Lexus LBX

Following Lexus’ legacy, the Lexus LBX has an extremely plush and rich cabin with ornate interiors featuring top-class leather upholstery and an all-black theme. The chunky three-spoke steering wheel has a full-TFT instrument console – a 7-inch screen in the Premium variant and a 12.3-inch screen in the Luxury variant – behind it.

The centre console has a waterfall-like design featuring the latest Tazuna interface concept, housing a slanted 9.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This screen also serves as an interface for the 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, while having physical controls for the dual-zone automatic climate control system with Panasonic air purifier system below it. 

The Lexus LBX makes the occupants feel special even more with additional features like an augmented head-up display, four USB-C charging ports, a Qi wireless charger, power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory function and leather upholstery for the seats with contrast red stitching. While the cabin is decently equipped for its size and price, it lacks Lexus’s approach of going the full-blown way of equipping its cars. Even the boot space feels compromised at 315 litres.  

The overall shape and stance of the Lexus LBX are heavily derived from the Toyota Corolla Cross and GR Yaris, but Lexus has made significant changes to give it an entirely different identity. Featuring Lexus Next Chapter design language, the LBX has a traditional Lexus spindle grille at the front, with a trapezoidal panel in the lower half. The slim and eye-catching LED headlamps have eyebrow-themed LED DRLs and are connected by a slim silver garnish across the car’s width. 

The side profile of the Lexus LBX makes it look like a raised hatchback (which it actually is), with the crossover SUV having prominent haunches above wheel arches, door-mounted rearview mirrors, and gunmetal grey alloy wheels (17-inch in Premium and 18-inch in Luxury). Towards the rear, the LBX has a floating roof effect with it having full-width LED tail lights and wide Lexus lettering on the boot lid. The Luxury variant of the LBX has further add-ons like front and rear skirts with a silver centre section and textured C-pillars with matte and gloss stripes.

The hybrid version of the Lexus LBX sold in the Malaysian car market is a front-wheel drive crossover SUV, which gets Macpherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear, and not the double wishbone back axle for the rear used in the all-wheel drive version of the LBX sold overseas.

Compared to the Toyota Yaris Cross with which it shares its platform, the LBX has a stiffer suspension setup with increased torsional rigidity, making it a more dynamic crossover to drive. The overall driving experience is further enhanced by the vehicle braking posture control for better braking and reduced roll and pitch movement. 

The standard powertrain of the Lexus LBX is a combination of a 1.5-litre three-cylinder Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, which generates 91 PS of power and 120 Nm of torque, and a front-mounted electric motor, which belts out 94 PS of power and 185 Nm of torque. Paired with an e-CVT and also having a 5 Ah nickel-metal hydride battery, this powertrain claims a maximum power output of 136 PS in the combined mode, while enabling the LBX to reach the 100 kmph mark from standstill in 9.2 seconds. 

Besides having essentials for a premium luxury crossover such as eight airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, hill start assist, vehicle stability control, tyre pressure monitoring system and a 360-degree parking camera, the LBX also has Lexus Safety System+ suite of ADAS features. The package includes autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist, active cornering assist, a door opening warning, and an automatic high beam.

The Lexus LBX might not have the size and stance of the other traditional vehicle offerings from Lexus, which have authoritative stances and dimensions to make their road presence look strong. However, in typical Lexus fashion, the LBX feels solidly engineered with a powertrain that is rich in tech and well-appointed interiors to make the occupants feel pampered.