2024 Lexus LBX review: First Australian drive

Lexus Breakthrough Crossover. That’s what the LBX badge on the back of this shapely new small SUV stands for. Coincidentally – following the LFA supercar – the 2024 LBX is only the second production Lexus to wear a three-letter badge.

Where the LFA supercar was a chest-beating demonstration of the best ideas Lexus engineers had to offer, the LBX is a ‘breakthrough’ in the sense it represents a new entry point for the Japanese luxury brand. It also happens to be Akio Toyoda’s current daily driver.

This hybrid-only SUV is based on a modified version of the Toyota Yaris Cross’s GA-B architecture, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. The body panels are all new, with minimal overhangs and a sporty coupe-like stance (and just a hint of Mazda CX-3). It is handsome in the flesh and, like the LC Coupe, comes in a range of loud hues including Rich Ruby and Citrine Flair.

Lexus has worked over the three-cylinder hybrid powertrain with higher output batteries and motors as well as active sound deadening on the top trim to make a luxurious light SUV.

The brand promises the LBX is more than a leather-bound once-over of a Yaris Cross, and we’ve got a drive from Gosford back to Sydney’s CBD to assemble some impressions.

JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it, and what do you get?
• How do rivals compare on value?
• Interior comfort, space, storage
• What is it like to drive?
• How much fuel does it use?
• How safe is it?
• Warranty and running costs
• VERDICT

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How much is the Lexus LBX, and what do you get?

This is the most affordable Lexus with an entry-level Luxury trim commanding $47,550 before on-road costs.

For that, you get a modified version of Toyota’s 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain developing 100kW and 185Nm – or 15kW more than it does in other applications. Front-wheel-drive versions are equipped with torsion beam suspension at the rear, while AWD models upgrade to an independent setup of trailing arms with dual-link wishbones.

It’s about the same size as a Volkswagen Golf outside, though sits slightly higher. Compared to the UX, the LBX is 305mm shorter, 15mm narrower, 25mm taller and unlike its larger sibling, there’s no electric version offered.

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For a very big $5440 leap, Lexus will upgrade you to Sports Luxury specification with a few luxurious extras.

Even at that upper end, though, you miss out on a sunroof, seat ventilation, and full leather upholstery. The Sports Luxury variant is also available with a second electric motor and AWD for $56,990 before on-road-costs.

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How do rivals compare on value?

Audi’s Q2 35 TFSI may cut a more coupe-like silhouette but it’s much the same size and, starting at $49,400 before on-road costs, pretty close in cost.

Where Audi’s base Q2 feels like a de-contented vehicle, the entry-grade LBX Luxury has more kit thrown and materials that – at least above the belt line – feel more luxurious.

Other premium marques’ SUVs, such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 ($68,900) and BMW X1 18i ($66,015, both before on-road costs) are both dearer and bigger propositions than the LBX.

Lexus wants the LBX to “attract affluent younger customers”, while also providing another option for existing Lexus loyalists to downsize or add a compact city-friendly luxury car to their fleets.

This may see the LBX steal business from the VW T-Cross Style loaded with accessory packs ($38,290) and Yaris Cross Urban AWD ($39,300, both before on-road costs) – especially given the quantum quality leap you experience in even the entry-grade LBX Luxury’s cabin.

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Interior comfort, space and storage

From the meaty ‘handles’ with their electric actuation to the sturdy doors and thoughtfully appointed high-traffic touch points, the LBX appears a convincingly Lexus product.

Inside, the layout is logical and conforms to Lexus’ ‘Tazuna’ philosophy, that of horse’s reins and rider, with all controls designed to keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

A deeper look unearths a few shortcomings, though, such as the coarse plastic below the belt line and Yaris Cross trim panel below and to the right of the steering wheel where the LBX’s three memory settings for the power driver’s seat are found and a similar material covering the shallow glovebox.

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The front passenger’s seat is manual adjust only and the position is compromised by an intrusive floor panel. At least the pews themselves are comfortable and supportive, with the power driver’s seat also getting adjustable lumbar.

The Sports Luxury upgrades from ‘NuLux’ synthetic leather to a suede cloth centre and leather-accented combination teamed with bronze contrast stitching.

Both grades are equipped with seat and steering wheel heating, yet Lexus does not offer the option of a sunroof, seat ventilation, or any enhancement packs for the LBX.

Build quality is mostly predictably sturdy and we detected no squeaks or rattles.

The centre console is narrow (it’s a skinny car, after all) though there’s still thoughtful storage with a tray beneath the touchscreen and two cupholders (the rearmost is under the flimsy slide-back central cubby cover, like a Polestar 2). The door bins snuggly fit 600mL bottles.

A flourish of interesting material is found on the centre console with what Lexus calls a ‘Tsuyasumi’ finish that involves multiple layers of film to create a charcoal-like effect. We wish there was a little more muttered around the cabin.

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The LBX uses a 9.8-inch multimedia touchscreen that’s powered by now-familiar software. Without the old touchpad, it’s a hint less clunky, yet the low-contrast graphics don’t look high quality.

There are connected services and live navigation that, at this stage, are included in the package for life.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless, and there are four USB-C charge points (two front, two back). The standard HiFi is a six-speaker system which is entirely acceptable. Moving up to the Sports Luxury’s 13-speaker Mark Levinson stereo adds surround sound and power yet we found its timbre a little bright.

Interior space is respectable for such a small vehicle and is honestly preferable to the larger UX thanks to more thoughtful packaging. The rear bench is upright and supportive but anyone over six feet will still feel pretty cramped. There’s no fold-down armrest, either.

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Lexus LBX boot space

The LBX’s boot is pretty stellar. Lexus lists capacity at 402L (VDA) for the front-wheel drive with the AWD at 315L.

Clever touches are few and far between and there’s no spare tyre but having a power tailgate is pretty spiffy.

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What is it like to drive?

Lexus is keen to emphasise the LBX’s sporty nature in the product presentation, despite there being no F-Sport trims on sale.

From experience in the soft and wafty UX small SUV, how flat and planted the LBX Luxury FWD felt came as a surprise. This suited the first part of the drive program – down the Old Pacific Highway just north of Sydney – very well indeed.

The quick, firm steering (2.73 turns lock-lock) inspires confidence in the front end straight away. Flowing through a set of corners, the LBX’s incisive turn-in invites you to push the chassis harder. It relished the challenge of an off-camber left hander with wonderful balance and throttle adjustability to trim the line when needed.

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It’s helped by a natural brake feel (Lexus says the pedal ups assistance on-demand) that makes it a cinch to drive smoothly in town as well. There’s no kickback from the steering over bumps and grip levels are strong from the 225/55R18 Advan V61 tyres.

Beneath the LBX’s body, Lexus has made some very peformance-oriented moves with a new front strut design and low friction dampers that keep body roll to a minimum. Then there’s the track widths, at 1570mm its stance is not only 45mm wider than a base Yaris Cross but also broader than the GR Yaris (1535mm F/1565mm R).

Having this much fun on twisty roads isn’t a Lexus calling card – it feels very much like Mr Toyoda has been involved in this vehicle’s dynamics. An LBX F production version of the Morizo RR concept revealed at Tokyo Auto Salon can’t come soon enough.

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But we should get back to the Lexus-ness of this SUV because, although the base car rides admirably at speed on its torsion beam suspension, there’s detectable thump into the cabin over potholes. Tyre noise was pronounced on coarse chip surfaces even with the active noise cancellation engaged.

The Sport Luxury AWD with its independent rear suspension maintained better control of the back axle but didn’t noticeably improve the ride quality on Sydney’s scabby roads. Whichever grade you choose, beware that the urban ride quality is jiggly.

Most of the time, the powertrain is like a silent partner. The new BiPolar NiMh battery chemistry (first seen in the Japanese-market Toyota Aqua) gives more instant power flow than the Yaris Cross Li-Ion item making the LBX convincingly zippy in EV mode.

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When you demand a little more grunt, the 1.5-litre ‘M15-FXE’ three-cylinder petrol takes a moment to kick in and drive the front wheels through a CVT automatic.

At around 70km/h up steep grades the off-beat grumble is pronounced and in no way is the LBX ‘fast’, 0-100km/h taking 9.2 or 9.6 seconds depending on whether you go for front- or all-wheel drive.

It’s no straigh swap of the Yaris Cross powertrain, with further upgrades to the transaxle and electric motors to lower friction. The rear motor is a little 4.7kW/52Nm item, so any increase in outright pace is offset by the extra weight. It does add security on loose surfaces, though.

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How safe is it?

The Lexus LBX is yet to be evaluated by independent safety bodies such as ANCAP or Euro NCAP.

It is equipped with all the usual features, including forward collision warning, front AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and eight airbags.

The lane-keep and adaptive cruise control features showed promise in initial testing, as did the car’s progressive and helpful stability control tune.

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How much fuel does it use?

The Lexus LBX’s ADR combined fuel consumption rating is 3.8L/100km and its 36-litre fuel tank requires 91 RON fuel.

During the test route, our AWD Sports Luxury trim was showing 4.7L/100km on the trip computer. We do not doubt that in more typical use cases, that will drop much closer to the ADR rating.

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Warranty and running costs

The LBX is covered by a five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty.

The small SUV is the first Lexus to introduce capped-price servicing, at $595 for the first five services due at 12-month/15,000km intervals.

Lexus has also rolled out a full-service lease option for perspectives. With this, you don’t own the car but pay to use it for a set period of up to five years.

The monthly payment covers the car, servicing, insurance, registration, and optionally a fuel card. At time of writing, Lexus has not given indicative full service-lease pricing and it depends on many variables.

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VERDICT

Lexus has succeeded in making the LBX more than just a Yaris Cross for yuppies.

There’s a depth to the chassis engineering that runs deeper – that gentleman race driver Akio Toyoda picked one of these as his daily driver over other Lexus models is probably all you need to know.

There’s little point spending more on the Sports Luxury when the base variant offers so much. Our pick is the front-wheel drive Luxury – equipped with plenty of lavish touches for a relatively reasonable price. Though the LBX does feel a little confused, it’s certainly a unique offering.

Its not for everyone, but the LBX’s definite slant towards youthful sportiness above Lexus’ traditional leather-bound luxury may ver well do the job of pulling new customers into the brand – for now, we’re waiting for Lexus to announce a hi-po LBX F.

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