IMOTO: LEXUS GX
THE NAMES of my brothers who help us look after our cars when we park at malls or wherever they usually greet me is ‘razo’ or ‘grootman’ with the intention of begging for a donation.
This time while changing the language while driving the Lexus GX 550 SE, I heard someone call me ‘white’.
This is something that another friend of mine did when he saw that I posted his picture on WhatsApp.
It is a nickname used by a person who seems to be in a good position in life. I just remember that one businessman I knew his employees called him that.
The Lexus GX speaks for itself depending on the lifestyle of the person driving it.
This is the third type since its existence but it is the first time in South Africa that they are bringing it in two types.
There is an Overtrail designed for those who want to climb mountains and then there is the SE which also has no problem with dirt but is also suitable for outdoor activities.
The SE that we were traveling with has a boxy body. The driver’s seat is where I could see its size, especially from the bulging bonnet.
It sports LED lights and beautiful large 22-inch rims.
Since the height is only 220mm, it is not difficult to get inside because you open the door and a step appears below which disappears again when you close it.
The GX is long and wide at 5,015mm. It is almost the same size as the Land Rover Defender 110 with a wheelbase of 5,018mm.
The GX’s 2,850mm wheelbase also makes it comfortable for five passengers. I count five on purpose even though it carries seven passengers because the other last seats are for children. I tried to get into them but my knees said no.
What I like though is that the seats open up and lie flat with the push of a button. There are also two USB charging ports and a drink holder.
Like most seven-passenger cars, when all the seats are in the upright position, cargo space becomes cramped.
However, if they are big and I explained that you can park it backwards without worrying about how you will load it. After all, you can open the rear window and load it, but if you want, you can open the whole boot with a button. Before I forget, there is a twin-plug port on the boot.
Back inside the seats are comfortable leather.
The former can be frozen or heated.
In the back, if you’re too lazy to drive yourself, you won’t miss anything because the seats are warm.
You can adjust the levels of air coming out of the back, there are USB charging ports and even though it dims in the back if you want to raise the curtains people are left wondering who is in the middle.
Up front is a large 14-inch Mark Levinson touchscreen infotainment system that is easy to use. It shows the direction, you connect the mobile phone with Apple CarPlay and when you are at a traffic light it shows you the whole outside or when you park. The Mark Levinson speakers sound great.
Although the buttons are few, a lot is done on the screen like setting the temperature but obviously it’s not something that can take your eyes off the road.
Another thing that can change the temperature, is the heated steering wheel.
It also has a place to freeze drinks and in the hood there is a sunroof that does not open. I like that you press the button that dims the sun and when you touch it you can see the sky.
The Lexus GX is built on the same foundation as the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.
The Prado has a 2.8l diesel engine, here is a larger 3.5l twin-turbo V6 petrol.
It makes the road easier because it has a power of 260kW and a torque of 650Nm. It works with a 10-speed automatic gearbox that makes me forget about the pedal shifters behind the steering wheel.
When you change the drive modes and put it in Sport+, it changes the noise and you can hear that it is a V6 and even if you step on the oil, it wants to get up to speed.
Although it is big, it is fast because in seven seconds it has reached 100 km/h and the speed ends at 175 km/h.
One of the competitors Land Rover Defender has an economical diesel engine, here to save you have to have a soft right foot.
Lexus says it consumes 12.3 liters per 100km from an 80l tank, but for me it was difficult to drop below 15l/100km, driving around town.
On the open road I’m walking fine and I can see it going down.
Although it doesn’t absorb dirt, I ended up not putting it in because I was too lazy to scratch the rims.
As it is four wheel drive but it also has a diff lock as well as the 4L.
Its nomination for the title of 2026 SA Car of the Year paints a clear picture of its level that makes you ignore the Defender or other large SUVs such as the Ineos Grenadier, Toyota Land Cruiser 300. You can also include the GWM Tank 500 and others.
Price:
Lexus GX 550 SE – R 1,866,500
It comes with a warranty and maintenance plan for seven years or 100,000km.