If a luxury company had to make a pickup truck, what would it be?Cadillac and Lincoln are leading the way (both corporations have done so before), but the company has what it takes to set this untapped market on fire. We’re thinking of Lexus.
Toyota’s luxury division has spent years cultivating a reliable, high-end symbol that has resonated with buyers. It has also designed functional SUVs, but they have yet to get the attention they deserve. The upcoming GX550 is poised to fully embrace the shutdown symbol. -Luxury on the road and has what it takes to generate a sibling or a pickup truck.
The GX debuted with a twin-turbo V6, the ability to tow up to 8,000 pounds, a permanent all-wheel-drive system, and an electronically locking rear differential on Overtrail models. Combine all those features with the convenience of a bedside shipping and you have the apparent recipe for success. The adaptability of the TNGA-F architecture means that its design would not be complicated either. It’s a compelling proposition, so let’s take a look at what a Lexus pickup truck looks like.
The main catalyst for this concept is that the company has expressed interest in a pickup truck, explicitly stating that if it built such a vehicle, it wouldn’t simply be a rebranded Toyota. This comes directly from Lexus president Takashi Watanabe, but he was referring to an electric pickup truck at the time.
“However, in the future, we will lead [the progression of electric cars for the Toyota Group] and in doing so, we want to offer as many features as possible. If there is a strong desire on the part of consumers. . . Lexus launch or launch a pick-up. . . it’s a matter of choice going forward,” Watanabe said.
We’re not sure anyone has a “great need” for a luxury van, but there’s no denying that fully loaded vans sell like hotcakes and their prices are already firmly in luxury car territory. Look no further than the $85,000. The $82,000 Ford F-150 Limited and GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate are the best examples.
As much as EV pickups are all the rage these days, something with combustion propulsion would serve its image better, at least at first, meaning the twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 available in its current offerings would be a solid fit. In the GX550, it produces 349 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque.
These are healthy numbers, but your competition will outcompete you. The answer to this challenge lies in the Lexus LX, which uses the same base engine but is tuned to produce 409 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. A hybrid drivetrain is also a conceivable solution. We know that Lexus is making plans to introduce a hybrid to the GX lineup, but no additional details are available. But looking at the Tundra’s hybrid unit, we know that the i-Force Max can produce 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet. of torque, and we’re willing to bet that Toyota has still left some functionality in reserve.
There’s a 0% chance Lexus will use its NA V8. Putting the 472-horsepower 5. 0-liter V8 under the hood would probably sound great, but the high-performance engine was never meant to be used in a pickup truck.
The TNGA-F platform is Toyota’s modular body-on-chassis platform capable of supporting wheelbases from 112. 2 to 164. 6 inches. It also underpins the Tundra, Tacoma, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, LX, GX and the upcoming 4Runner. As a committed platform for pickup trucks, it asks the company to save on progression costs related to the introduction of an entirely new version.
MotorTrend discussed it a few years ago with Robert Carter, executive vice president of sales for Toyota Motor North America, and he was very excited about its possibilities.
“TNGA is more than just the platform of the vehicle; [it] is an engineering philosophy where you take the time to engineer certain components to be optimal and class-leading,” Carter said. “And the next vehicle that needs to be developed, you don’t need to re-develop that same thing. It carries over, so it’s commonality. That takes man-hours out of development products. We have the same number of people, but we can now develop more products.”
If Lexus does this, it will be a Lexus product through and through. Although it would be easiest to slap new looks on the Tundra, that won’t pull in buyers who have been buying Toyota trucks for decades.
The best example of why this might not work is the Lincoln Mark LT that Ford sold from 2006 to 2008 in the U. S. U. S. It was simply a rebranded F-150 and didn’t convince anyone to pass it off as its blue. -Cousin necklace.
It will have to be exclusive to captivate consumers, so relying on a symbol of the luxury off-roader would be vital. This would be a pickup truck for the world’s wealthy Overlanders, wealthy buyers looking for capability and luxury in a logo known for build-quality vehicles.
The audience wouldn’t be the foreman at the job site but more the executive who works in the building once it’s finished, someone who wants the capability of a truck but wants to keep the comfort they’ve grown accustomed to.
It would also do wonders to turn the brand’s comfortable retirement symbol into something new and exciting. The GX has already begun this revitalization and buyers are turning out in droves to get their hands on the new product. Consumers are clamoring for a luxury SUV. vehicles, and with the full force of Toyota Motor Corporation behind us, we, Lexus, have what it takes to create a luxury truck where others have failed.