The Lexus GX 470, first introduced in 2003, is a full-capability luxury utility vehicle positioned between the brand's car-based RX 330 and the premium-luxury LX 470 models in size and price position.
The GX 470 offers eight-passenger seating with the optional rear seat. Available rear air conditioning brings all-season comfort to the third-row passengers. The GX 470 combines the luxury appointments and workmanship of a Lexus sedan with an innovative full-time four-wheel drive system that's augmented by an array of safety and dynamic handling technology. As testament to its all-road capability, the Lexus GX 470 won Four Wheeler Magazine's "Four Wheeler of The Year" award two years in a row. Newly added in 2004, an optional Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) varies the sway resistance provided by the front and rear stabilizer bars, enhancing both on-road handling response and off-highway capability.
"The GX 470 offers the ultimate in luxurious adventures," said Denny Clements, Lexus group vice president and general manager. "The available KDSS emphasizes our commitment to offering the most luxurious and most capable SUVs in the market."
The GX 470's DOHC 4.7-liter V8 engine produces 235 horsepower and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. The five-speed automatic transmission provides seamless shift quality, and shift logic holds gears on inclines for power and on descents for increased engine braking - helpful when towing. Customers who want to use the 6,500-lb. towing capacity (with optional tow package) will appreciate that the engine produces a generous 80 percent of its peak torque - or 256 lb.-ft. - at just 1,100 rpm. The GX 470 also meets Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) certification.

Rugged Chassis, Sophisticated Control
Robust body-on-frame construction provides the high carrying capacity that customers in this segment favor. Independent front suspension and rear air suspension with self-leveling deliver a smooth on-road ride without compromising rugged hauling and off-road capabilities. The engine-speed-sensing, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system provides precise steering response. The standard 265/65R17 tires are mounted on 17-inch alloy wheels.
The rear Adaptive Height Control (AHC) provides flexibility for the GX 470's many uses. A high setting provides an extra 1.6 inches of clearance when traversing challenging terrain. The AHC also will lower the vehicle 1.2 inches from its neutral setting for easier cargo loading.
The comprehensive dynamic handling technology in the GX 470 gives it exceptional capability and includes: Full-time four-wheel drive with low range; anti-lock brake system (ABS); Brake Assist (BA); Active TRAC (traction control); Downhill Assist Control (DAC); Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC).
The full-time four-wheel drive system uses a Torsen® torque-sensing center differential that distributes the power 40 percent front / 60 percent rear under most conditions and changes the ratio as needed based on steering input and wheel slip. Changing to a 29 percent front / 71 percent rear distribution ratio during steering maneuvers helps to enhance vehicle tracking through curves. If the rear wheels spin, the center differential can change the ratio to 53 percent front / 47 percent rear to help control the slippage. The Torsen center differential also makes the GX 470 less prone to slippage caused by sudden changes in road surface conditions, such as driving through a puddle or ice patch.
The transmission's low range allows the GX 470 to negotiate steep off-road slopes. Downhill Assist Control (DAC) is designed to augment the low-speed descending ability of low-range by holding the vehicle to a target speed with no intervention from the driver. In addition, the Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) system helps provide additional control for off-road driving by helping to keep the vehicle stationary while starting on a steep incline or slippery surface.
Active TRAC (traction control) provides the traction benefit of locking front and rear differentials, but with less weight. The system can apply the brake to a slipping wheel, which functions to transfer torque to the wheels with better traction.

Industry-First Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System
The Lexus GX 470 is the first SUV to offer the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), which provides more sway stiffness when needed for crisp handling response, less sway resistance when cornering and more comfort over bumpy roads.
Employing a simple hydraulic control system acting on the front and rear stabilizer bars, KDSS reduces the degree of roll stiffness provided by each of the bars in response to changing road conditions and driver inputs. The front and rear stabilizer bars, which have nearly double the standard torsional stiffness of the standard suspension's bars, are supported by inter-connecting hydraulic cylinders.
In normal cornering, the bars work conventionally to resist body roll motion and there is no fluid flow between the cylinders. When unequal wheel loading occurs in certain conditions, fluid can move between the front and rear cylinders, helping to equalize loading.
With its variable roll stiffness, a KDSS-equipped GX 470 is able to use much larger stabilizer bars that help reduce maximum body roll angle by nearly 50 percent, significantly improving handling response. Large stabilizer bars would normally mean a stiff ride over single-wheel bumps, but with KDSS, the energy is distributed between front and rear so that ride comfort is not disturbed. In some cases it's improved. Larger stabilizer bars enable shock absorber damping force to be optimized to improve ride comfort, without sacrificing handling.
KDSS allows the wheels on each axle to move with a larger degree of side-to-side independence, minimizing any tendency for wheel lift. The increased suspension articulation helps maximize traction, even in challenging off-road driving situations. KDSS works in concert with the standard Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), which continuously changes shock absorber damping in response to road conditions and driver input. Combining these suspension technologies helps optimize ride, handling and traction both on and off-road.

Advanced Safety Systems
The Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system helps keep the GX 470 going on its intended course by detecting front-wheel slide and rear-wheel slide during cornering and attempting to control either condition with torque intervention and/or by braking individual wheels.

Brake Assist is designed to determine if the driver is attempting emergency braking and, if the driver has not stepped firmly enough on the brake pedal to engage the anti-lock brake system (ABS), the system supplements the applied braking power. Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) utilizes the ABS and distributes proper brake force between the front and rear wheels according to driving conditions.
The Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) in the GX 470 include dual front and side airbags and side curtain airbags. The roll-sensing curtain airbags are designed to deploy in a severe tilt angle, roll or lateral g force. A rear backup camera, available in conjunction with the optional navigation system, gives the driver a view of what's behind the vehicle, automatically projecting a color image on the navigation system's seven-inch LCD screen when reverse gear is engaged. A Tire Pressure Monitoring system (TPM) can detect a loss in pressure in one or more tires, a condition that could potentially lead to loss of control.

Personal Luxury
The many standard luxury features in the Lexus GX 470 include automatic climate control, leather seating surfaces and trim, a premium audio system with a six-disc in-dash CD changer, steering wheel audio controls, rain-sensing windshield wipers, power moonroof, a wood/leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, memory system for the driver's seat, steering wheel position and outside mirrors, heated front seats, and an overhead console with integrated HomeLink® transmitter. The standard body-color roof rack extends the vehicle's carrying capacity while maintaining the design's elegant monochromatic appearance. An optional rear tonneau cover, available when the third-row seat option is not selected, helps keep prying eyes from stored valuables.
The optional, factory-installed DVD rear seat entertainment system uses a high-resolution LCD screen that lowers from the headliner, providing a mobile theater experience for up to six passengers. An available Lexus-exclusive Mark Levinson audio system, also offered in other Lexus models, can turn the GX 470 into a concert hall on wheels.
The optional DVD-based Lexus Navigation System allows rear-seat passengers to control the system via a remote control while simultaneously viewing on the rear entertainment drop-down screen what is being displayed on the dashboard screen.

As with all Lexus vehicles, the GX 470 comes with a 48-month/50,000-mile basic limited warranty with roadside assistance for 48 months/unlimited miles. Powertrain and restraint system coverage is provided for 72 months/70,000 miles. Corrosion perforation protection is covered for 72 months, regardless of mileage.