2024 Lexus GX e-KDSS Suspension: How It Works
The 2024 Lexus GX utilizes one trick suspension system to make it capable on and off the pavement.
Fascinating Tech
The 2024 Lexus GX is - as most are well aware by now - a brand new product from the ground up, and it's one that has thus far proven to be a smash hit with consumers even before the first unit is delivered. However, aside from its handsome looks, the new GX also promises to offer us a vehicle with serious off-road capability, part of which can be attributed to its rather fascinating Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (e-KDSS).
Different Approach
Though e-KDSS is available in the new GX Overtrail, it has been around for a couple of years now, though it's no less impressive in its latest application. There, e-KDSS is specifically designed to provide owners with the best of both worlds - supreme on-road comfort without sacrificing off-road capability - and it accomplishes that by taking a far different approach than traditional suspension systems.
Fixing the Problem
Unlike traditional suspensions that utilize sway bars to help control body roll when cornering - which is particularly important in taller SUVs - they also limit the wheel's range of vertical motion, or articulation. Toyota's older KDSS system is able to solve this dilemma by attaching hydraulic cylinders to the front and rear sway bars, which are connected to each other with two-way piping. This way, the stabilizer bars can be controlled electronically.
In With the New
However, the new e-KDSS system replaces that singular hydraulic loop with a pair of electronic circuits, one of which is located at the front and rear of the vehicle, specifically. Each of those circuits is able to control the hydraulic pistons that hold the sway bars in place, which effectively splits both ends and allows them to operate independently of each other, unlike the older KDSS system.
Greater Control
This is important as e-KDSS can also allow the sway bars to move along with the axles, which improves wheel articulation, with the front and rear tires being controlled independently of each other. During normal driving situations, it performs precisely like the older system, however, which means solid on-road comfort and handling performance.
Automatic Operation
The real beauty of e-KDSS is that it's able to detect what kind of surface one is driving on automatically, and then either lock or unlock the sway bars as needed. This is notable because most off-road-focused vehicles don't offer this type of capability, while some - like the sixth-generation Ford Bronco Badlands - give users the ability to disconnect the front sway bar with the push of a button.
Big Improvement
Ultimately, these improvements also give the 2024 GX a total of 24.5 inches of wheel articulation, which is three more than the outgoing model, thanks largely to the addition of e-KDSS over the old KDSS setup. Throw in the fact that it can control itself, and it certainly seems like a big upgrade over the old system - one that we imagine off-road fanatics will appreciate.