2024 Lexus GX or Land Rover Defender? The luxury 4WD market is about to heat up, but which should you pick? | Opinion

Australians can't get enough of the Toyota Prado, so the related Lexus GX should surely be a hit too, right?

Well, the 2024 Lexus GX might be new to Australia, but it won't be the only circa-$100,000 premium 4WD option available, as the Land Rover Defender has been available since mid-2020.

But which model should you pick if you and the family are looking for something comfortable for school runs and rugged enough for a tow of the jet skis on the weekend?

Read More About Land Rover Defender

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2024 Lexus GX

Suspension-wise, the GX has double-wishbones at the front, and a four-link rigid axle at the rear and adaptive variable suspension.

The Prado-based 4WD will be offered, initially at least, with only a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. There's no word on a hybrid as yet.

No official engine outputs have been revealed so far, but the LX sibling has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 producing 305kW and 650Nm, so it's not unreasonable to expect somewhere in that vicinity for the GX – either those figures (above) or 260kW and 650NM have been mentioned.

It is tipped to have full-time all-wheel drive with a low-range transfer case.

The GX also sports the GA-F ladder-frame chassis that is shared with the LX and Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, and 2850mm wheelbase.

Dimensions-wise, the GX will be 5004mm long, 2114mm wide and up to 1935mm tall.

It will be offered in seven- or six-seat configurations.

No prices for the 2024 Lexus GX line-up have been announced yet.

The Prado-cousin is tipped to have a 14.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, Lexus' system of advanced driver-assist tech and three rows of seats.

Suspension-wise, the GX has double-wishbones at the front, and a four-link rigid axle at the rear and adaptive variable suspension, a set-up in which sensors automatically adjust the suspension dampers.

A special off-road-focussed GX variant, the five-seat Overtrail, will be offered and that'll have Toyota's E-KDSS suspension, multi-terrain select (off-road driving modes: Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud, Deep Snow and Rock), a multi-terrain monitor (i.e. a surround-view off-road camera), a locking rear differential, and a five-seat configuration exclusive to this variant.

And for those that don't know, E-KDSS acts like an electronic active swaybar, adjusting tension on the front and rear sway bars to suit the terrain and driving conditions. This has proven very impressive during our off-road testing, including most recently when we did a hardcore off-road challenge in a LC300 GR Sport, during which the E-KDSS tightened the sway bars for better body control at higher speeds on sealed surfaces, and exhibited a lot more flexibility for improved wheel articulation through low-range four-wheel-driving.

Towing capacity on the GX is expected to be 3500kg (braked).

No prices for the 2024 Lexus GX line-up have been announced yet, but those and official specifications will be revealed ahead of its launch early next year. The petrol LX 600 starts from $156,591 (excluding on-road costs), so expect to pay in the vicinity of $100,000 or so for a GX.

2024 Land Rover Defender

The Defender is available in a gazillion different specs with a bunch of different accessorise-me packages.

If you're cross-shopping the Lexus GX and a Defender, the 110 may well be in your sights.

The five-seat Defender P400 S has a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, producing 294kW and 550Nm, permanent all-wheel drive, and a dual-range transfer case with high- and low-range 4WD.

It has an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Dimensions-wise, it is 4758mm long, 2008mm wide, and 1972mm high. It has a listed kerb weight of 2297kg.

Prices for this petrol-powered Defender start at ,970 before on-road costs and go much higher for other variants and can cost nearly as much as the LX (from 6,591 in petrol LX600 guise).

As expected for a vehicle that sports a near-$100,000 price-tag for some used examples, it comes loaded to the rooftop with standard features – but, for the sake of brevity, let's just mention the 11.4-inch 'Pivi Pro' multimedia system and a full suite of advanced driver assistance systems (including off-road driving modes via its Terrain Response system), but the wading mode is only included when you option the air suspension.

And the Defender is available in a gazillion different specs with a bunch of different accessorise-me packages.

Towing capacity is listed as 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked). Towing packs and electronic air suspension can be optioned, but obviously at a cost.

Prices for this petrol-powered Defender start at $97,970 before on-road costs and go much higher for other variants and can cost nearly as much as the LX (from $156,591 in petrol LX600 guise).

What I reckon

The Toyota Prado is an appealing vehicle as is, so a hyper-luxury version of it in Lexus GX form will surely attract plenty of high-end buyers.

But the new-generation Defender is a very impressive vehicle and manages to blend urban/suburban civility with off-road capability, all while looking pretty bloody stylish.

The GX comes from a strong off-road touring tradition but, arguably, the Defender even more so.

The Lexus GX may be proven to be better suited to life as a suburb-based daily driver sporadically used for light-duty towing tasks, rather than as an all-out hard-core 4WD.

The Defender is already comfortable with all of those responsibilities – and more.