- The Lexus GX is new for 2024, and it adds a new Overtrail trim level.
- We detail what’s different about this off-road model, as it features mechanical upgrades.
- The GX is expected to go on sale in the US in early 2024.
Toyota and Lexus will come to all in the off-road lifestyle. In addition to the rugged TRD variant, we’re starting to see new trims that lean towards exterior aesthetics while adding a few parts to increase capability over the regular variant. We saw it from Toyota with the Tacoma Trailhunter, and now it’s time for the Lexus GX Overtrail.
As part of a massive makeover for the entire GX lineup for the 2024 model year, Lexus has unveiled two new off-road-flavored trims: Overtrail and Overtrail+. Aesthetics are obviously a big part of the Overtrail trim, with four two-tone paint options available that contrast the main paint color with a black roof. Black fender flares, aluminum skid plates and unique 18-inch wheels wrapped in 33-inch all-terrain tires complete the exterior upgrades.
Just as the exterior relies on some earth tones to really hammer home the “get out into nature” metaphor, the interior of the GX Overtrail pairs one of two interior motifs with olive green suede accents. While the standard GX can seat up to seven people, the Overtrail model ditches the third row, limiting seating to five.
While the seating arrangement may be different, the Overtrail’s basics are largely the same as the rest of the line. Motive power comes from a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 mated to a 10-speed automatic and four-wheel drive. Output is the GX’s standard 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. The Overtrail is capable of towing 8,000 pounds, the same as the Premium and Premium+ trims. While the GX is set to receive an optional hybrid powertrain later, it’s unclear if that will extend to the Overtrail.
In terms of off-road-friendly kit, the GX Overtrail will come with what Lexus calls the Electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS). In all its forms, the KDSS allows for the installation of larger stabilizer bars than you’d normally fit on an off-roader. The system can differentiate between cornering on the road, when large anti-roll bars are a handling benefit, and off-road articulation, where large bars (or any bars at all) are a liability. The old system compares the front and rear hydraulically, while the new system does it electronically.
An electronically locking rear differential is standard on the Overtrail variant as well. The Overtrail’s unique appearance doesn’t change its capabilities much, carrying the same 26-degree approach angle as the rest of the line. Breakover is one degree better than the pack at 24 degrees, while clearance is middle ground between trims at 22 degrees.
While pricing is still a long way off, Lexus has stated in its release that the Overtrail and Overtrail+ will exist at the top of the GX lineup, so it’s definitely an expensive proposition.
Senior Editor
Cars are jam Andrew Krok, along with boysenberry. After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew cut to writing freelance magazine features, and he now has a decade of full-time review experience. A Chicagoan by birth, he’s been a resident of Detroit since 2015. Maybe one day he’ll do something about that half-finished engineering degree.