Luxury is shrinking. The new Lexus LBX is a very similar width and height to a rival such as the Mini Countryman but is considerably shorter, at 4,190mm, resulting in pleasingly compact proportions. The Lexus front face sees significant change on the LBX too, with slim front headlights joined together by a thin aperture under the bonnet, while the spindle-shaped grille below is no longer clearly framed by chrome, but instead appears to merge into the coloured bodywork.
It’s probably the car’s most distinctive feature and is set to be used on other new Lexus models in time. ‘This is the step towards the next step,’ global head of Lexus design Simon Humphries explains. ‘We’re going to make the body equal the spindle. So even if that graphic is lost in terms of its holes, you will still feel it.’
From the side, the exterior surfacing is smooth, clean and simple – in contrast to the brand’s previous decade of dramatic origami-style angular cuts and curves – and its window line is high to accentuate the car body’s visual chunkiness. This move translates to slimmer windows – especially at the back – but that aesthetic proportion is functionally offset by a higher rear seating position, relative to the front, so passengers in the back can still have a good view outward.
Inside the cabin, Lexus designers have sought to create a premium-feeling interior using pared-back shapes covered in high-quality materials. You won’t find much chrome, but many of the trim levels feature suede, leather – either real or synthetic and Vegan – and subtle and different use of contrast stitching.
Depending on the market, more customer personalisation will be offered on the LBX than is normal for the vehicle segment size too, from stitch style to seatbelt colour. New electric push-button door openers replace conventional handles and the square 9.8in centre screen is activated by touch – no more fiddly trackpads or computer mouse-like controls.
A few physical buttons remain for key features like aircon, windscreen de-mist and volume, plus a few more that are clustered around the steering wheel hub, adding to the LBX’s ergonomic ease of use.
A new, more powerful, compact and lightweight bi-polar nickel-metal hydride battery promises EV-like acceleration, despite the powertrain’s overall petrol-electric full hybrid status. Lexus top management say no all-electric LBX is in the plan yet, but such a vehicle has not been ruled out either. The Europe-focused model – LBX won’t go on sale in China or the US – will be orderable from October 2023, with prices set to start from around £35,000.
Lexus LBX, Lexus.co.uk
