What is it?
The Lexus LBX was first launched in 2024, the compact SUV becoming the smallest model so far offered by Toyota’s upmarket sister brand and at £30,000 the cheapest entry-point to the Lexus range.
A typical Lexus with a hybrid drivetrain, the LBX is effectively the premium equivalent of the Toyota Yaris Cross, though the differences go further than a badge and styling with slightly more power, suspension changes and the upmarket interior typical of the brand. The car’s creators have high hopes for it, expecting it to become one of the most popular Lexus models on sale.
‘LBX’ stands for ‘Lexus Breakthrough Crossover’, designed to emphasise the fact that this model represents the Japanese brand doing something different – the three letters are another clue as most Lexus models have two-letter names, the only other to use three so far being the LFA, a supercar built in limited numbers.
Both the exterior and interior represent departures from previous practice by Lexus – the outside is to a new styling design dubbed ‘Resolute look’ while the interior is focused around the driver with the idea being that minimum amounts of hand and eye movements are required to use all the essential controls.
The LBX comes in four trim levels but only one powertrain option, combining a three-cylinder petrol engine with the electric motor and battery setup that has been the core of the Toyota group’s long dedication to the benefits of hybrid.
While the powertrain is the same as in the Toyota Yaris Cross, the Lexus gets an extra five horsepower, rated at 136hp which is combined with 120Nm of torque. It’s not that rapid, with a 0-62mph time of just under 10 seconds, but it does offer impressive fuel economy with an official WLTP figure cresting 60mpg. With emissions of 104g/km a typical fleet driver will pay 26% in benefit-in-kind tax.
The model test-driven by Business Motoring is to Takumi specification, the third of the four main trim levels and like most versions of the LBX front-wheel-drive. However in an unusual move for this sector, Lexus also offers an all-wheel-drive version of the car, only in Takumi specification and adding £1300 to the asking price.
Standard equipment on all versions of the LBX includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with automatic high beam, a multimedia system with a 9.8-inch touchscreen, dual-zone climate control, smartphone integration for wireless Apple CarPlay or wired Android Auto, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.
Going up just one grade to Premium adds such niceties as wireless smartphone charging, heated seats and auto wipers, as well as extra electronic safety aids, and by the time you get to our Takumi model the driver’s own 7-inch digital display has grown to 12.3 inches and combined with a head-up display.
The seats have power adjustment and are upholstered in a semi-leather finish, while also added are a more upmarket Mark Levinson sound system and even more safety aids.
In terms of safety, the standard setup is grouped under the name ‘Lexus Safety System+’ and includes a number of active safety and driver assistance features – enough to convince the crash-testers of Euro NCAP who gave the LBX a top-level five-star rating when the car was tested in 2024, with an 82% adult occupant rating.
It’s notable that going up through the grades adds more electronic safety features, but all of the essential ones are fitted as standard, including autonomous braking that also detects the likes of cyclists and pedestrians.
Equally impressive is the warranty – the standard three-year warranty is extended to as much as 10 years or 100,000 miles if you keep having your car serviced at a Lexus dealer.
What do we think of it?
According to Lexus the new styling treatment was intended to make the brand’s smallest car look suitably muscular and overall it succeeds, the LBX having a purposeful stance about it.
Once inside anyone who has previously driven a Lexus will be familiar with the quality fit and finish which in this new car is generally up to the brand’s long-established high standards. It’s easy to get comfortable up front though the rear cabin is somewhat tight, especially for taller occupants.
Boot space is adequate if not exactly generous at 402 litres, but it is enough to an accommodate two 75-litre suitcases. Note, however, that if you go for the all-wheel-drive model you will lose some 85 litres of that space. That compartment itself is sensibly shaped with minimal intrusions.
The driver’s controls are all pretty straightforward and the central touchscreen easy to use. It is also pleasing to note that Lexus has not joined the rush towards putting everything on a touchscreen, a sensibly laid-out set of physical buttons fitted within easy reach at the base of the screen.
Overall, the Lexus provides a comfortable, easy drive. On our test route around the south-east, renowned for having some of the worst road surfaces in the UK, the car did a good job of smothering the various bumps, depressions and badly-patched evidence of utilities work, very few crashes and jolts reaching the cabin occupants.
At slower speeds the LBX is particularly impressive, the electric drivetrain performing well and the switch to petrol power as speed increases almost undetectable. Only if one indulges in too enthusiastic use of the right-hand pedal does the car respond with that slightly strangled roar that typifies hybrids, and which does not particularly lead to vastly increased acceleration. Keep things gentle and smooth and the Lexus is a very refined car indeed.
Tackle a twisty B road at speed and the Lexus remains competent without giving much in the way of feedback through the steering – it’s quite softly suspended and you can feel the body roll, but it responds well to steering wheel inputs and goes where it’s pointed.
Overall the Lexus LBX is not the most practical of small SUVs, and not the most traditionally Lexus of Lexus models. But it should be considered a contender for any business driver looking for an upmarket car and not wanting to go the full electric route – especially those wanting something just a little different to typical compact SUV fare.
The car offers a quality interior, is easy to drive and produces impressive fuel economy. And that final factor will become particularly relevant if your average journeys involve lots of slow-speed stop-start motoring in urban environments – the electric motor will do much of the work and prevent regular filling station visits.
Business Motoring Test Drives are the initial test of a new vehicle, of usually between 50 and 100 miles. Business Motoring Reviews are usually conducted over a full week, completing several hundred miles.
