When you hear the name “Lexus,” curvy, sleek and angular lines come to mind. But for some reason, the design team in charge of the all-new GX collectively decided to go against the automaker’s design ethos and essentially ship a box on off-road wheels. And we mean that in a great way.

It’s like they looked at a Land Rover Defender and designed and engineered the all-new GX thinking, “Yeah, we can make that better.”

The front half may resemble the LX with a different spindle grille and a blockier hood, but that’s where the similarities end. The near-upright windshield, gigantic fender arches, square mirrors, rear lightbar, and even a pop-out rear window all ooze retro appeal, so we could say that the designers hit a home run with this SUV.

In fact, it looks like it was designed with the Overtrail grade in mind. This off-road-oriented model grade gives you massive 33-inch off-road tires and 18-inch wheels, alongside more black cladding, roof rails, and a black roof.

Otherwise, the Premium and Luxury variants will give you 20- or 22-inch wheels, body-colored fender arches, and the option for a panoramic moonroof.

Off-roaders will be pleased to know that it is still a body-on-frame chassis, now underpinned by the TNGA-F platform.

It will bring two powertrains: a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 349hp and a monstrous 649Nm of twist, and an electrified 2.4-liter turbocharged in-line-four that will be introduced at a later date.

Both are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, which sends power to a full-time 4WD system. A Torsen limited-slip center differential with locking comes as standard, but upgrading to the Overtrail grade adds an electronic locking rear differential.

Additionally, the suspension setup is a double-wishbone up front with a multilink for the rear, with extended wheel articulation for better off-roadability, but the mall crawlers can opt for an Adaptive Variable Suspension if they prefer outright comfort.

The vehicle’s approach, break-over and departure angles are 26°, 24° and 22°, respectively, for the Overtrail grade.

There’s a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display with an optional heads-up display, and a 14-inch infotainment screen that runs the Lexus Interface OS with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It system pushes sound through an optional 21-speaker Mark Levinson surround system if the standard 10-speaker isn’t up to snuff, and there are multiple charging points available, including wireless charging.

More importantly, it still has physical controls for the air-conditioning and the volume, complete with easy-to-reach off-road controls located by the shifter.

The GX can also seat up to seven people, all coddled in the finest leather and Ultrasuede upholstery.

The front seats are heated and ventilated, and can be fitted with massage functions and a power cushion extender. The second row is available either as a 60:40 split-folding bench or two captain’s chairs, which can also be heated. Finally, the third-row seats can fold flat into the floor and are either manually or power-operated.

Of course, the vehicle comes with the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 suite of driver aids, but the Overtrail model grades come with off-road assistance features like Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, Downhill Assist Control, and 3D Multi-Terrain Monitor.

The GX will be assembled at the Tahara plant in Japan, and is set to go on sale in early 2024. While it’s a no-brainer for Lexus Philippines to bring this in, the new GX also makes us truly excited for the all-new Land Cruiser Prado it is based on.