Four years ago to the week, Lexus debuted the fourth generation of their midsize luxury GS sedan on these very hallowed grounds of Pebble Beach, California. Not the Tokyo Auto Show, not Frankfurt or Geneva, not even L.A. or New York. No, they did it at Pebble Beach — because Lexus knows where its customers will, you know, actually hang out.

So, it’s little surprise that Lexus revisited the game plan when they chose to unveil the mid-cycle refreshes of two of their tentpole vehicles: the GS (again), and the full-size, big boy LX.


 

On a gorgeous estate overlooking Monterey Bay, between plates of chicken fried lobster and bacon-wrapped duck (cooked with great zeal by Dallas master chef Dean Fearing), Lexus matched the culinary gluttony with automotive gluttony, lifting the sheet on the gargantuan beast known as the LX.

Based on Toyota’s cornerstone Land Cruiser SUV, the LX gets upmarket standard upgrades like all LED lights (headlights, turn signals, fog lights and interior ambient lighting), 20” wheels, Panoramic View Camera, Lexus’ peerless 12.3” display and a safety suite (Pre-Collision, Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control). Further optional accouterments include a wireless phone charging tray, 11.6” screens for their rear seats, Heads-Up Display, ventilated/heated rear seats, a wood-trimmed steering wheel and 21” wheels.

Since the Land Cruiser, and therefore the LX, is body-on-frame and not unibody like most modern luxury SUVs, you can expect real towing and off-road talents, including 7,000-lb towing capability and 9” of suspension travel. Active Height Control (AHC) lowers the LX by two inches so you can get in and out of the vertiginous SUV without feeling like your summiting Yosemite, returning to normal height upon acceleration. Lastly, its six-speed transmission is replaced by a more efficient eight-speed automatic.

 

The GS 350 sedan also gets its upgrades, most noticeably in the form of a power boost from its 3.5-liter V6 — up to 311-hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque (vs. 306 hp and 277 lb.-ft. in the outgoing model). New interior trims include laser cut wood, matte walnut, linear 3D and Naguri aluminum. The analog clock found on the center dash is now housed in a single aluminum block, and for 2016 adds GPS functionality for automatically adjusting time zones.

Two new trim levels are also slotted in above and below the 350. For the fist time ever, Lexus will introduce a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger in the segment, dubbed the 200t, boasting 33 mpg on the highway while still generating 241-hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque.

As the undisputed pioneer of luxury hybrids, it’s natural the highest trim GS would be the 450h. Combining a 3.5-liter V6 engine with a water-cooled electric motor, the GS 450h generates a potent 338-hp — that’s more than the BMW 535i or any Audi A6. It beats them all with a 0-60 click of 5.6 seconds, while still logging 29/31/34 mpgs (city/highway/combined).

While the 450h gets a CVT, all other GS’s upgrade to the eight-speed automatic transmission.

Although Lexus “L-finesse” design language was introduced to the GS in the third generation car, its implementation grows considerably in the mid-cycle refresh. A restyled front fascia gets standard Bi-LED headlamps, a new front bumper and rocker panels, and a more potent iteration of its signature Spindle grille. New 18” and 19” machine-finish wheels finish the makeover.

The one thing that strikes you when walking around both cars is how good this manifestation of the L-Finesse language works on the cars, lending them a wholesale  athletic transformation. On the massive SUV, however, the Spindle grille loses its asphalt scraping quality, and looks misplaced — like a sports car on a lift. Of course many will think otherwise, but something just seems a bit off.