Lexus GX 550 Overtrail (2025) Review
The Lexus GX 550 Overtrail brings an admirable blend of luxury and off-road talent to the Adventure SUV segment, but is it more than just a rebadged Toyota Prado?
We like: Powerful twin-turbo V6, ride quality, premium appointments, off-road capability
We don’t like: Thirst for 95 unleaded/limited tank range.
FAST FACTS
- Model: 2025 Lexus GX 550 Overtail
- Price: R1 801 300 (July 2025)
- Engine: 3.4-litre V6 turbopetrol
- Transmission: 10-speed automatic
- Power/Torque: 260 kW/650 Nm
- 0-100 kph: 7.0 sec (claimed)
- Claimed consumption: 12.3 L/100km (claimed)
- Luggage capacity: 1 063 litres
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Where does the Lexus GX 550 Overtrail fit in?
The Lexus GX is not a familiar name in South African motoring, and this 3rd-gen model is the first of its kind to go on sale in our new-vehicle market. If you think it’s just a Lexus-badged Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, you’re somewhat correct, as both ride on the same TNGA-F ladder-frame setup, but that’s pretty much where the similarity ends. The powertrain is the key differentiator, but more about that later.
The Lexus GX line-up comprises 2 variants: the Overtrail (tested here) and SE. While both are powered by a 3.4-litre V6 turbopetrol engine, each has its own identity. Overtrail is a 5-seater off-roader with all-terrain tyres and additional 4×4 hardware, while the SE is a 7-seater with a greater focus on luxury.
See also: Lexus GX 550 Overtrail (2025) Launch Review
What else can you buy when you’re seeking a new vehicle with serious off-road talent, a luxurious cabin, and brand prestige for around R1.8 million? It stands to reason that the GX’s main rival is its Toyota Land Cruiser Prado cousin, but given its spectacular sales success and desirability, the 2024/25 Cars.co.za Awards Adventure SUV-category champion, Land Rover Defender also deserves to be in the reckoning.
Compare specs of Lexus GX 500 with those of rivalling Land Cruiser Prado and Defender variants
If 4×4-ing isn’t your thing, but you want a premium full-size family car, then we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the German trio of the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. Sure, they won’t be able to follow the GX 550 Overtrail into the wilderness, but their cabins are just as plush and appealing.
How the Lexus GX 550 Overtrail fares in terms of…
Performance and Efficiency
Family arguments are always awkward, and what could be more awkward than the young Lexus GX upstart boasting the same outputs as the 305 kW petrol-fed Toyota Land Cruiser 300? That would dent egos and sales, so the GX’s 3.4-litre twin-turbopetrol V6 has been slightly detuned. The numbers will make you do a double-take, nonetheless – the 550 Overtrail has peak outputs of 260 kW and 650 Nm.
Power goes to all 4 wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. There’s an array of drive modes to choose from, but truth be told, we couldn’t work out the difference between Sport and Sport+.
With a creamy, turbopetrol V6 under the bonnet (as opposed to its Prado cousin’s workmanlike 2.8GD-6 4-cylinder turbodiesel), the GX 550 was always going to be quick, as its claimed 0–100 kph time (7 sec) suggests. However, in its sportiest drive mode, the test unit’s acceleration felt even stronger than that, and our test equipment confirmed that the 0-100 kph sprint had been dispatched in a rapid 6.58 sec.
Despite the numerous ratios (all 10 of them), the Lexus’ powertrain software was smart enough to find the right gear at the right time, but considering that a not-insubstantial 650 Nm of torque is available from 2 000 to 3 600 rpm, the transmission hardly, if ever, needs to go hunting for the appropriate ratio.
There’s a downside to the majestic howl and generous in-gear acceleration (resulting in almost effortless overtaking ability) that the muscular V6 produces, and that’s less-than-stellar fuel consumption.
Lexus claims an average fuel consumption of 12.3 L/100 km, but despite our best efforts (including using Eco mode and adopting a very conservative driving style), we couldn’t get the test unit’s indicated return to dip below 15 L/100 km. And, given the 550 Overtrail’s target market, fuel-efficiency certainly matters.
The 550 Overtrail is packaged to appeal to off-road enthusiasts and adventurers, but while Lexus claims this variant could clock up 650 km from a full (80-litre tank), you’re more likely to need to fill up again after less than 500 km, which means you’ll have to plan your overlanding expeditions carefully.
So, if you’re planning to head into the back and beyond, you’ll need to schedule an extra fuel stop or two, pack a couple of jerry cans… or just pick the GX 550’s cousin, the turbodiesel-powered Prado instead.
Features and Practicality
When you step inside the GX, Lexus’ restrained but upmarket fit-and-finish is immediately apparent. The Japanese premium brand knows how to deliver superb build quality, and our test unit was no exception.
The interiors of Lexus off-roaders have become notably more ergonomically efficient; the brand’s new Adventure SUV has an intuitive interface comprising both physical buttons and a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen, the latter replacing the infamous touchpad system that frustrated many users (and us).
Consumers who are willing to spend R1.8 million on a new vehicle rightly expect a comprehensive list of standard luxury, tech, and convenience features – and that is where Lexus shines. Unlike the new GX’s German and British rivals, the 550 Overtrail has no optional extras or complicated spec packages. Okay, okay, a bi-tone exterior paint finish is available for an extra R10 400 (July 2025), but that’s it!
Standard equipment highlights include a digital instrument cluster, heated, ventilated and faux leather and suede-trimmed front seats, USB charging ports, a wireless charging pad, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring, and a host of driver assistance and safety features, including 8 airbags.
Rear passengers get their own recharging ports and climate control console, plus there’s no shortage of head- and legroom for adult occupants. If you need extra seats, Lexus also offers the GX 550 in 3-row SE configuration, which offers a few more luxury appointments and features for its R65k premium, but foregoes Overtrail-specific off-road enhancements (we’ll discuss those under Ride & Handling below).
The load bay is capacious (a claimed 1 063 litres), plus you can fold down the 2nd row if required.
Ride and Handling
Apart from its beefed-up black roof rails and static side sills, the most noticeable features of the GX 550 Overtrail are its dark grey 18-inch rims shod with decidedly chunky 265/70 all-terrain tyres (with 20 mm wider tread); they’re not just for show, but facilitate genuine go-anywhere capability in combination with the variant’s extensive list of off-road hardware, which includes reinforced underbody protection.
Apart from its 220 mm of ground clearance, permanent 4-wheel drive with a low-range transfer case, and both rear and centre diff locks, the Overtrail comes equipped with Toyota Motor Corporation’s Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (e-KDSS), which can automatically decouple the anti-roll bars to allow for more wheel articulation in off-road conditions – or stiffen them to aid on-road stability.
Complementing these mechanical features, the Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) system offers 6 selectable off-road drive modes (Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud, Deep Snow, and Rock) to make it easier to venture off the beaten path. Also available is downhill-assist control and a Crawl mode, which automatically regulates speed over tricky terrain, allowing the driver to focus on steering without having to operate the pedals.
After the new GX’s local product launch in April 2025, Cars.co.za track-test ace Ash Oldfield reported that the Overtrail easily handled everything on a reasonably challenging 4×4 course: “just as you’d expect from a fit-for-purpose Toyota model, only with more comfort and luxury from the Lexus badge.”
And, when we had this test unit in our Cape Town fleet, we put the Overtrail through its paces on gravel roads, where it performed with equal composure: its suspension and all-terrain tyres soaked up corrugations and loose stones with ease, and electronic aids only intervened when truly necessary.
Impressively, those chunky tyres don’t generate excessive road noise – or perhaps they do, but the Lexus’ cabin is so well insulated that you hardly notice. And although the Overtrail doesn’t get the SE’s 21-speaker Mark Levinson system, its standard 10-speaker audio setup still delivers rich, clear sound.
Sure, the GX 550 Overtrail is marketed as a capable off-roader, but as an everyday family car, its on-road manners are quite exceptional for a premium ladder-frame-based Adventure SUV. The Lexus’ suspension setup is quite supple, or forgiving – it’s genuinely one of the most comfortable vehicles in the segment.
Granted, there’s some body roll if you push hard in corners, yet that’s a small trade-off for what we’d argue is class-leading comfort and refinement. The steering is reasonably weighted, and you’ll especially appreciate its lightness at low speeds when manoeuvring this 5-metre Lexus in tight urban spaces.
Price and After-sales support
The Lexus GX 550 Overtrail costs R1 801 300 (July 2025), which includes a 7-year/100 000km warranty and full maintenance plan. Vehicle service intervals are every 10 000 km, or yearly.
Search for a new/used Lexus listed for sale on Cars.co.za
See also: Lexus Specs & Prices in South Africa
Verdict
When we recently caught up with Lexus SA staff, they were quietly pleased with the interest and demand in the new GX. We understand that it took a substantial amount of convincing by the SA team to the global Lexus product planners to allocate some right-hand-drive units to our market, but the sales figures speak for themselves. Simply put, the GX is Lexus South Africa’s best-selling vehicle in years.
Should you buy a Lexus GX 550 Overtrail? We’d say the answer depends entirely on how you plan to use it. If you’re the adventuring type who routinely travels to remote corners of South Africa, the limited range may hamper your ambitions. But if your idea of a perfect getaway is a road trip on the national highways to a tranquil seaside town, then Lexus’ thirst becomes less of a problem.
We think the Overtrail is the GX model to have. It’s reasonably well specified, and even if you don’t fully use its 4×4 capability, those all-terrain tyres will traverse potholes like they’re not there.
Of course, as much as we adore the Lexus image, capabilities, and performance, the thirst and price premium dilute the overall appeal, which is why we’d lean towards the talented all-rounder, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VX-R. We’d miss the twin-turbo V6, sure, but double the usable range makes it a more sensible option. Now, if only the Land Rover Defender weren’t such an enticing prospect, too…