Five key things you need to know about the all-new Lexus LBX
23 Dec 2023|10,520 views
The Lexus LBX is quite a petite crossover. It's what most casual observers will dub "a mere hatchback on stilts" and they will not be accused of being wrong. But after travelling 11,200km, walking over 20,000 steps around the city of Valencia, Spain and spending a couple of days driving and staring at the all-new Lexus, there are several things we, as Singaporeans, have to know about the premium hybrid crossover.
Yes, the Lexus LBX will be the first model in Lexus' lineup to be a Cat A COE vehicle
1. It's a Category A COE vehicle
Firstly, and chiefly, the Lexus LBX will be the luxury Japanese carmaker's first-ever Category A COE vehicle. Yes, first-ever. You read that right. All these decades of creating one of the most comfortable and hospitable cars in the business, none of them have ever been in this category.
Well, at least not until now.
To that extent, you can't fault Lexus for that. Its cars have always been known to have creamy naturally aspirated powerplants until 2015/16, which meant having higher displacement capacities for higher outputs were necessary.
The 1.5-litre three-pot engine that you see here has 134bhp; however, Singapore will be getting a detuned 129bhp powerplant
2. It may have been detuned...
Hence, in a move to make the car more appealing (and affordable) to the public, Lexus ensured that the car's 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid engine was detuned to 129bhp from the original 134bhp. Torque figure remains at 185Nm.
These figures, combined with aerodynamic efforts on the sheet metal, help to propel the Lexus LBX to 100km/h from nought in 9.6 seconds.
Of course, this figure is neither going to set the roads on fire, nor is it going to give the driver on the next lane a heart palpitation at the lights, but you and I will have to understand that the LBX isn't about speed or power.
Its bold spindle grille has been downplayed, allowing the car to have a more appealing and stylish appearance
3. But it's definitely not deformed
Instead, it's all about being stylish, sophisticated and sassy, or at least being seen driving in one. See, the Lexus LBX isn't anything quite like before. For starters, it's the smallest car in its current lineup.
Secondly, the new Lexus has downplayed its brash, bold and brawny grille from before. It's now more subtle and understated, yet design wizardry has managed to make the car instantly recognisable as a Lexus from the front. As a result, the love-it-or-hate-it design is now a thing of a past, which should allow the car to be more widely accepted by potential buyers of this class of car.
Thirdly, LBX stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover and it's the first model from Lexus to bear a three-letter name since the iconic LFA supercar. More interestingly, according to Assistant Chief Engineer Jun Takahashi, the LBX was inspired by a luxurious pair of Maison Margiela shoes. How cool is that?
I may not be stylish but, as a young man, I do feel proud being behind the wheel of the new Lexus LBX
4. A new target audience
Speaking of widely accepted, the LBX was created to cater to a brand new set of target audience, those that are younger, fresher and, of course, more stylish.
It's a lifestyle statement, a car that can be appreciated by drivers who knows how to enjoy something that's luxurious yet casual all at once, a car that represents and resonates with drivers' way of life and beliefs.
Thankfully, while I'm clearly not stylish, sophisticated or even remotely close to being sassy, I'm young enough to understand this objective. During my time with the car, I found myself driving leisurely around the city of Valencia instead of man-handling it like most cars. It's the sort of car that I don't mind being seen in, the sort that I can be proud of, the sort that I know can last me 10 full years without getting bored of.
For someone as impatient as me, that's saying a lot.
The Lexus LBX will be ready for Singapore at the upcoming Motor Show that's happening in the middle of January next year
5. It's ready for you soon
Thankfully, all that's said and done, the Lexus LBX is in the midst of homologation now and it'll be ready for you by mid-January - just in time for the upcoming Singapore Motor Show that will be held at Suntec City Convention. While prices are still unknown at the moment, my guess is that the car will set you back somewhere between $220k and $240k.
Whatever it is, if you're in the market looking for a car that goes against the cool-looking compact Audi Q2 or something that's as trendy and functional as the MINI Countryman, then keep a lookout for the Lexus LBX at the show.
The Lexus LBX is quite a petite crossover. It's what most casual observers will dub "a mere hatchback on stilts" and they will not be accused of being wrong. But after travelling 11,200km, walking over 20,000 steps around the city of Valencia, Spain and spending a couple of days driving and staring at the all-new Lexus, there are several things we, as Singaporeans, have to know about the premium hybrid crossover.
Yes, the Lexus LBX will be the first model in Lexus' lineup to be a Cat A COE vehicle
1. It's a Category A COE vehicle
Firstly, and chiefly, the Lexus LBX will be the luxury Japanese carmaker's first-ever Category A COE vehicle. Yes, first-ever. You read that right. All these decades of creating one of the most comfortable and hospitable cars in the business, none of them have ever been in this category.
Well, at least not until now.
To that extent, you can't fault Lexus for that. Its cars have always been known to have creamy naturally aspirated powerplants until 2015/16, which meant having higher displacement capacities for higher outputs were necessary.
The 1.5-litre three-pot engine that you see here has 134bhp; however, Singapore will be getting a detuned 129bhp powerplant
2. It may have been detuned...
Hence, in a move to make the car more appealing (and affordable) to the public, Lexus ensured that the car's 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid engine was detuned to 129bhp from the original 134bhp. Torque figure remains at 185Nm.
These figures, combined with aerodynamic efforts on the sheet metal, help to propel the Lexus LBX to 100km/h from nought in 9.6 seconds.
Of course, this figure is neither going to set the roads on fire, nor is it going to give the driver on the next lane a heart palpitation at the lights, but you and I will have to understand that the LBX isn't about speed or power.
Its bold spindle grille has been downplayed, allowing the car to have a more appealing and stylish appearance
3. But it's definitely not deformed
Instead, it's all about being stylish, sophisticated and sassy, or at least being seen driving in one. See, the Lexus LBX isn't anything quite like before. For starters, it's the smallest car in its current lineup.
Secondly, the new Lexus has downplayed its brash, bold and brawny grille from before. It's now more subtle and understated, yet design wizardry has managed to make the car instantly recognisable as a Lexus from the front. As a result, the love-it-or-hate-it design is now a thing of a past, which should allow the car to be more widely accepted by potential buyers of this class of car.
Thirdly, LBX stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover and it's the first model from Lexus to bear a three-letter name since the iconic LFA supercar. More interestingly, according to Assistant Chief Engineer Jun Takahashi, the LBX was inspired by a luxurious pair of Maison Margiela shoes. How cool is that?
I may not be stylish but, as a young man, I do feel proud being behind the wheel of the new Lexus LBX
4. A new target audience
Speaking of widely accepted, the LBX was created to cater to a brand new set of target audience, those that are younger, fresher and, of course, more stylish.
It's a lifestyle statement, a car that can be appreciated by drivers who knows how to enjoy something that's luxurious yet casual all at once, a car that represents and resonates with drivers' way of life and beliefs.
Thankfully, while I'm clearly not stylish, sophisticated or even remotely close to being sassy, I'm young enough to understand this objective. During my time with the car, I found myself driving leisurely around the city of Valencia instead of man-handling it like most cars. It's the sort of car that I don't mind being seen in, the sort that I can be proud of, the sort that I know can last me 10 full years without getting bored of.
For someone as impatient as me, that's saying a lot.
The Lexus LBX will be ready for Singapore at the upcoming Motor Show that's happening in the middle of January next year
5. It's ready for you soon
Thankfully, all that's said and done, the Lexus LBX is in the midst of homologation now and it'll be ready for you by mid-January - just in time for the upcoming Singapore Motor Show that will be held at Suntec City Convention. While prices are still unknown at the moment, my guess is that the car will set you back somewhere between $220k and $240k.
Whatever it is, if you're in the market looking for a car that goes against the cool-looking compact Audi Q2 or something that's as trendy and functional as the MINI Countryman, then keep a lookout for the Lexus LBX at the show.
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