Not many vehicles can pull off being tough and well-mannered at the same time. But Lexus has done this with the GX. Blessed with the proven on- and off-road DNA of its previous generations, the GX is as adept at providing a smooth, quiet highway ride as it is nimbly working its way through a rugged, terrain.Recently the GX topped the Midsize Premium SUV category in the 2016 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. The study examines problems experienced during the past year by owners of 2013 model-year vehicles, and each brand’s overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100). A lower score reflects higher quality.

The GX owes its well-rounded nature to the capable hardware that lives beneath its polished wood, thick carpeting and soft leather. Not only does the GX have an adaptive suspension (with three driver-selectable modes) but it also sports adaptive stabilizer bars. The latter perform their expected duty of minimizing body lean when rounding corners, but they can also be disengaged off-road to allow maximum suspension travel.

Crawl Control endows the GX with even more off-road prowess. This feature automatically modulates throttle and braking to maintain a selectable speed and optimum control whether ascending or descending a hill.

The Lexus GX is a seven-passenger luxury SUV offered in base and Premium trim levels. Standard features on the base GX include 18-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, running boards, a sunroof, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 10-Way power-adjustable heated/ventilated front seats (with power lumbar), driver memory settings, power-folding third-row seats, Three-zone automatic climate control and an auto-dimming rear view mirror. Also standard are a back-up camera and an EMV DVD 17-speaker Mark Levinson Bluetooth audio and phone, satellite radio, iPod connectivity and an auxiliary audio jack.

The GX Premium adds adaptive variable suspension (with rear adjustable height control), auto-dimming side view mirrors, adaptive xenon headlights, upgraded leather upholstery, heated second-row seats and rear air-conditioning. Other options include front and rear parking sensors, wide front and side view cameras, power-folding exterior mirrors, a navigation system, a rear-seat entertainment system with twin screens. The Premium trim is also eligible for adaptive cruise control, the Crawl Control off-road system, a lane-departure warning system and a driver-attention monitor.

The Lexus GX is powered by a 4.6-liter V8 producing 292 horsepower (Net) and 44.7 KgM Torque. A six-speed automatic transmission routes power to all four wheels via a dual-range transfer case. The Lexus GX460 comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, hill descent control, hill start assist, front- and rear-seat side airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags and roll-sensing side curtain airbags spanning all three rows. A collision mitigation system is included with the optional adaptive cruise control and lane-departure and distracted-driver alerts are also optional features.

Lexus is constantly looking to the future, driven by innovation. The process to create a Lexus vehicle is unique within the automotive industry. Taking inspiration from fields as diverse as the fashion industry, architecture, the arts and medicine, each vehicle is painstakingly crafted to meet Lexus’ exacting standards.

In Oman every Lexus vehicle comes with special benefits and privileges such as 6 years unlimited extended mileage protection and Lexus Prestige Club Card that offers 24 hours on-road assistance from AAA. For more information visit www.lexusoman.com, www.youtube.com/lexusoman