Lexus GX to launch ahead of new Toyota Prado next year

The new Lexus GX – the luxury twin to the next-generation Toyota Prado – will get a head start on its sibling when it arrives in local showrooms in the first half of next year.

Lexus dealers in Australia have been advised to expect the Lexus GX ahead of the Toyota Prado on which it is based, sometime between March and June 2024 – pending any delays.

It means Toyota Prado fans in Australia will need to wait a little longer for the first all-new model in more than a decade.

Although the Lexus GX nameplate has been in the US since 2002, this is the first time the luxury Toyota Prado twin has been sold in Australia.

The global boss of Lexus, Takashi Watanabe, told a roundtable briefing with international media in Japan the GX has now become a global model – rather than a US-only option – given the boom in sales of genuine off-road vehicles.

The executive said an increasing number of customers wanted to venture further than soft-roader SUVs.

The new Lexus GX will be powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine whereas the next-generation Toyota Prado will be powered by an upgraded version of today's 2.8-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine.

While pricing is yet to be announced, the new Lexus GX is expected to plug a price gap of $100,000 to $150,000, although this is yet to be confirmed.

This price range would be positioned the new model below the Lexus LX flagship off-roader which costs from approximately $150,000 to $220,000.