I haven’t driven many Lexus cars in recent years, but the new Lexus LBX recently became available to Irish motor writers to test.
Primarily developed for Europe and Japan, the LBX was introduced in Milan in June 2023 as the smallest crossover model in the Lexus lineup, slotting in below the C-segment UX.
When you think of Lexus, you naturally think of large luxury cars, but this is a very neat motor, built on the same platform at the Toyota Yaris Cross. Lexus is the luxury division of the Toyota family.
And talking of family, it looks like the LBX is aimed at singletons, young couples and maybe older drivers who are thinking of downsizing.
With a price of just under €40k, it might be beyond the range of young people buying their first car.
The development of the LBX was led by Toyota chief engineer Kunihiko Endo. According to Endo, achieving the desired level of refinement in the LBX to keep up with Lexus standards was challenging, as they had to adopt a different approach to the traditional use of sound insulation materials.
A host of measures were introduced to address road noise and vibration to ensure the kind of calm driving experience you expect from a premium model.
Looking at the car from the front it has a massive frameless grille, which is very impressive. Overall it’s a very neat, attractive looking car. My test car came in a silver colour and blue is the only other colour I have seen.
Inside, I loved the soft feel of the steering wheel. The interior has much the same luxury touches associated with larger Lexus models.
As usual the dash is dominated by a touchscreen, in this case a 9.8-inch version. And it’s topped off with a good old-fashioned button to control the volume for the radio.
The interior décor is really brightened by the cream-coloured seats and there are some lovely touches of cream all over the interior. The roofline is black, but there is so much brightness elsewhere in the interior, the black is not so noticeable.
However, the door handles did case a problem for my passengers. In most cars, doors are opened from the inside by pulling a switch and pushing out the door. But in the LBX you press an electronic button and push the door out. It does take a bit of getting used to. The external doors also take a little time to get used to, very little force is needed to open the doors.
The LBX has a frugal 1.5-litre petrol engine. The official consumption is around 50 miles per gallon in old money. Now that’s impressive.
The back seat is a bit tight and it would probably be best suited for three children or maybe two not so tall adults. The boot is decent size, but no spare wheel, just a tyre repair kit.
LBX stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover. And that’s what it is, a small, attractive, well designed motor, with a frugal engine and a luxury brand name. It certainly lives up to the reputation that Lexus cars have.
Prices start at €39,440 and road tax is €180. Yes it’s about €8K more expensive than a Toyota Yaris Cross, but it’s much, much quieter and more luxurious.
