Lexus updates LX luxury SUV, GS sedan

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Over a setting sun with whales spouting in the distance, Lexus took the sheets off two revamped models Thursday night, the LX luxury SUV and the GS luxury sedan.

Both vehicles received imoportant cosmetic updates, front and rear, to make them look more sculpted and modern.

The LX 570, a full-frame SUV that sees half of its worldwide sales in the Middle East, gets Lexus' signature "spindle" grille, more standard safety features and a cool 12.3-inch navigation screen.

The GS 200t gets a small yet powerful turbo engine and front-end looks inspired from Lexus' F-Sport performance line.

To get across the point that these introductions are big deal, Lexus held its event at a house with a stunning backyard overlooking the famous golf course here and the Pacific. Guests sampled bacon-wrapped barbecued quail and chicken-fried Maine lobster, among other things, and got a participatory cooking demonstration from Dallas chef Dean Fearings.

Lexus' LX is one of the last full-frame luxury SUVs, a go-anywhere vehicle that still swaddles in occupants in acres of leather and wood. Lexus marketing chief Brian Smith says he loves that the new one has a selectable ride where drivers will actually notice a dramatic difference, reflecting that the LX could be charging across a sand dune or cruising the interstate.

"It is so noticeable," he says. The LX is also helped by a new eight-speed transmission.

The GS, by contrast, joins the competition in offering a turbocharged engine in one version. The 2-liter, four-cylinder engine will spit out 241 horsepower. By offering a turbocharger, it plays into "a market that Lexuus has not been able to tap -- until now," Smith says.