Lexus GX vs Toyota Fortuner

What's the difference?

The new Lexus GX 550 showcases a brand new design for its third-generation iteration but the model is new to the Australian market.

And while it hasn't been as hotly anticipated as its cousin, the Toyota Prado, it's still one that should excite. It's a capable full-time four-wheel drive that manages to look good on- and off-road! It feels like a breath of fresh air.

Will it find itself more likely adorning the garage of a city slicker? Perhaps, but you can't deny it has some star power now with its design and it couldn't have come soon enough. Especially when you compare the flagship Sports Luxury grade my family and I have on test to its European luxury rivals, the BMW X7 and Land Rover Defender.

The Toyota Fortuner has been around since 2015 with very few significant changes in the years between then and now.

And that’s telling because the HiLux-based Fortuner has never managed to make the mark in its market segment that Toyota would so dearly like it to.

With a new Fortuner possibly due in the not-too-distant future – with Toyota’s mild-hybrid 48V V-Active system onboard perhaps? – it’s worth revisiting the seven-seat Fortuner to see how the current ageing 4WD wagon stands up against its fresher rivals.

Read on.