LexFather

Using technology successfully proven in World Rally Championship (WRC) competition, Lexus will introduce the world's first production application of the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) in the award-winning GX 470 luxury utility vehicle. The new suspension system becomes available as an option next month.

KDSS brings new levels of handling, ride comfort and off-road capability to the already highly capable GX 470. While these attributes are typically difficult to improve together, KDSS allows a different suspension tuning approach that provides notable improvements in each area.

"The benefits of this simple yet sophisticated system are really significant, making the
GX 470 more capable and comfortable in a wide variety of driving conditions," said Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager Denny Clements.

By employing a simple hydraulic control system acting on both front and rear stabilizer bars, KDSS varies the degree of roll stiffness provided by each of the bars in response to changing road conditions and driver inputs. But rather than increasing roll stiffness, the system reduces it as conditions require.

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 actually better. Larger stabilizer bars also mean that shock absorber damping force can be better optimized to improve ride comfort, without sacrificing handling.

The front and rear stabilizer bars, which have nearly double the standard torsional stiffness, are supported by their own 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. But when unequal wheel loading occurs in certain conditions, fluid can move between the front and rear cylinders, helping to equalize loading.

The constantly changing and variable terrain that's typical of most off-road situations highlights the benefits of KDSS. Stiff stabilizer bars can limit off-road performance because the inside wheels tend to lift and lose traction when outside wheels encounter bumps. But with KDSS, the hydraulic cylinders allow 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 freedom helps maximize traction, even in the most challenging off-road driving situations.

KDSS works in concert with Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), which continuously changes shock absorber damping in response to road conditions and driver input. Combining these suspension technologies helps provide superior ride and handling and maximum traction both on and off-road.

The GX 470 continues to provide high levels of luxury and convenience, and now even higher levels of performance in a very competitive segment. Pricing for the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System will be announced later this year.

<VENOM>

I can just picture the guys incharge of Ford and GM being like damn we ain't got crap

looknow12

Does anyone know how much this option is?

tetra7

This option has been available since late November...i think the option is like 1700 dollars (dont remember exactly but its not cheap..do a search in the forum)

looknow12

I don't agree with Lexus charging for this. If it were a sports car then fine, people should pay for some extra handling. No one is buying the GX because of the great handling. It should be part of the vehicle and that will produce more unit sales. Plus it adds to the safety. It is not as if you wouldn't want the option.

gzorn

I don't agree with this statement. With KDSS you cannot have the tow package, which I do have on mine. Everyone has different priorities.

looknow12

Yes, you are correct. The basis for my argument is that you wouldn't be giving anything up. I forgot about the tow package thing.

Quite frankly though, this is a design glitch. There should be plenty of room for KDSS and a tow hitch. Think about it.

gzorn

I agree it is a design flaw. Who design's this size SUV which cannot tow (stupid). But then again I thought not integrating the backup camera into the 2003 model as a day 1 item was also stupid. But that did not stop me from buy it for my needs. Not having the trailer hitch would have been a deal breaker for me. Luckly they were willing to write it up as part of my purchase and I got one of the first dealer add-ons.

There is no such thing as a perfect car since there will always be some new or better gadget in the next generation you will want. (Working with computers I see it every 6 months) Waiting can drive you crazy.

When making my choice it was an FX45 or GX470. The dog would not fit in the FX45, her head hit the ceiling, so it was the GX470. I really liked the backup camera and NAV on the FX

For me an irritating design is the casette player. I wish they would have put a single CD player in place of it when you have the NAV system. I own no cassettes, they have gone the way of the 8 Track.

I also liked the keypad entry on my old Explorer. It was neat to be able to lock keys and stuff in the car when you were going to be doing something in which you wanted your pockets to be empty.