2016 Lexus GX 460 Offers Full Luxury With Full Off-Road Capability
- Written by Toyota Media
From the urban asphalt jungle to the last mile of the Rubicon Trail, the 2016 Lexus GX 460 can navigate rough roads while keeping passengers pampered in luxury amenities. The GX 460 is one of the very few full-capability luxury SUVs available today and it performs with Lexus quality and reliability.
With a robust body-on-frame construction, standard V8 power, a durable full-time 4WD system and a veritable arsenal of advanced dynamic control technologies, the Lexus GX 460 can boldly go where active families don’t fear to tread. It does so while offering generous towing capacity, room for up to seven, and coddling passengers with ride smoothness and true luxury that define the brand.
For 2016, the GX can provide its occupants additional peace of mind. Drivers can now opt in for Lexus Enform Service Connect (one-year trial subscription included). This new service allows customers to remotely view information about certain aspects of their Lexus vehicle via the MyLexusandBeyond mobile application for iOS smartphone users or LexusDrivers.com. Information includes maintenance alerts, warning light notifications and a vehicle health report that includes email and push notifications for diagnostic information, required maintenance reminders, current vehicle alerts, service campaigns, and more.
Also available is Lexus Enform Remote (one-year trial subscription included) which allows the owner to remotely view and control certain vehicle features using a mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Key features include remote door lock/unlock; remote stop/start for the engine and climate control; vehicle finder, guest driver monitor and more.
One Vehicle, for All Weeks and Weekends
With the popularity of crossover-type luxury-utility vehicles – a segment that Lexus created with the original RX model in 1998 – the choices in full-capability traditional-type SUVs are limited. So it pays to be the best of a small group.
The Lexus GX 460 easily performs family commuter duties during the week and can comfortably switch to more demanding 4x4 needs on the weekend. A 301-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 provides 329 lb.-ft. of peak torque, helping make the GX 460 an excellent vehicle for towing, with a 6,500-lb. trailer capacity. Making towing easier, standard Trailer Sway Control uses the Vehicle Stability Control to enhance straight-line tracking.
A key to the GX 460’s dual personalities is its standard Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), which helps to significantly reduce body lean without resorting to stiffer springs and dampers.
Full 4-Wheel Drive Capability
The Lexus GX 460’s on-road smoothness and quiet ride belie its considerable trail-driving capability. It starts with true, full-time 4-wheel drive, which uses an electronically controlled transfer case and a TORSEN® torque-sensing limited slip center differential. The TORSEN differential distributes power 40:60 under most driving conditions and changes the ratio as needed based on wheel slip. The system offers a low range for off-road driving, and the center differential can be electronically locked.
The GX 460 brings its considerable 4WD capability to on-road driving, as well. As you drive through a curve, for example, the system can change the torque split to 30:70 to enhance vehicle tracking. If wheels spin, the center differential can change the ratio to 50:50 to help control the slippage. The system can respond to sudden changes in road-surface conditions, such as driving through a puddle or over an ice patch.
The off-road capability starts with a low range, and it is supported by a wide array of chassis control technology. With Downhill Assist Control (DAC), Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and available Crawl Control, the GX 460 has the capability to traverse unpaved, uneven trails and steep inclines. In some off-road conditions, the driver might have a hard time knowing which direction the front wheels are pointing, so the GX 460 comes with a standard steering angle indicator in the gauge panel.
Active Traction Control (A-TRAC) provides the traction benefits of having locking front and rear differentials, but with lower weight. The system can apply the brake to a slipping wheel, while transferring torque to the wheels with better traction.
Steady Going, Even When the Going Gets Tough
The Lexus GX 460 employs two suspension technologies to achieve an impressive balance of on-road smoothness and off-road prowess. On-road, the Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) uses electronically controlled dampers that adjust to road surface conditions. The driver can tailor ride and handling characteristic by selecting from among Normal, Sport or Comfort modes.
The real trick of balancing capability with comfort falls to the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS). Lexus was able to make the stabilizer bars stiffer to reduce maximum body-lean angle by as much as 50 percent. Normally, that would impinge the axle and wheel articulation needed for handling certain off-road situations. KDSS uses hydraulic cylinders acting on each stabilizer bar, and linked by a pressure-sensing valve, to continually vary the actual lean resistance.
When driving in off-road situations, KDSS reduces sway resistance, which allows the wheels to move with a larger degree of side-to-side independence. When the GX 460 encounters an uneven surface, one compressed cylinder causes fluid to flow to the other cylinder, helping the vehicle to keep all four wheels on the ground. That’s a lot easier than you crawling beneath the vehicle to disconnect the stabilizer bars, which is what drivers of some 4x4 vehicles will do before traversing a difficult trail.
During on-road cornering, when both front and rear hydraulic cylinders are in a neutral position, no fluid flows in the system and the stabilizer bars work conventionally to help reduce body lean.
Crawling Before Running
Trail drivers who encounter steep and rocky hills know well the skill and concentration needed to manipulate the throttle, brake and steering and keep the vehicle moving forward securely. The Lexus GX 460 offers Crawl Control, which automatically modulates the throttle and brake, allowing the driver to concentrate on steering.
Crawl Control can also help you navigate the vehicle through sand, mud or snow. It can be engaged when the driver shifts into low range. The system allows the vehicle to move forward or in reverse at one of five driver-selectable low-speed settings. Crawl Control also engages the front and rear “virtual” locking differentials to help reduce tire slippage and optimize chassis behavior.
Multi-tasking Multimedia
Need to keep tabs on several things at once? The GX 460’s multimedia system uses a customizable home screen that can display three sections simultaneously. For example, you can view a single display (navigation/map), dual display (navigation/map + audio, compass or other function) or three displays on the same screen (navigation/map + audio + weather). And, three-dimensional map views help make the available navigation system highly effective.
The touch-screen Display Audio uses an eight-inch screen that includes a backup camera, HD Radio™, Bluetooth® audio, automatic phone book transfer, a vehicle information display and complimentary traffic and weather data provided via HD Radio. The system also incorporates cache radio which has the ability to pause live radio.
Ever wish you could pause time? Pushing the cache radio button is the next best thing when a favorite song comes on while you’re busy doing something, like conducting a transaction at a bank drive-through. The feature will then save up to 15 minutes of broadcast to replay later.
iPhone® users (iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 models forward) can get things done just by asking through standard Siri® Eyes Free Mode. Siri lets you call contacts, select and play music from iTunes®, get turn-by-turn navigation through Siri and Apple maps, and much more.
Advanced Safety Systems
You can also expect the Lexus GX 460 to go above and beyond with safety features. Technologies that exemplify the brand’s forward thinking here are found in the optional Driver Support Package, which includes the Pre-Collision System (PCS), Driver Attention Monitor, Lane Departure Alert (LDA) and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control uses millimeter-wave radar to measure and help maintain a pre-set following distance from a vehicle traveling ahead.
The Driver Attention Monitor helps to address a growing safety concern, that of driver inattention. The innovative system uses a camera to monitor the orientation of the driver’s face. If it determines that the driver is not facing forward when an obstacle is detected by PCS, a warning chime and a warning display convey alerts. If the driver doesn’t respond as the vehicle gets closer to the obstacle, the next level of warning is PCS gently applying the brakes. At the same time, the system automatically retracts the front seatbelts and prepares the brake system to respond with increased force when you step on the brake pedal.
By monitoring certain lane markings, Lane Departure Alert can detect unintentional lane departure and sound a warning buzzer and display a visual alert. Also part of the Driver Support Package, Intelligent High Beam brings courtesy and safety to the road by automatically switching high beams to low when meeting oncoming vehicles or approaching vehicles from the rear.
Connected and Informed with Lexus Enform
Your smartphone works a whole lot smarter inside a Lexus GX 460. When equipped with the available Navigation System, it also comes with Lexus Enform Destinations (Destination Assist, eDestination), and the subscription-free Lexus Enform App Suite.
These voice-enabled apps let you search the Internet through Destination Search, make restaurant reservations through OpenTable®, get movie tickets via MovieTickets.com™, listen to Internet radio (including Pandora®, iHeartRadio™ and Slacker), search business reviews on Yelp®, and check in on Facebook Places™.
Lexus Enform Safety Connect features Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, Emergency Assist Button, Enhanced Roadside Assistance and is standard on all 2016 Lexus vehicles. Lexus Enform Safety Connect and Lexus Enform Destinations include a complimentary one-year trial subscription. The Lexus Enform response centers operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
What’s New for 2016
- Sepia NuLuxe trim
- Available Lexus Enform Service Connect and Lexus Enform Remote
Vehicle Details
Chassis/Body/Suspension/Tires
- Robust body-on-frame construction
- Available Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) features three modes: Normal, Sport and Comfort. (GX 460 Luxury)
- Available Adjustable Height Control (AHC) helps enhance the vehicle’s flexibility in a wide range of driving situations. (GX 460 Luxury)
- Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) provides additional control for off-road driving by helping to keep the vehicle from rolling back while starting on a steep incline.
- Downhill Assist Control (DAC) is designed to augment the low-speed descending ability of the transmission's low range by helping to hold the vehicle to a target speed with no intervention from the driver.
- 18-inch alloy wheels with 265/60R18 mud and snow tires.
Safety/Security Features
- The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) includes 10 airbags: advanced driver and front passenger airbags; front seat-mounted side airbags; driver and front passenger knee airbags; second-row seat-mounted side airbags (outboard), and roll-sensing side curtain airbags covering all three rows.
- Active front headrests move up and forward almost instantly in the event of certain types of rear-end collisions.
Luxury/Comfort/Convenience
- Standard features include: 10-way power-adjustable, front seats; automatic dual-zone climate control; steering wheel audio controls; power moonroof; memory system for the driver's seat, steering wheel and outside mirror positions, and integrated HomeLink® transmitter.
- The versatile passenger-side second row seat slides 5.3 inches fore/aft to maximize passenger and cargo carrying ability.
- The foldable and reclining second row seats also feature a 60/40 walk-in function to access the available power fold-flat third row seats.
- The rear hatch window has a flip-up glass panel for added convenience.
- Standard Lexus nine-speaker Premium Sound System with iPod®/USB connectivity, Bluetooth hands free phone capability and music streaming, and an integrated SirusXM Satellite Radio receiver (complimentary 90-day trial subscription included).
- Standard rear back-up camera displays images on the eight-inch audio display screen, or the optional navigation system’s LCD display.
Luxury Options
- 17-speaker Mark Levinson® Premium Surround Sound Audio system with 330-watts output at less than 0.1 percent Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), Automatic Sound Levelizer (ASL), 7.1 channel architecture
- Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE) system includes two LCD screens, one in each of the front seat backrests, two wireless headphones, HDMI input, 12-volt connector in the rear console, and remote control.
- Comfort Package (GX460 only) includes heated/ventilated front seats, heated second row outboard seats, and three-zone automatic climate control for enhanced passenger comfort.
- Driver Support Package (GX 460 Luxury) includes Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Driver Attention Monitor and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control; Lane Departure Alert; and Wide-view Front and Side Camera which is designed to enhance visibility in tight settings, such as parking garages, and to help the driver’s view around corners when pulling out of parking spaces into traffic or stopped at intersections and T-junctions; Crawl Control; Mark Levinson Audio System; Intelligent High Beams; and Navigation with eight-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, and more .
- Intuitive Parking Assist helps the driver detect obstacles at the front, rear or corners of the vehicle and helps guide the GX into the garage or parking spaces. (Available on GX460; standard on GX 460 Premium and GX 460 Luxury).
Warranty
- 48-month/50,000-mile basic limited warranty with roadside assistance for 48 months/unlimited miles.
- 72 months/70,000 miles powertrain and restraint system coverage.
- 72 months corrosion perforation protection coverage, regardless of mileage.
