Lexus LBX in the first test

We can do other things too! It’s surprising that while many manufacturers are withdrawing from the subcompact segment, Lexus decides to go the exact opposite and present its smallest car since the brand’s inception. Technically, the 4.19 meter long LBX is closely related to the Toyota Yaris Cross, which is also based on the GA-B platform. Visually, however, the two sister models bear little resemblance and the Lexus looks more of a piece than its long-legged counterpart from Toyota. It is 6.5 centimeters wider and about five centimeters lower than the Yaris Cross of almost the same length.

New Lexus with 4×4 traction control

The quality of the materials covering the dashboard and the central 9.8-inch screen is the highest and the comfortable seats, covered in leather, imitation leather or fabric, not only look good, but also take occupants of all sizes the right travel comfort. In addition to the 12.3-inch display behind the wheel, the LBX driver can optionally look deeper than in the Corolla Cross on the proposed head-up display with its most important information.

In this class, it is not as common as the insulating glass in the front doors or the unique Mark Levinson sound system with 13 speakers. Considering this type of car, you should not expect miracles from the amount of space available, so if you have 1.80 meters tall at the latest, it will squeeze your knees and head at the back. With a boot volume of 332 litres, the front-wheel drive offers significantly less space than the shrinking competition. And as all-wheel drive, there’s only 284 liters available, so the rear seats have to be folded down quickly for larger items.

One thing the Lexus lacks is space

The well-known hybrid drive combines a 1.5-liter cylinder with 67 kW / 91 HP / 120 Nm and an electric motor with 69 kW / 94 HP / 185 Nm, giving a total output of 100 kW / 136 HP and a maximum output torque of 185 Nm. The all-wheel drive has an additional electric motor on the rear axle to improve grip, especially when starting, but the controllable 4 kW / 6 HP / 52 Nm and the same power does not bring any noticeable advantage in terms of the drive. The most important technical innovation is the chemistry of the small 1 kWh battery, which is not made of lithium but of nickel hydride like in the old Toyota/Lexus hybrids. Kunihiko Endo, Lexus LBX chief engineer: “If we just compare nickel hydride and lithium, of course the latter is lighter and more efficient, but the bipolar construction makes a difference because the electrode works as an anode in one cell and as a cathode in the other, which allows us to reduce the size of the battery while increasing its performance and electrical performance.

Intelligent chassis, economical hybrid car

The drive exhibits a familiar image of some hybrids, not least because of the continuously variable CVT automatic transmission: the loud petrol engine revs up when the driver presses the accelerator pedal and makes too much noise for the power delivered. It only goes down when the accelerator is released. This is not the only place where insulating glass looks good in the interior. Top versions also have paddle shifters on the steering wheel to mimic the performance of a five-speed manual transmission, and the S short-ratio drive program aims to give the driver a certain car feel. The performance is not very impressive, but it should be enough for most potential customers. The small Lexus reaches 100 km/h from a standstill in 9.2 seconds and has a top speed of 170 km/h. Hybrid consumption rate: 4.4 liters Super per 100 kilometers.

The chassis layout gets good marks. A comfortable chassis with a McPherson front axle and a torsion beam axle at the back (front-wheel drive) or a double-wishbone rear axle (all-wheel drive) was developed with automatic distribution of brake power to all four wheels to reduce the body. roll. Kunihiko Endo: “It is an individual hydraulic control of the brake force on the front and rear wheels, and this difference enables a stable, horizontal driving behavior.” distribution of braking power is different, while body roll is also reduced. This makes for a more relaxed ride than the competition. If you want to try it for yourself, the first product deliveries to customers are scheduled for next April. Depending on the equipment and vehicle variant, the price is between 32,990 and 46,190 euros.

From Joaquim Oliveira