One of the things throwing me off with the leaked 2010 Lexus GX photos was that, well, they weren’t Lexus GX photos at all, but the Toyota equivalent, the Land Cruiser Prado. To better picture the GX, I spent some time photoshopping a Lexus grille on the front end:
It’s probably the fact that the grille is lifted from the LX 570, but the similarities between this redesign and Lexus’ largest SUV is undeniable, particularly with the bulging headlights.
Really feeling this redesign so far. A lot will depend on the interior design and whether it gravitates towards the LX or RX. (Personally, I’d like to see a mixture of both.)
VAIS Technology, makers of the premier Lexus iPod integration kits, are working on a new product called the FamilyLinQ—a small camera that you can connect to your navigation screen, making it easy to get see inside or outside the vehicle:
After driving the LX 570 with its camera mounted under the passenger mirror, I can certainly see the appeal of the added viewing angle, and as the above image shows, it can also be used to monitor children without taking your attention off the road.
The FamilyLinQ is expected to debut in 3-4 months, and will be compatible with most Lexus’ between 2001-2009.
Looks like today’s the day for next-gen Lexus GX photos—the Toyota4Arab forums has a closer look at the front & rear of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, which is how the GX is sold in Europe:
The rear lights are much more chunky than the current model, but the bigger story is the revised rear door, which is no longer a swing-gate. Instead it looks to be a two-piece, like the LX 570, with the glass liftgate and a bottom tailgate. Much more functional. Also similar to the LX 570 is the front headlights, though I would expect a different light configuration (hopefully bi-xenons).
All in all, I’m pretty impressed. This redesign takes all the design cues from the current generation and cleans them up with modern lines. Additionally, the increased slant of the windshield and the wider stance bring a much needed sharpness.
In fact, the only elements that I don’t care for, namely the front grille, the front bumper design and the handlebar moustache rear chrome, will likely be completely different on the Lexus version.
The first photo of the next generation Toyota Prado has been leaked, a vehicle better known in North America as the Lexus GX 460!
Even with the poor image quality, it’s easy to get a sense of what the 2010 model will look like—for comparison’s sake, here’s a side-by-side with the current GX:
With this being the Toyota Prado and not the actual GX, it’s hard to get a read on the front end. The GX is bound to get a different grille, and it would surpise me to see some minor changes to the front bumper and headlights. The only visible detail from the rear is the vertical tail lights—another design cue carried over from the previous generation.
The overall height looks to be reduced and the body slightly widened, similar to the new RX. The wheel wells are now even more exaggerated, and the side panels has been cleaned up and now bears a strong resemblance to the LX 570.
With the GX being the last Lexus SUV to be redesigned, there isn’t much surprise in the exterior as most design cues have seen on other models. That said, the new GX benefits from the more muscular stance, and looks to be a much better bridge between the LX & RX models than the previous model.
(Again, I want to stress that this is the Toyota model, the GX will mirror the design.)
To promote the release of the HS 250h, Lexus USA is having a contest to give away two full-year test drives of the new luxury hybrid, along with 100 week-long test drives—here’s Lexus Vice-President of Marketing, David Nordstrom, with the full details:
Entering is simple, just visit drivehs.com, sign up for a profile and then campaign for as many votes as possible via email, text or through the website. The contest is only available in the Continental USA, and ends July 31st, 2009.
In order to boost slowing sales in China, Lexus will be introducing a 2.4L four-cylinder ES model:
From January to April, the sales of imported passenger cars in China increased 16% from a year earlier, with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Lexus rising 1.5% together. But of the four luxury brands, Lexus saw its sales drop by a staggering 36%. This sales plunge is blamed on the higher sales tax on high-emission cars, as only over-3.0L Lexus models are sold in China.
With the ES 240 expected to go on sale some time in the second half of this year, Lexus is certainly acting fast to reverse the slump. Still, even with this smaller engine, the ES will retail for 380,000-500,000 yuan ($55,626-73,192 USD) due to the import car tax.
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