Here’s our quick GX 550 video on YouTube.
Tucson, Arizona — Lexus wasted no time changing the new GX 550 interior, especially up front. Just two years ago, the 2022 GX 460’s cabin had been completely redesigned and looked nothing like the previous version, gaining a larger screen up top and a sleeker layout. But with the next-generation 2024 GX redesign, the luxury mid-size hauler’s inside environment is once again, and rightfully so, revamped in every way.
The 2024 GX 550 trims:
| Market | GX 550 Trims |
|---|---|
| US Trims | Premium, Premium+, Overtrail and Overtrail+, Luxury, Luxury+ |
| Canada Trims | Signature, Premium, Overtrail and Overtrail+, Luxury, Executive |
Cleaner dash layout and better off-road visibility
Gone is the massive, protruding screen up top, invading space and visibility. Instead, it was replaced by an even larger 14-inch touchscreen (now with wireless CarPlay and Auto, by the way), but this time, it was integrated nicely into the new horizontal layout. Like the GX 550’s squared-off exterior look, the interior has a cleaner, linear design.
In the cockpit of the GX 550 Overtrail off-roading just outside Tucson, visibility out the front window was excellent. The lowered belt line and upright front pillars also improve necessary visibility while opening up the interior space, and the engine hood is easy to see over. It helps grasp a sense of the full-size SUV’s dimensions. If you’re a big golfer, check out the interior of this Lexus GX 550 Malbon Edition with a slick golf bag holder in the back.
Air vents aren’t the stars of the show
Traversing mountains or negotiating suburban mall parking lots, we’re fans of the neatly organized centre stack for 2024 with the lower screen placement. But the lack of dials and knobs now means more swiping and poking to find temperature and music controls. It’s definitely a trade-off for the premium look versus a more utility setup.
2015-2021 GX 460 interior:
2022-2023 GX 460 interior:
2024 GX 550 interior:
Air vents hog precious space and compromise design, in our view. The 2015-2021 GX 460 vents sat above the touchscreen: functional, sure, but not visually appealing. The 2022 interior placed those vents below the touchscreen: better, but still front and centre and took up nearly 25% of real estate. The 2024 vents remain below the large 14-inch screen, but they’re almost undetectable and integrated nicely without being put on display.
Both 5- and 7-passenger GX 550 configurations
With the Overtrail adventure-ready trim, 3rd-row seats are unavailable, providing more cargo space for overlanding gear and accessories. This beast is less people-mover and more home base out in the wild. The Luxury and Premium grades offer 3rd-row seating, but only the latter adds optional 2nd-row captain’s chairs.
Sticking with the Overtrail, customers can also delete the sunroof for a sturdier roof to accommodate rooftop tents (in the US, not in Canada), and there’s no vast panoramic glass found in the other trims.
An optional full-colour head-up display is new for 2024, and the standard Panasonic 10-speaker audio system can be upgraded to a 21-speaker Mark Levinson surround system in the lower trims. Interior colour combos for Luxury and Premium include all black, black and grey, and black and tan combos; the Overtrail offers all black and the exclusive black on olive/tan combo.
Other new interior details include distinctive metallic ornamentation, the centre display, and meters wrapped in leather to create a modern and refined space.
Takeaway
While exterior changes can take years, interior updates are more flexible to keep up with the times (i.e., Need. Bigger. Touchscreens.). That’s precisely what we see here. The 2021 GX 460 quickly became outdated, ushering in a new look for 2022 and 2023. Only to be entirely overhauled with the all-new 2024 Lexus GX 550. From a tidier design with a horizontal look for better off-road visibility to a massive 14-inch touchscreen and improved materials throughout. Definitely worth the effort.
