New Lexus LBX arrives as hybrid entry model

The TNGA-B platform was also modified to ensure the LBX drives like a Lexus, with Endo referring to 1989’s seminal LS saloon as a reference.

2023 new Lexus LBX is a baby crossover to stretch the Lexus range down in to the compact SUV marketplace.

The wheelbase was stretched by 20mm, the overhangs reduced and the track widened, meaning the crossover is 4190mm long, 1825mm wide and 1545mm high, with a 2580mm-long wheelbase.

For reference, the old CT hatchback was 165mm longer and 195mm wider, yet its wheelbase was only 20mm longer than that of the LBX.

The front suspension has also been reworked to optimise the LBX’s handling, with feedback from Toyota chairman and famously enthusiastic driver Akio Toyoda “at key points”.

How big is the Lexus LBX?

The LBX is 4190mm long and 1825mm wide, almost precisely shadowing the popular Ford Puma. It’s slap-bang in the middle of the small SUV segment, where it’ll compete with the likes of the VW T-Cross, Volvo XC40 and Mazda CX-30.

The compact crossover is most noteworthy for its new grille treatment; after a decade of large ‘spindle’ design grilles that dominated the noses of most Lexus cars, the LBX adopts a new, pared-back look.

Koichi Suga, general manager Lexus Design, said: ‘We have “deconstructed” the spindle grille to make way for a new frontal design. We’ve succeeded in creating a new face identity that’s completely different from before yet is instantly recognisable as a Lexus.’

Slimline headlamps are co-joined by a narrow aperture running the width of the bonnet, shrinking the trapezoidal grille to a smaller opening below the metal badge on the leading edge of the bonnet. The grille is more modestly sized, its honeycomb pattern repeated on the body coloured front bumper area.

Engines and specs

Europe was the lead global region for the development of the LBX – for the first time ever on a Lexus. ‘This influence will help the LBX become one of the best-sellers for the brand in Europe,’ the firm vows.

There’s the familiar three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine that operates on the Atkinson cycle, matched to the Toyota group’s self-charging hybrid tech. Total system power output is rated at 134bhp and 137lb ft and wheel sizes are 17in or 18in.

Drive is sent to the front wheels as standard, but higher-spec models will come with Lexus’s E-Four all-wheel drive adding an electric motor at the rear axle, enabling traction at both ends. 

No performance figures are yet available, but the identically powered Yaris Cross manages 0-62mph in 11.2sec, 105mph all out, 65.9mpg combined fuel economy and 120g/km of CO2. We’d expect similar figures for the Lexus LBX.

Interior

The LBX has seating for four and a cabin spruced up to meet the brand’s luxury ambitions. The Lexus Link Connect system is standard, operated via a 9.8-inch touchscreen.

Lexus has made significant advances in infotainment in recent years and you can now talk to your car using ‘Hey Lexus’ speech recognition. As is the brand’s tradition, audiophiles can also specify a very top-end Mark Levinson 13-speaker stereo.

he Lexus LBX is a modestly sized crossover, but loadspace is rated at 332 litres for front-wheel drive models; that figure dips an unspecified amount for all-wheel drive E-Four models.

Sounds good… when can I buy the Lexus LBX?

The first customer deliveries aren’t scheduled until March 2024, but you can place a reservation from July 2023 and full UK pricing and specs will be confirmed in October 2023, at which point orders can be placed.

LBX marks a new naming convention for the brand; only the LFA has enjoyed three letters before. Lexus says it stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover, but an alternative reading has L for Lexus, B points to the B-segment market (so Ford Puma, Vauxhall Mokka etc) and X again implies it’s an SUV/crossover, as is the industry norm.

Lexus International president Takashi Watanabe said: “The result is a car you can drive with confidence. On winding roads, LBX feels more like a nimble hatchback than a crossover. We aimed for a fun driving experience that makes you want to drive it forever. It is like the way you feel about your favourite pair of shoes.”

Key to this is a new system which automatically adjusts the brake balance to minimise body pitch and roll under heavy loads, such as emergency braking or tight bends.

Inside, the LBX has been designed with a focus on the driver, featuring a seating position much lower than in most crossovers. The dashboard and centre console have been simplified as much as possible, with key controls assigned to physical switches.