Lexus GX Next Update May Feature The Twin Turbo Hybrid Powerplant

For the brand, the Lexus GX has subtly emerged as a true rock star. It’s sumptuous without being too soft and tough without being too harsh, and it’s brought Lexus back to the days of body-on-frame off-road vehicles. Customers sometimes have to wait months to receive one because of the high demand. It looks like a hybrid is on its way to America, but if a recent story is accurate, it will come with a compromise that not everyone will like.

Local product planning manager Julian Meldrum has commented on a recent study from CarExpert in Australia. A hybrid GX is “in a couple of markets globally”, according to him. Even though Lexus has trademarked the moniker GX 550h, there has been no official mention of it; which is news in and of itself. Additionally, it is not available for purchase in Europe, Japan, or the UK.

Nevertheless, the trademark and these recent remarks indicate that it will eventually reach American soil. Meldrum’s additional remarks raise concerns about how consumers will react to the hybrid SUV. According to reports, the GX 550h will employ the Land Cruiser’s i-Force Max technology, which combines a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with electric assistance to provide about 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. If this is accurate, the GX’s cargo area will soon become much smaller.

The hybrid parts of the Land Cruiser occupy a significant amount of the cargo area, as we have noted in our studies of the GX and Land Cruiser. After studying the hybrid, Lexus executives in Australia reportedly concluded it wasn’t worth the drawbacks. Meldrum mentioned decreased output, decreased towing capacity, and—possibly most significantly—packaging problems brought on by the battery pack.

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