Lexus LBX: The cheapest and smallest Lexus ever to hit the market

Photo: Photo: Daniel Reinhardt / Lexus

Just before the end of the year, Lexus let us drive the new Lexus LBX. An important model, because it is the smallest and cheapest Lexus ever made. But how good is it?

We are met at the airport by a Lexus employee. He shows all the five layers of clothing he wore. It’s the middle of December and the powerful digital thermometer reads 14, but this woman is dressed like she’s going on a polar bear expedition to Siberia. “Anything below 20 degrees feels cold to Valencians,” he says before leading us to the bus.

City of Orange

We traveled to Spain for the introduction of the Lexus LBX. Valencia is known for its paella, oranges and a local football club that thrived at the turn of the century with fantastic football. As Christmas lights hang from the trees, the golden yellow sunlight of late afternoon puts the city in the spotlight in an unparalleled way. With its narrow, typical Spanish streets, many churches and turrets, Valencia is a very interesting place that offers a good mix of traditional and modern architecture.

If you appreciate design, this is the perfect place to launch your new design. In the typical city center you’ll find unspoiled Valencia, but outside the city walls you’ll find the famous Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias: an impressive park full of ultra-modern, futuristic buildings that look like they’ve been brought straight out of science fiction . film by Christopher Nolan.

A very small Lexus

We walk a little through the city to the presentation area of the new Lexus car. There we are warmly welcomed with trays full of beer glasses and beef tartare toast. The LBX is an all-new model, with the unique selling point of being the smallest Lexus ever made. So it’s no surprise that this car was developed specifically for the European market. For example, it will not be available in America and China.

When you think of Lexus, our thoughts immediately go to the LFA. Like the iconic sports car, this model is the only one in the Lexus lineup that can also carry three characters. Other than that, they all actually have four wheels and the same brand name, but that’s where the similarities end. The combination of letters LBX stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover. It is the first time for Lexus to enter segment B. As experts know, Lexus is a luxury brand of Toyota. So it is not surprising that they help each other when they can. For example, LBX has the same platform as Toyota Yaris Cross, but it is not a complete copy, because Lexus technicians have worked hard on it. For example, the LBX is longer, wider and lower than the Yaris Cross.

Compact crossover. It was simply translated as a hatchback that stands a little higher on its feet, or a small SUV. The LBX has been given a completely new nose. What is typical of Lexus is the LED light in the L-shaped headlights. Its eyes are sharp. With widening wheel arches, 18-inch rims and an attractive rear (also with continuous taillights) they’ve made a great car. To get the look you want, you can choose from different variations atmosphere: Elegant, Relaxed, Sensual and Cool. The first two are more luxurious, the last two are less sporty. The chosen ones sky has an influence on the color of the skin or fabric in the interior. You can then choose a technology package, a premium package or a premium package depending on the equipment. The latter, for example, includes the shock of the Mark Levinson sound system. You understand that the price tag increases this way.

We get the model key that has been run sonic white. The color that also attracts us, although we think that a car with this design should have a color. After all, we see enough white, gray and black on the road surface, right? There are many beautiful colors to choose from. Red, blue and yellow excite us the most. Especially as a two-tone grease, with a black roof. Whatever you choose: there are many things that come standard with the LBX. Think a 9.8-inch screen, reversing camera, seat heating, wireless charger, USB connectivity, rain sensors and all possible safety systems. After all, our Japanese friends do not skimp on safety.

Luxepoes

As mentioned, Lexus is Toyota’s luxury brand and it looks like you are sitting here in a luxury car. This is an interior worthy of a director: good materials, good finishing. We have the Rest version, which means that it has leather upholstery in hazel color. Not only does it look good, it also feels good. Space in the back is a bit smaller, but as a driver it’s a comfortable place to sit. We see that when we set the course for a trip of about three hours in the area of Valencia.

Whatever color or interior style you choose, all LBX models are equipped with the same engine: a 1.5-liter three-cylinder that is assisted by an electric motor. The hybrid combination is good for 136 hp. That’s not the kind of power that would make you show everyone your rear license plate at a traffic light, but hey: you don’t have to buy this car. When we cross country roads we find that this is more than enough power for a smooth and sporty car. Overtaking the orange car is made easy to play and accelerating after a spin is as smooth as a billiard ball rolling on green paper. The Japanese drive well and slide comfortably on the pavement. Best of all, it’s very quiet (good) and handles bumps and bumps in the road well (also good). We have a small trigger point, because you always cry when you drive too fast. It turns out that Lexus can’t do much about this, because inquiries show that European regulations require every new car to give a warning from June 2024 when you exceed the speed limit. Ant fucking of course, but luckily you can turn it off manually.

The most affordable Lexus

Once we take a few minutes of Vitamin D during a pit stop on the beach, we continue along the coast towards the end. Good time for evaluation. It may be the smallest Lexus ever, but it’s also the cheapest Lexus ever. After all, the starting price is around 36,000 euros, which suddenly puts Lexus within the reach of many people, who might think that Lexus is out of their league. Add a few thousand euros and you have the keys to incredible handling, good looks and, above all, a luxuriously equipped car. In any case, the few hundred people who bought without driving a meter made a good bet, because they will enjoy the LBX very much. We predict that Lexus will do very well with the introduction of the LBX.

More information about the Lexus LBX? Take a look lexus.nl.

Lexus LBX specs

Engine: 1.5-liter 3 cylinder hybrid
Property: 136 pk
Couple: 120 Newton meters
Transmission: automatic, 6-speed
Acceleration 0-100: 9.2 sec
Top speed: 170 km / h
Weight: 1.355 kg
From the price: 35.995 euros