An elegant hybrid for the city and commuters

Lexus sold a total of 2,995 vehicles in Germany by the end of November 2023. That should change with the 4.19 meter long SUV. With the LBC, Lexus addresses the younger urban group for the first time. The LBC is built on the TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform, and the Yaris Cross is also built on the same platform.

This is a bit of a surprise as Toyota doesn’t use any battery powered vehicles on this platform (BHEV), only combustion engines and hybrids. Because the light body of the small Lexus looks like a luxury electric car for the city and for commuters. At Lexus and its parent company Toyota, the decision against the LBX pure electric car is confirmed by the fact that the new target group supports environmental protection, but still does not fully trust the electric infrastructure.

That sounds like a built-in concern for the range, but Lexus and Toyota are convinced they’re on the right track with their low-consumption hybrid strategy, even in the competitive B-segment. When it comes to design and features, the LBX, which is the only Lexus car other than the flagship LFA to be allowed to carry a three-letter acronym, is a truly flawless vehicle. The sounds of the engine and the exterior are completely lost behind the specially designed insulation, and the interior work is at the highest level of Lexus.

A design inspired by the Japanese New Year

The outer skin is strong, which is reflected in the raised hood. The standard Diabolo brand grill has been greatly reduced. The fenders come out boldly from sheet metal with a plastic surround. The suddenly sloping rear accentuates the slightly wedge shape of the LBX. However, the fact that the design was inspired by the traditional Japanese New Year decoration Kagami-Mochi, a rice cake with a small piece lying on top of a larger one, is not entirely clear to us, even after the cake was shown in the presentation.

But with or without Kagami-Mochi: The dynamic lines of the Mini-Lexus, which compromises the comfort of sitting taller people in the back seats, are ideal for young couples without children or older drivers who drive a small car carefully and want to sit comfortably . forward as in Abraham’s lap. In practice near the capital city of Valencia in Spain, the small turning circle of 5.20 meters was also an advantage. The trunk is adequate for weekend loads: 317 liters for the all-wheel drive version, 402 liters for the front-wheel drive model. And of course the rear seats can be folded down.

A relaxed and luxurious environment: look at the Lexus LBX.

Source: Andreas Hempel/Lexus

At Lexus they talk about the principle of omotenashi when it comes to the interior. This word, which is said to have developed around the role of the host in the Japanese tea ceremony, means something like love and hospitality. Designed for a hip, European youth target group, you have a choice of four “spaces” for interior design. Whether vegan faux leather or real leather: customers can choose between Elegant and Relax, a more premium environment, as well as Emotion and Cool, sportier and stronger. Emotion and Cool are painted in two colors on the outside, while Elegant and Relax are painted in one color.

Play regularly with the title display

There are two drives, a front-wheel drive single and an all-wheel drive called the E-Four. Both the 1.5-liter three-cylinder inline engines are designed to be smarter. Its 67 kW/91 HP combined with the electric motor (69 kW/94 HP) won’t tear down any trees, but it doesn’t have to. The all-wheel drive also includes a 4.7 kW three-phase asynchronous motor on the rear axle. 9.2 seconds to 100 km/h or 9.6 (all-wheel drive) isn’t exactly sporty, but it’s fine for everyday driving, and you can live well with a 170 km/h limit in the age of electric deceleration. cars. However, the LBX is not a long-distance car, despite its naturally good chassis, but an economical city transport for commuters (WLTP 5 liters/100 km for all-wheel drive, 4.7 for front-wheel drive. ) However , consumption was slightly higher in the area around Valencia due to some mountainous areas.

Bella figura from the back too – LBX rear view.

Quelle: Daniel Reinhardt/LEXUS

The optional noise insulation worked well, but without it the sewing engine sometimes complains badly in the luxurious environment of the cockpit. However, the fact that many daily functions can only be adjusted via the head-up display and therefore by endlessly fiddling with the steering wheel buttons is as small as the constant nervous presence of electronic protection and assistant systems, which is widely installed on LBX. But they can be turned off.

Lexus clearly thrives on luxury, even in the smallest version. The fact that luxury hi-fi manufacturer Mark Levinson lends its name to a high-end on-board system is a successful PR play for high-end home listening devices that cost as much as the LBX. But with its high-quality equipment, the usual careful design and a really successful exterior, it can fill a niche in the youth segment and the second-hand car repair base that is used for Lexus. This is also supported by the price at which the luxury Lexus is available: 32,990 euros for the entry-level version (Elegant); with all the bells and whistles, the all-wheel drive variant in Cool costs 46,890 euros. All of these will be available in the first quarter of 2024.