"Badge engineering" typically gets a bad rap in the auto industry. But you gotta hand it to Toyota — it's impressive that they've cooked up not one, but three distinctly flavoured off-roaders off one platform. The Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser, and this 2026 Lexus GX 550 are all the same truck underneath, but this GX strikes us as less of gussied-up Land Cruiser, and more of a Japanese Defender.
What's new for 2026?
The 2026 model year is mostly a carryover year. Lexus expanded the GX's standard safety kit with its new Lexus Safety System +3.0 Extended suite — a mouthful of a name that now means every single GX comes standard with Traffic Jam Assist, a somewhat sensitive Front Cross Traffic Alert, a creepy Driver Monitor, and admittedly neat Lane Change Assist that, well, changes lanes for you on the highway. That's a fun one to show off.
The Lexus GX heads into 2026 otherwise unchanged. That's not a bad thing. I stole the last one from Nathan for a lap around the block and was instantly enamoured by its interior. It struck a good balance between modern tech and infotainment, and "old-school Lexus" feel with solid-feeling controls and handsome wood accents. The last one, being an Overtrail+ trim, was a near-range-topping model, but this tester is an Overtrail without the plus, coming in at a hair under $100,000 destination included, while offering everything you could possibly need and want in a luxe off-roader.
First Impressions
From the side profile and rear-quarter views, the similarities between the GX 550 and the Land Cruiser are apparent. They both have an identical boxy silhouette and roof line, but the GX sets itself apart elsewhere with a relatively conservative rendition of Lexus' spindle grille, to go along with different wheel designs, more premium colour options, richer materials, as well as different wheel designs, more premium colour options, richer materials, and satin grey 18-inch wheels with chunky Toyo all-terrain tires tying it all together.
The GX 550 is a handsome thing, even in our tester's played-out, primer grey-like paint colour called Incognito against gloss black accents and matte body cladding. You'd be remiss to consider any other colour but Nori Green, however some sort of red would be nice. But as the saying goes, it's what's on the inside that counts.
Interior impressions
This GX 550 Overtrail tester immediately wowed me. All Overtrails, including the plus, only offer NuLuxe, Lexus' version of synthetic leather. It's somewhat of a slap in the face at this price point, but it's mighty convincing, feeling just as buttery smooth as the real stuff. I also fell in love with the forest green microsuede accents, bridging the gap between the taupe faces and black bolsters beautifully. If you're still not convinced, you'll have to go for the pricier Luxury or Executive trims, though it is odd the apparent fifteen thousand dollar price difference between the Overtrail and Overtrail+ trims doesn't buy you real leather. Come on.
Elsewhere, the 2026 GX features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a larger 14-inch touchscreen beside it for infotainment. Shockingly, the screes are not ensconced under a single gloss-black trim panel, but rather a padded, matte frame matching the texture of the dashboard and door panels. It's a pleasant break from the in-your-face screen applications we've come to expect from other luxury brands.
Lexus also still appears to give a you-know-what about logical layouts. Granted the GX's climate controls are on the touchscreen, but Lexus gives you two dials for temperature adjustments, a proper volume knob, and a well-laid-out centre console with plenty of storage, plenty of clearly labelled buttons and toggle switches, and a proper P-R-N-D shift lever. It all feels solid and well-built, the matte-finish, open-pore wood is a classy touch, and although 12-volt outlets rarely get any second thought, Lexus' approach to concealing it is marvellous.
Driving impressions
The GX shares its bones with the 4Runner and Land Cruiser, built on the same TNGA-F platform as its kissing cousings, along with everything else body-on-frame in Toyota and Lexus' lineups. The 4Runner and Land Cruiser are powered by turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid powertrains — admittedly good ones, at that — but the GX 550 further sets itself apart by being gas-only. Not only that, V6-only.
All GX 550s, this Overtrail tester included, use Lexus' 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6. It's good for 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. It pairs well to a 10-speed automatic transmission, kicking down swiftly and delivering a kick of power when you need it. It's kind of thirsty, averaging 13.8 L/100 km on our highway-heavy commute, but the trade-off being effortless power and a brawny exhaust note will be worth it to many.
For what it is, the GX 550 is surprisingly easy to live with. It rides well, with the Overtrail trim further enhancing the ride with an adaptive suspension setup. The 33-inch Toyo Open Country add a bit of extra road noise, but it isn't unbearable, and there's plenty of sidewall to soak up bumps and protect the wheels from curbs. There's a good weight to the steering wheel, and it's easy to pilot around town thanks to its tall seating position and big windows.
Final thoughts
You can step up to the Overtrail+ or any other more luxurious trim, but honestly, anything else on top of this solid formula is just gravy — or empty calories, if you prefer. With the V6 power drizzled on top of this luxe off-roader sundae, it all comes together as something of a Japanese Defender — smooth on-road performance, off-road attitude without sacrificing road manners, and embracing a similarly "earthy" vibe inside.
Best of all, this 2026 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail comes in at a hair under $99,500 as-tested including destination and max dealer fees. Yes, really — under a hundred grand for all this is quite the steal.