LEXUS LBX
Lexus has deviated a long way from its original path in search of sales
Chairman Akio Toyoda has a vision for cars that are luxurious like training shoes
This is no head turner. Nobody – not even the crazies pushing shopping trolleys full of old boots – is showing a glimmer of interest in the LBX I’m driving around Valencia.
This is not a good sign considering the LBX is a new car, the smallest Lexus ever, aiming to bring an appealing premium option to the crowded B-SUV market.
It’s related to the Toyota Yaris Cross, and uses essentially the same engine, a 1.5-litre three-cylinder with self-charging hybrid assistance, driving the front wheels through a CVT automatic gearbox. (There is also a version with twin e-motors and all-wheel drive, but Lexus expects to sell very few of those.) The engine gains a balance shaft, to make it smoother.
The GA-B chassis has been changed – slightly wider track and longer wheelbase – and the body isn’t identical, with a 20mm-shorter rear overhang and different bonnet, here finishing below the front lights. Visually it fits in more with the growing family of Lexus SUVs than Toyota SUVs. It debuts a new evolution of the Lexus family grille, now frameless.
Some technology has come to the LBX from bigger Lexuses, such as the system that keeps the car relatively level under braking. The battery is shared with the larger RX, it’s bipolar nickel metal hydride, rather than lithium ion. It’s heavier and more expensive than the Toyota’s, but also more responsive.
Infotainment is pretty decent, with all grades getting a 9.8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and natural-speech voice-operation of some functions. There are, usefully, physical controls for the volume and heating. It’s all logically laid out, although the controls on the steering wheel take a bit of getting used to.
So on paper it’s all quite neat and modern, with the familiarity of a petrol engine rather than full electric, and from same angles it looks good. But it’s not a cheap car. That’s not the Lexus way. UK prices start at £30k and go up to £40k. Nor is it a roomy car, providing less rear passenger room than some other B-SUVs. And, crucially, it just doesn’t drive very well.
It’s lively enough away from the lights, but runs out of puff pretty quickly, as suggested by the 0-62mph time of 9.2sec. It steers well. There’s some wind, road and engine noise, but nothing disturbing.
If this all sounds a bit lukewarm, I’m afraid that’s exactly right. It’s up against
