For all those worried that the constant parade of new SUVs and crossovers means an inevitable and inexorable increase in the weight of the vehicles we drive, the new Lexus LBX might be a bit of a relief.
While it’s unquestionably true that big 4x4s — especially big electric ones hauling around a hefty battery — have gone through a prodigious weight-gain process in recent years, this little Lexus bucks the trend.
In fact, at just 4.1m long and 1.5m high, this crossover is only about as large as a Ford Focus hatchback and weighs about the same too — 1,280kg. While not quite a featherweight, that’s lighter by far than many of its rivals.
How has Lexus achieved this weight saving? Simple — it’s not electric, it’s a hybrid. In fact, the LBX doesn’t even use a cutting-edge lithium-ion battery. Instead, it uses a nickel-hydride unit, which is an older kind of battery chemistry.
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Why go for an older design? The LBX’s project chief, Kunihiko Endoh, told The Irish Times: “It’s quite simple — our bipolar nickel battery design allows us to put a huge amount of electrical power through the structure of the battery. It’s a little heavier and a little more expensive to make than a lithium-ion battery, but we felt that it was a better fit for our Lexus Driving Signature dynamic performance.”
While the LBX (which stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover, in case you were wondering) will run on electric-only power for some of its driving time (at least 50 per cent, according to Lexus, if you’re driving around town) the majority of its motive power comes from a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine, and combined with the power from its small electric motor, the LBX develops 136hp and 185Nm of torque.
Lexus says that the hybrid’s automatic CVT transmission has been retuned so that the engine’s rising and falling revs are more closely aligned with what the vehicle is actually doing at any given time. No official CO2 or fuel economy claims have yet been released but the Yaris Cross scores a 100g/km CO2 figure and will easily beat 4.5 litres per 100km in everyday driving, so that’s your ballpark.
Why no electric model, you might be asking? Well, Lexus (and its parent company Toyota) has long been known for a bit of foot-dragging when it comes to all-electric models.
A recent changing of the guard in the upper echelons of Toyota’s management may have upgraded that outlook just a little but in general, both Toyota and Lexus corporately believe that hybrid power is still a better choice for reducing CO2 emissions overall, while not leaving drivers at the mercy of a still-poor public charging network.
There may be more to that than mere company mantra too — there is some evidence of people trading in all-electric SUVs for a plug-in hybrid Lexus model, having found that owning and running an EV is still too inconvenient for some.
If you’re thinking that the engine layout and performance sound a bit like a Toyota Yaris Cross, well — quelle surprise — that’s basically what the LBX is.
As a compact model, it will be sold initially only in Europe and Japan, and while it will be built in Japan, it’s been designed and engineered in Europe — a first for Lexus. It’s built on the same GA-B platform as the hugely popular Yaris Cross, and will effectively be Lexus’ replacement for the old CT200h hatchback.
At least the LBX will be more practical than the old CT200h — never the roomiest of cars — but even so, it loses boot space relative to its Toyota cousin — 332 litres compared to the Yaris Cross’ 397 litres.
Space in the rear seat is also quite tight. Rear headroom is fine, but legroom will be in short supply if there’s a tall driver up front. Lexus has deliberately made the cabin in the front feel enclosed and “cockpit-like” but that also makes it feel rather short on space. It’s more of a car for empty-nesting downsizers than anyone with family-sized requirements.
As compensation for that, Lexus has unsurprisingly given the LBX an interior that’s far more luxurious, and most of it looks great. Poke around and you might find one or two cheap surfaces, and some panels that didn’t quite line up neatly in the pre-production car we were looking at, but on the whole, this little luxury cabin looks and feels every bit as impressive as what you’ll find in the bigger Lexus models.
The dashboard is all-digital, with a 9.8in touchscreen in the centre of the dash, which gets the usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and looks like that used by Mercedes, lying back at an angle on the centre console. That has been done, says Lexus, to remove clutter from the driver’s eye line.
This being a Lexus, a certain level of obsession has gone into the car’s refinement and comfort. More sound-deadening material and “damping sheets” have been added, while the three-cylinder engine has been given a balancer shaft to make it even quieter.
On the outside, the styling signals the start of a new look for Lexus, which follows on from the big-grille models of recent years, but evolves that style into something a little cleaner and simpler, with fewer lines.
It’s a neat-looking little thing, with what would have been the big grille turned into a panel for forward-facing radar and cameras, but arguably there’s not enough distinctiveness to it — you can see too much of other cars, such as Cupra, Mazda, and even Kia in the details, and the whole car looks somewhat similar to Smart’s all-electric #1 model. Stronger colours — such as red with a contrast black roof — help a lot and make it look rather more distinctively Lexusy.
At launch — and the LBX should start to arrive on Irish roads by February of next year — there will be three models. The most basic version, says Lexus, will still be well-equipped and will come with the company’s Lexus Safety System + which includes radar-guided cruise control and active steering that can help you swerve away from an accident.
There will also be two more expensive models, which Lexus refers to as having ‘atmospheres’ rather than specific trim levels. The ‘Emotion’ models gets black leather (vegan synthetic stuff, natch) with red stitching, and machined alloy wheels, while the ‘Elegant’ gets pale leather and glossy wheels. If you were to think of them as Sport and SE models, you’d not be far wrong…
Lexus Ireland reckons that the Elegant model, with the pale leather interior, will be the biggest seller. How much? No official pricing yet, but expect it to start with a €4 once order books open in the autumn. If you want to get a look at the LBX ahead of that, Lexus will be doing a roadshow around its Irish dealers with the car from July 12th to 20th.
It’s interesting that Lexus is introducing an all-new compact crossover at a time when some of its competitors appear to be getting ready to abandon this particular market.
Mercedes has already long since signalled a move upmarket and away from its compact, front-drive models while it seems unlikely that the likes of the Audi Q2 will get a direct successor.
Lexus might well be angling to swoop up those customers unwilling or unable to follow the price walks of its German competitors. Equally, the fact that its main non-German rival, Volvo, is now only offering EV power in this segment might also snatch up some custom from those for whom all-electric is still a Rubicon not to be crossed.
That the LBX is a significant vehicle for Lexus is not in doubt. Far from being simply a re-badged Yaris Cross — the structure underneath has been massively beefed up compared to the Toyota model, while the body’s hard points are different — this is the only the second Lexus model ever to get a three-letter name.
The first? The 500hp V10 LFA supercar. That underscores its significance, and Lexus expects the LBX to increase its European sales by about one-third in a full year, pushing the brand over the 100,000 sales mark in Europe.
