There's no question the big V8-powered Lexus GX 460 is off-road capable and luxurious at the same time. Instead of getting redesigned, it's been refreshed for the 2020 model year, and it's coming across looking a hell of a lot like its LX 570 sibling. I mean, just take a look at that huge spindle grille that looks ready to swallow smaller vehicles that get in its way.
Since it's not getting anything resembling a full redesign, it's time to give the second-generation GX some tweaks. Though the overall body shape hasn't changed, there are some noticeable changes to the GX 460 in terms of looks. It retains the Spindle Grille shape, but that very grille gets upsized to the point where it pretty much looks like the massive one on the LX. The texture of the grille is more F Sport-like with a dark chrome trapezoidal pattern and a huge "L" 1/3rd of the way down. The headlights have been restyled, and the LED DRL's are thicker and more angular.
The rest of the GX looks pretty much unchanged, and that's a safe approach. But it's the huge fascia that makes it look too much like the LX to the point where some customers might get confused. The same 301-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 still resides under the hood, and the ladder-frame off-road chops are still there but with a boosted Off-Road Package on the Luxury trim GX. There's also Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select to manage off-pavement adventures while sitting in the luxurious confines of its plush cabin.
Crawl Control helps the GX amble along in low range, while Multi-Terrain Select can automatically adjust wheelspin control depending on whether you're in mud, sand, rocks or other unstable driving environments. The GX also benefits from virtual locking differentials that control slip, as well as downhill assist, hill-start assist, active traction control, and vehicle stability control. It's a great combination of features that make the GX more capable at the rough stuff than customers will ever put it through.
In terms of safety, the brand now gives the GX its Safety System+ suite as standard equipment, and consists of a Pre-Collision System with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, automatic high beam control, and high-speed dynamic radar cruise control. Toyota is doing the same thing to their vehicles, and the safety offerings really do lead the pack across the brands.
The new red leather option seems a bit much, and that hue is more appropriate for the likes of their sporty cars like the RC, LC, GS, and IS. In a large, towing/hauling-focused SUV, red comes across as overkill. Nevertheless, we get why Lexus is dialing up the visual drama inside a vehicle that's now almost a decade old. The refresh should help it solider on, but that doesn't mean it's fresh by any means.
