The explosion of overlanding culture that's arisen in recent years has been a boon for quite a few brands, but there's one automaker whose presence in the ranks might seem odd to its usual buyers: Lexus. After all, most Lexus models are vehicles like the TX and the RX — crossovers meant for parent duty and corner-office commuting.
Ask any off-road enthusiast about it, though, and it makes sense. Lexus also happens to sell two of the most hardcore off-road SUVs Americans can buy new off the lot today, the GX and the LX — which, in other markets, wear less exotic Toyota badges and wear Land Cruiser nameplates. Here in the States, those models may be decked out in cushy leather and boast luxury badges, but that does nothing to diminish their inherent capability.
And Lexus, to its credit, has been leaning into that overlanding image in recent years, both by showing off their stock vehicles' capabilities and by kitting them up in aftermarket accessories to demonstrate how much further owners can take their rigs.
For the 2023 installment of the SEMA show — the automotive aftermarket convention that occurs every fall in Las Vegas, Nevada — Lexus is showing off a selection of its burliest sport-utes outfitted with selections from the brand's Associated Accessory Product, or AAP, program, which showcases gear from third-party vendors that Lexus vouches for as worthy of being used with their vehicles.
2024 Lexus GX 550
The new-for-2024 GX 550 isn't even in dealerships yet, but as the newest member of Lexus's off-road family (and the fancy twin of the new 2024 Land Cruiser), it's no surprise to see it with the brand at SEMA. The build is based on the new Overtrail+ trim level, which is meant to further optimize the GX for going beyond the pavement with features like an aluminum skid plate, overfenders and 33-inch all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels.
To that, Lexus aded rock rails (with Lexus badges, of course), an on-board compressor for inflating the tires, a Prinsu roof rack, ladder and window accessory panels, Pelican cargo cases, ARB TRED PRO recovery boards, a DMOS Delta Shovel and RotoPax containers for water.
Learn more about the Lexus GX 550 here.
2022 Lexus LX 600
Much to our chagrin, we learned back in 2021 that the J300 Land Cruiser — heir to the beloved J200 Land Cruiser sold here from 2007 until just two years ago — would not be coming to America in Toyota guise. Luckily, it did still make it here as the Lexus LX, just as read to roll over rocks and through mud as its sibling.
For this year's SEMA show, Lexus took one of those new 300-Series Land Cruiser-in-all-but-name vehicles and whipped up a treatment meant to make it optimized for trips to the lake ... assuming, of course, said lake is miles away from civilization. 33-inch all-terrain tires provide grip to get you there; once you arrive, there's a Yakima camp kitchen mounted on the hitch, a Kammok car awning to serve up shelter and a Prinsu roof rack for carrying water toys — in this case, a Yakima SupDawg stand-up paddleboard.
Read our review of the 2022 Lexus LX 600 here.
2022 Lexus GX 460
The GX 640 may be on its way out, but that's not stopping Lexus from still showing it off. (Or, on the flip side, selling it; I just saw a new commercial for it during last Sunday's NFL games.) No surprise why: this vehicle, based on the outgoing Land Cruiser Prado, remains a remarkably capable off-roader and an impressively reliable vehicle overall.
Much like Hank Scorpio, this GX is all about hammocks: specifically, a 10-foot-long Kammok Roo Double Hammock, mounted to a Prinsu roof rack and a Kammock hammock stand that deploys as a base. A 15.75-gallon ARB fridge holds food for when you get hungry— which you probably will, after you put the off-road features properly to the tes. 34-inch all-terrain tires, rock sliders and full skid plate setup are designed to tackle what nature throws at you, while a portable air compressor, recovery boards and recovery kit are there to help if things get hard even for this GX.
