Driving the Lexus GX550 4WD seven-seat wagon – it comes in three grades the entry Luxury, the mid-spec Overtrail and the flagship sports luxury. I drove the entry GX550 Luxury at $130,554 drive-away which shares its underpinnings with the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, but instead of the 2.8- litre diesel engine the GX550 is powered by a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine linked to a 10-speed automatic. A 21/2 tonne permanent all-wheel- drive the Lexus GX550 is a serious 4WD and Lexus has given this big 4WD the performance it deserves with 260kW of power and a healthy 650Nm of torque – the 10-speed gearbox silky smooth with the added ability to select different drive modes via a dial on the centre console. But despite its mechanical sophistication it still feels a large heavy 4WD around town and with the need for 95 grade premium fuel its far from fuel efficient. I managed 15.7L/100km around town. Despite its luxury pretensions however the Lexus GX550 still feels like a truck around town and obviously its best performance is off the beaten track. For this reason, whilst its highly equipped, there’s a number of luxury seven seat SUVs better suited to around town motoring for the same money.

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