Lexus LBX review: The first Cat A Lexus

OF ALL the things to have inspired a luxury car, who would have thought that pricey, understated footwear for the rich could have led to a new Lexus? Yet, the shoes on his feet were apparently on his mind when Toyota Motor chairman Akio Toyoda came up with the idea for the LBX. 

Having decided that Lexus could use a compact car in its lineup, Toyoda reckoned it should be like his favourite pair of high-end but unassuming shoes.

“He has these white sneakers which are very expensive,” Koichi Suga, the general manager of Lexus’ design division, tells me. Toyoda wears them on weekends and at the racing circuit, Suga says, and told him that he wanted the new baby Lexus to feel like them: a premium product, but also relaxing to use. 

I have no idea what casual footwear for the ultra wealthy is like, but judging from the LBX it’s probably stylish, high-quality and comfortable, and just comfortably familiar to use.

With its hybrid powertrain detuned from 136 horsepower, the LBX will be the first Lexus to be eligible for a cheaper Category A Certificate of entitlement (COE). That strategy has boosted sales for other premium brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz for years, by giving buyers a cheaper way to jump into something with a posh badge.

Targeting a wider market

It’s too early to say how much its price will be, but somewhere around S$230,000 would be my guess. Its debut at January’s Singapore Motorshow could do wonders for Lexus’ sales volume here by letting the brand break into a wider market. Could that be the reasoning behind the car’s initials: Lexus Breakthrough X-over?

Not really, says Takashi Watanabe, the president of Lexus International. “The concept is, even an owner of a luxury vehicle who’s typically affluent should have a car that he or she can drive casually and conveniently,” Watanabe tells me. “That’s the type of car we wanted to develop: luxury and casual. The LBX is not an entry model to gain more volume for Lexus.”

Think of it as a plush but sprightly machine for nipping down to the market in, in other words. Much like a Mini Cooper, it’s a car built for fun and informality, not because poor people want to own a Lexus, too.

Driving a prototype around a mini circuit at the Toyota-owned Fuji Speedway, I could certainly see the potential for a bit of fun. In typical small car fashion, the LBX is a hoot to throw around. It jinks merrily when you tug on the steering wheel, yet feels precise and easy to place, and its steering responses are dependably linear.

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The LBX is based on a strong-selling model that’s already in Singapore: the Toyota Yaris Cross. It’s the same size as that car, with the same limitations in the form of rear doors that don’t open very wide, and seating that’s tight for five adults.

Lexus being Lexus, however, the LBX does feel like a very different car from its Toyota cousin. The cabin is noticeably posher. While cheap plastics populate the Yaris Cross’ interior, the Lexus’ door liners, dashboard, centre console and armrest all sport an optional  suede-like covering that’s soft and modern-looking.

The LBX has clear digital driver displays and a 9.8-inch touchscreen within easy reach. The screen shares space with neat physical buttons that make the climate control system super easy to use. The steering wheel gets the same touch-sensitive buttons found in the bigger, more expensive Lexus models.

But the LBX is a Lexus right down to its bones, too. It not only has larger wheels than the Yaris Cross, but has a much more rigid body and different suspension geometry.

The car’s chief engineer, Kunihiko Endo, says Lexus stiffened up the bodyshell by using more welding spots and two kinds of adhesive, one to reinforce the overall structure and another to dampen vibration.

While the LBX is quiet on the move, especially when its electric motor is propelling it along, driving it hard can make its thrummy three-cylinder engine loud and vibey.

I ask Endo if that is good enough for Lexus. He replies that the LBX’s engine has a balancer shaft to cancel out vibrations (unlike the Yaris Cross), while its hybrid system has a larger electric motor, which makes the acceleration more seamless. 

“I guess your point is, after we have done all that you can still hear the engine sound and you may have felt some vibration through the floor,” Endo says candidly.

“It’s going to get better. This is still a prototype. Right now we are still conducting trials on the flexible joints of the exhaust piping. Once we can fine-tune that I think we should have enhanced the quietness.”

Premium look

While the engineers work on smoothing out the rough edges, the LBX does hit the ground running in terms of design. Despite its compact size, the car’s smooth curves, black roof and no-nonsense stare do give it a look that’s more premium than cute. It is recognisably a Lexus, even though it doesn’t flaunt the brand’s trademark spindle-shaped grille.

Design chief Suga says Akio Toyoda had ordered him to “break” the spindle grille. Instead, the LBX has an interpretation of the spindle, with a large trapezoidal section for a chin. Headlights linked by a bar suggest the upper half of the brand’s famous grille. 

That signals how much Lexus expects its new baby to tread new ground. The LBX is meant to bring casual luxury to the car world, but its unique position as the first Category A model for the brand means it could be a breakthrough in sales terms. Despite being the smallest Lexus, the LBX has a big mission in Singapore.

Lexus LBX Engine 1,490 cc, in-line three with electric motor System Power 130 horsepower (estimated) 0-100 kmh 9.4 seconds (estimated) Top Speed 180 kmh (estimated) Agent Borneo Motors Price To be announced Available January 2024