforms to a trail-driving 4x4 on weekends. Such a contrast of functions is made possible by a combination of rugged body-on-frame construction and an advanced standard Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), which helps to significantly reduce body lean without resorting to stiff springs and dampers.
The GX 460’s ultra-smooth 4.6-liter V8 delivers 301hp and 446Nm of torque.
Helping the GX 460 display its off-road prowess is the standard full-time four-wheel drive that uses an electronically controlled transfer case and a TORSEN (torque-sensing) limited slip center differential. The TORSEN differential distributes power 40:60 between the front and rear axles under most driving conditions and changes the ratio as needed based on wheel slip. The system offers a low range for off-road driving, and the center differential can be electronically locked.
The 4WD has some on-road performance tricks, as well. Tracking through curves, the system can change the torque split to 30:70 to enhance vehicle tracking. If the rear wheels spin, the center differential can change the ratio to 50:50 to help control the slippage. It’s also ready for sudden changes in road surface conditions, such as driving through a puddle or over an ice patch.
The GX 460’s sophisticated full-time 4WD system includes a low range for secure off-road travel, and it is supported by an array of chassis control technology. With the Crawl Control, Downhill Assist Control (DAC), Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), Adjustable Height Control (AHC), Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) at the ready, the GX 460 can keep going when the pavement ends and when faced with steep inclines.
Active Traction Control (A-TRAC) provides the traction benefits of having locking front and rear differentials, but with lower weight. The system can apply the brake to a slipping wheel, while transferring torque to the wheels with better traction. A steering angle indicator in the gauge panel shows the driver, at a glance, which direction the front wheels are pointing—useful for situations where this can be difficult to discern, such as driving off-road on slick surfaces.
The GX 460 Luxury model deftly balances its on-road and off-road personas. On-road, the driver can tailor ride and handling balance by selecting between Normal, Sport or Comfort modes for the Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS). The electronically controlled dampers will do the rest, adjusting to road surface conditions.
Driving off-road requires greater axle and wheel articulation than on-road driving, but it takes special engineering to achieve that capability without compromising on-road cornering. The GX 460 helps solve that dilemma with Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS). Lexus was able to make the stabilizer bars stiffer to reduce maximum body-lean angle by as much as 50 percent. KDSS, meanwhile, can continually vary the actual lean resistance using hydraulic cylinders acting on each stabilizer bar and linked by a pressure-sensing valve.
In off-road situations, KDSS reduces the sway resistance, which allows the wheels on each axle to move with a larger degree of side-to-side independence, helping to minimize any tendency for wheel lift. When the GX 460 encounters an uneven surface, one compressed cylinder causes fluid to flow to the other cylinder, helping the vehicle to keep all four wheels on the ground.
To get an example of how sophisticated KDSS is, consider that drivers of some hard-core 4x4 vehicles will have to crawl under their vehicles to disconnect the stabilizer bars before traversing a difficult trail, all to achieve what KDSS does automatically. The GX 460 rolls on 18-inch alloy wheels with 265/60R18 mud-and-snow tires.
During on-road cornering, when both front and rear hydraulic cylinders are in a neutral position, no fluid flows in the system and the stabilizer bars work conventionally to help reduce body lean.
Driving off road, especially on steep declines, requires skill to manipulate the throttle, brake and steering and keep the vehicle moving forward securely. The GX 460 offers Crawl Control, which automatically modulates the throttle and brake, allowing the driver to concentrate on steering. Crawl Control, which is also useful to help navigate the vehicle through sand, mud or snow, engages when the driver shifts into low range.
The system allows the vehicle to move forward or in reverse at one of five driver-selectable low-speed settings. Crawl Control also engages the front and rear “virtual†locking differentials to help reduce tire slippage and optimize chassis behavior.
On the safety front, no less than 10 airbags (driver and front passenger airbags; front seat-mounted side airbags; driver and front passenger knee airbags; second-row seat-mounted side airbags, and roll-sensing
ide curtain airbags covering all three rows) work with Active front headrests (that move up and forward almost instantly in the event of certain types of rear-end collisions) to protect the vehicle’s occupants.
Standard luxury, comfort, and convenience features include 10-way power-adjustable front seats; automatic 3-zone climate control; steering wheel audio controls; power moonroof; memory system for the driver’s seat, steering wheel and outside mirror positions; heated/ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, and rear (third-zone) automatic climate control for enhanced third-row passenger comfort.
The versatile passenger-side second-row seat slides 4.1 inches fore/aft to maximize passenger and cargo carrying ability while the foldable and reclining second-row seats also feature a 60/40 walk-in function to access the standard power fold-flat third-row seats.
The tailgate window has a flip-up glass panel for added convenience while a Lexus Premium 9-speaker audio system with iPod/USB connectivity, Bluetooth hands-free phone capability and music streaming deliver on-board entertainment and communications.
A rear back-up camera displays images on the standard 8-inch navigation system’s LCD display while wide-view front and side cameras enhance visibility in tight settings, such as parking garages, and to help the driver’s view around corners when pulling out of parking spaces into traffic, and stopped at intersections.
The Lexus GX 460 has a retail price of P5,578,000. It’s certainly not inexpensive. But if you think of it as having two vehicles in one—a luxury car and an SUV—then it’s certainly worth the money. The legendary Lexus service and reliability are just the icing on the cake.