New 2024 Lexus LBX small SUV all set for reveal

[talaipwros]

Quote

New 2024 Lexus LBX small SUV all set for reveal

Lexus gives us a glimpse of its upcoming entry-level crossover

by: Alastair Crooks

22 May 2023

A new Lexus is coming and it’ll be called the LBX. We expect it to feature hybrid petrol power and thanks to a brief online video we now have our first sighting of the car’s design. The video confirms an official reveal for the LBX on June 5 

Details on the Lexus LBX are scarce, but the name itself reveals some of LBX’s identity. The lack of ‘Z’ in the name suggests it won’t be fully-electric (unlike the new RZ) and the ‘X’ is reserved for SUVs in Lexus nomenclature. We’ve not seen ‘LB’ on a Lexus before, although this could reference the car’s ‘B-segment’ size. 

If that’s the case, it’s likely the LBX will share plenty of its mechanicals with the Yaris Cross from parent company Toyota. Sitting on Toyota’s TNGA-B platform, we should see the LBX utilise a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, small electric motor and a CVT automatic transmission. 

The LBX wasn’t previewed by the 16 concept cars Toyota and Lexus unveiled in 2021 and we haven’t seen much of the car’s exterior during development, we can see from the teaser video that it’ll adopt a similar grille pattern to the one on the new Lexus RX and headlights that flow into a trim piece that’ll extend across the front. At the rear there’s a full-width lightbar.

The teaser video was posted online by Lexus UK and Lexus has since confirmed the small SUV will come to the UK market. The LBX will be Lexus’ entry-level model when it goes on sale and given that the premium B-segment SUV market is rather small it’ll probably challenge the high-spec versions of models like the Volkswagen T-Cross and Honda HR-V.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/lexus/360263/new-2024-lexus-lbx-small-suv-all-set-reveal

Ok, that could be interesting as an entry model but isn't this what the UX is for?

[Shahpor]

Great, another SUV....

I would have thought that the UX, RX, NX and RZ would be enough for now.

Based on the size, I am assuming this is the CT 'replacement'.

[Linas.P]

That was my first thought as well... but no... how could anyone choose SUV from JUST 4 models! 

As well UX is already same as CT if not a little bit smaller (at least in terms of interior space)... so I honestly have no clue what niche this LBX suppose to fill. As well whats up with the name? LBX? Really?!

Honestly, I have long lost hope that Lexus would release something interesting and not another stupid SUV. 

[DavidCM]

Sounds like a Load of Boll**x

[Linas.P]

Should have announced it on 1st of April. 

[talaipwros]

Quote

2024 Lexus LBX: Posh Yaris Cross

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/2024-lexus-lbx-posh-yaris-cross-teased

[Linas.P]

Should be called PYC then 😄 

As well Yaris is kind of poverty line no-nonsense version or Corolla i.e. Yaris isn't "smaller" it is just more basic/worse car compared to Corolla... and Corolla/Auris = CT. 

My point is - I just can't see any good reason why Lexus, a "luxury" brand, would offer a car that was fundamentally designed to be more basic and cheaper version of Corolla? Isn't that direct contradiction of what the Lexus is about? Or they just going to stick the badge on all the shaite there is?!

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if they released a version of Aygo X  by the end of the year called BCW (beer can on the wheels)... and then next year we will have iQ X called RCB (revolutionary cardboard box) ... and finally Lexus mountain bike in 2025 (that last one would be cool on the second thought... maybe the only cool thing in recent years in fact!). At this pace we all going to be walking by the year 2030.

[dutchie01]

Oh boy. 1.5 ltr 3 pot, CVT and 85 KW. Not very promising is it. If the design is even remotely close to the Yaris Cross it will be a sleepingpill on wheels ( SOW ).

And where does this thing fit in then??

 

[First_Lexus]

Full disclosure - I like my SUV. The RX is a brilliant thing. I also NEED the height an SUV offers now due to my (deteriorating) mobility. Only in 2012 I bought a Honda Accord - which I loved - but now I simply wouldn’t be able to easily get in and out of such a low vehicle…but I digress…

What I don’t understand is why Lexus are ignoring model type diversity. As others have noted, they already have plenty of SUV models across all sizes. Surely the CT replacement should be a Golf/Focus competitor? It makes little sense to me, but one assumes the predicted sales numbers stack up otherwise they wouldn’t be doing it. Would they?

[Linas.P]

I am pretty sure they will sell loads of these little shaity things, but that isn't really the point. Kind of sad to see that Lexus turning from actual "luxury car company", to "fashion company". Now sure - being a fashion and lifestyle brand is probably profitable as it attracts low IQ (Toyota IQ X anyone?! Is that foreshadowing?) customers who are none the wiser and would not understand how good/bad your product is.

As well I can understand NX and RX, they are good cars, definitely not for me and I would not buy them as only vehicle, but they are not bad cars overall. I had NX for a week as loaner and I can't say I hated it, honestly it did everything I needed it to do as far as taking me from A to B in comfort... again I would not buy it, but it is not a bad car overall. I even joked that if you own LC then you need to have second car and ideally that would be RX... and this is partially joke as it would be wasteful for me to have 2 cars (I don't even have where to park them), but money being no object and in family where two people drive I completely see myself having LC with RX... then you really get best of both worlds - if you driving alone or with other half then LC is great, if you need to put kids, dogs or pick-up friends from airport you take RX. So I would not say I hate SUVs overall, I just don't like compromises if they were the only car I own.

However... UX is not SUV, nor this little stupid thing... they are so called "cross-overs" and are absolutely useless and silly. They have no extra ground clearance, so they are no more comfortable than normal car, they don't have any off-road capabilities, most of them are not even AWD, they offer no extra utility over simple hatchback... e.g. UX actually has less space inside and in the boot than CT... so I really don't understand why they exist. I mean UX is already too small as a car... so I just can't imagine what would be purpose of LBX.

And finally, as you already said - I actually don't mind Lexus offering SUVs as long as they offer diverse range of models where everyone can find something suitable for them... but it seems soon they going to have only SUVs on offer. Kind of weird they not bringing LX and GX as well... just make 9 damn SUVs as your model range and call it a day!

[Bluemarlin]

19 hours ago, Linas.P said:

I am pretty sure they will sell loads of these little shaity things, but that isn't really the point. Kind of sad to see that Lexus turning from actual "luxury car company", to "fashion company".

 

To be fair Linas, it seems that Lexus can't win. On the one hand there's a thread about Lexus not doing anything to break into the mainstream market, whereas now, if they launch a car that might well sell in numbers, they're accused of giving in to fashion 🙂

[Gary H]

I have to say that I'm not feeling particularly 'warm' about the LBX, but I'll give it a fair chance and judge it accordingly once I see one in the metal. 

As an owner of a UX, I do feel that should really be the 'smallest' model Lexus should offer - otherwise I feel it's diluting the brand and what they're really about. I completely understand the need for more models to introduce the brand to more people, but I don't think the LBX is the right way of doing it. 

I do feel it very much misses the IS saloon (and maybe an estate variant), as the ES is too big for some people. 

At the moment, Lexus should be concentrating on their declining communication skills with customers and fulfilling existing orders for cars they simply can't build in the first place - yet alone introducing a new model. On a side note, this is what's annoyed me a little about the recent RZ. 

[Linas.P]

5 hours ago, Gary H said:

As an owner of a UX, I do feel that should really be the 'smallest' model Lexus should offer

Agreed - UX is basically adaptation on CT... CT was released for the times when hatchbacks were popular (well Lexus kind of missed the real hatchback peak by at least decade), but at the time it was logical offer to add in the range... and nowadays when market is about crossovers and SUVs, they simply replaced CT as entry level model to small crossover. 

However, they can't go smaller than CT/UX... in fact this proposed LBX isn't smaller, just today I walked past Yaris Cross and it is pretty much the size of CH-R, just much more basic inside... you can clearly see cheap plastics and basic dash. So in principle again LBX is not smaller car than UX, it is just worse car than UX... and I wasn't exactly amazed about UX either. I mean it is okey small cross-over, but I would not call it very luxurious. 

On 5/23/2023 at 3:10 PM, Bluemarlin said:

To be fair Linas, it seems that Lexus can't win. On the one hand there's a thread about Lexus not doing anything to break into the mainstream market, whereas now, if they launch a car that might well sell in numbers, they're accused of giving in to fashion 🙂

Context matters. I think when we were discussing "mainstream", it was implicit that we talking about "luxury mainstream" i.e. BMW, MB, Audi type of segment... not a "mainstream" where Lexus competes with Dacias and Skodas. As well at no point I said - "I think I know what they need to do be more mainstream - on top of having small-SUV and mini-crossover they need another stupid micro-crossover!"

Lexus could have been mainstream all along if they wanted to be... sound simple, but the problem always was choice and the price. And I know it is like "ohhh genius moment... just make them cheaper", but it is exactly how Lexus became mainstream in US. They came with the car which was better than MB and they sold it at 30% discount... that is what you need to become mainstream in any market. Lexus in UK has to sell at 20% discount compared to German cars... this is the only way. And they have to offer all the models all the time.

So if Lexus would have taken the market seriously, always introduced all the models they had and sold cars for 20% discount for decade and then maybe 10% discount for another decade... they would be in similar position say ~top 5.

And as for LBX - it definitely dilutes the brand, because there is no way to make car cheaper than UX and still "luxurious". If they wanted to be more mainstream, then they could have just cut the price of UX by 20%... that would certainly work... although I don't know what Toyota would do with CH-R then... because CH-R is already almost the same as UX and as well almost the same price. Really unbelievable when you think that Toyota is selling shoe box sized mini crossover for nearly £40k... What?! Since when you have to pay £40k for pretty much entry level car?!

So I think I will double down on my comment - they just becoming fashion brand, sticking their badge on every Toyota model and instead of selling luxury cars, now they are moving into market of selling brand image and "lifestyle". Starbucks of cars!

[Steve_S]

Lexus is not a "luxury" car brand. It is a premium car brand serving the same relationship with Toyota as Audi do with VW. Bentley and RR are luxury brands and are what Jaguar aspire to be now they have decided they can't cut it in the premium segment. Audi have entry level models designed for younger buyers in mind and to generate brand loyalty. Perhaps some Audi drivers of their higher end models care about dilution of the brand but the company doesn't seem to care. Unless you want Lexus to go the way of Jaguar and only appeal to an elitist niche neither should you. 

Whether the LBX proves to be a decent car or not time will tell.

[Linas.P]

How would you like to define the difference? So "premium" are the companies that have their parent company and uses their tech e.g. Audi being "premium" of VW right? What does it makes Porsche then? Or Bentley? Because you saying Bentley is "luxury", but it is still owned by WV. What does it make VW Phaeton then? Because that one was basically Bentley with WV badge. And if we say "luxury" are the brand that are sort of independent and not related to more mainstream car brand, then are we saying BMW and MB are "luxury" brands then, but Audi and Lexus are just "premium"?

I think that is semantics - "premium" or "luxury" that is same thing as far as I am concerned. 

If having mainstream brand equivalent makes brand "premium", then I don't want Lexus to be "premium"... I want it to be "luxury" as was the case with LS, IS, GS, RC that have no Toyota equivalents. Except of weird Japanese down-badging, where they used Toyota brand domestically on Lexus models, but that is the same as VW did with Phaeton and if that doesn't make Bentley "premium" brand, then it shouldn't make Lexus "premium" brand either. 

I think it could be summarised - I simply don't like badge engineering. I can accept it to some degree, where platform of the mainstream model is used as a basis but completely reworked (like RX or LC - they share the platform, but all the panels and bodywork are different) and where both the basis of the car and end product still represents brand values and quality. I am already not impressed with CT and UX, I don't believe they different enough from Auris and CH-R to justify weaning Lexus badge, new ES is even worse... where I can't tell any difference between build quality or materials between it and Avalon it is based on. But at least all these models in theory fit with Lexus brand... Yaris Cross just does not fit... it is inherently economy car, built to the budget, you can't make it "luxury" and you can't even make it "premium", because doing it makes the car actually worse... It was designed to be as cheap as possible, so making less cheap just makes it worse... I consider that a conflict of design ideas and purpose... there is no way of wining it. If Lexus makes it "luxurious" then they going to ruin the purpose of the car (of being cheap and economical). If Lexus going keep it's purpose, then it simply going to dilute itself as a brand to literally offering economy car. There is no way of winning this and thus I would argue model should never be included in Lexus range. If somebody wants car as small, as cheap and as shaitty as LBX, they should not be buying Lexus anyways.

[Steve_S]

The overall ownership of a brand is not relevant in this context. It is what the products of that brand represent to the consumer. So yes, just because Bentley are part of the VAG group does not mean you can use the same label for them. I may be being predantic but words have meaning and there is a big philosophical difference between premium and luxury.

Lexus are incrementally improved Toyotas in the sense of historically having better materials, improvements in some mechanicals and a more cohesive design language. They were aspirational vehicles for the (hate to use this term but can't think of a better one) middle classes that had a bit of extra money to splash out on something with a bit better perceived quality than what the hoi polloi were driving. I would argue that historically brand engineering is exactly what they were about. 

If you are arguing that there is now no quality difference between Lexus and Toyota models well, fair enough, I haven't closely compared recent models. But, there has always been overlap between the top of the consumer brands and the bottom of the premium brands and I don't see anything really different now. 

[Linas.P]

1 hour ago, Steve_S said:

Lexus are incrementally improved Toyotas

My argument is that - they shouldn't be "incrementally improved Toyotas" and it is not true that they were originally. Again LS - is it's own model even today... there is nothing incrementally improved about it, Toyota has no equivalent. Same for GS, IS, RC and LC. So they are not incrementally improved Toyotas (again outside of some weird badge engineering in Japan).

This is what I want Lexus to be, what I expect Lexus to be and what they should be. If Toyota wants to improve incrementally, they can simply add new trim or additional equipment options to CH-R or Yaris Cross, they don't need to put Lexus badge on it.

Finally... look I get it, Toyota nowadays are so expensive, then they basically can't increase the price of their cars without changing the badge on them... but that is still wrong... Toyotas are simply too expensive so I think criticism is still justified i.e. I want Lexus to be Lexus, not just overpriced Toyota.

[MartinH]

In this context, it would be interesting to know how many former owners of GS, IS, RC and LC have found nothing that meets their need in the current Lexus line-up, so owned up and bought Toyota Corolla.

[Steve_S]

Not many I'd imagine. The natural Toyota alternative to the IS or GS is the Camry which is no longer sold here either. They will have gone to the German premium brands.

[Linas.P]

I have seen many picking-up Volvo/Polestar (which I am not fan of due to Chinese ownership), as well quite a few going with the "fashion" and getting SUVs (again not my cuppa). LC I guess little bit different breed - people who had LC can easily move into 8-Series, or Aston Martin, or 911 and similar cars. £100k+ segment has some interesting choice, but I would argue one does not need to spend £100k (very few could) to find something other than SUV. As IS/RC owners I am struggling quite a bit to see myself as Lexus owner in the future.

[ColinBarber]

5 hours ago, Linas.P said:

My argument is that - they shouldn't be "incrementally improved Toyotas" and it is not true that they were originally.

Historically they were just upgraded versions of JDM Toyotas with the exception of the LS which was developed for the non-JDM market in mind. Once Lexus became a brand in Japan and they got their own designers and separate lines in the manufacturing plants they were different but now with global platforms and rising development costs, more and more Lexus vehicles are once again upgraded Toyotas (UX/C-HR, NX/RAV4, ES/Avalon/Camry, BZ/bZ4X, LBX/Yaris Cross) and will probably continue to move further that way.

[Linas.P]

46 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Historically they were just upgraded versions of JDM Toyotas 

I don't think it is historically correct, even if it seems that it is the future... and it is core of my criticism. I consider that JDM cars were Lexus cars badged as Toyotas for domestic market, because for whatever reason Toyota didn't want to introduce new brand in Japan. I know this is splitting hairs, but I consider that Toyota Aristo was based on Lexus GS, not that GS that was based on Aristo. Even thought Toyota basically builds both of them.

This point of view is fully supported by Lexus history... Again if we looking at GS example, the car was specifically designed grounds-up as Lexus model, with intention to be first and foremost Lexus, with "distinctive looks based on European cars", design started in 1988 and it was intended for sale abroad as Lexus, Italdesign specifically looked at the lines of LS and SC when designing it and not Toyota models. So they designed Lexus GS, then they took that Lexus GS and put Toyota badge on it for sales at home. Both cars were introduced simultaneously in 1991, but Toyota Aristo didn't exist before that and as such it only exist because Lexus GS was launched.

Now if we look at ES then this obviously it is different, because ES was clearly based on exiting Camry at the time of launch and Camry existed before Lexus brand was launched. So ES is Toyota, GS is Lexus. IS didn't have direct equivalent, but Mark X shared engines and few other parts, RC had do equivalents and LC shares the platform with LS and Toyota Mirai, but obviously there is nothing in common between the cars.

Anyway - it does not matter if you agree or disagree with me. My point is that the only reason to buy Lexus are cars like IS, GS, LS, RC, LS... they cost more because they are better, because they are Lexus! And I don't even care if they have Toyota badge on them (like Soarer or like Celsior... everyone know Celsior is just Toyota badged LS). What is not okey is some non-sensical LBX which is just Lexus badged Yaris Cross for £32,000+. This car should not exist, not only it is not okey for it to be called Lexus, is not even okey for Yaris to cost £28,000+ in the first place. For ES they can at least argue that UK market doesn't have Avalon/Camry and thus ES fills some niche... But you can indeed buy Yaris-Cross already... so what exact market LBX fills? Car for idiots who want to overpay extra on top of already overpriced Yaris? 

In short - I don't actually care about the badge as I have already said, if you can buy Lexus with Toyota badge for less (Celsior, Aristo), then great... however if they offering you Toyota with Lexus badge for more, then it is a scam... it makes no sense. Trash like Yaris Cross is not even worth £22,000 as it is, so slapping Lexus badge on it and asking even more is outright insulting!

[Mr_Groundhog]

On 5/24/2023 at 1:50 PM, Gary H said:

I have to say that I'm not feeling particularly 'warm' about the LBX, but I'll give it a fair chance and judge it accordingly once I see one in the metal. 

As an owner of a UX, I do feel that should really be the 'smallest' model Lexus should offer - otherwise I feel it's diluting the brand and what they're really about. I completely understand the need for more models to introduce the brand to more people, but I don't think the LBX is the right way of doing it. 

I do feel it very much misses the IS saloon (and maybe an estate variant), as the ES is too big for some people. 

At the moment, Lexus should be concentrating on their declining communication skills with customers and fulfilling existing orders for cars they simply can't build in the first place - yet alone introducing a new model. On a side note, this is what's annoyed me a little about the recent RZ. 

The ES is huge! It does not fit inside the average garage and in many towns/villages it would be a pain to move, given the small and narrow streets. It looks nice and im sure is super comfortable, but I would not be able to have one even if I wanted to.

[dutchie01]

I do think there will be a market for the LBX or whatever they will call it. Small crossovers is what people want and the choice will become less with Audi pulling the Q2 and Mercedes the A. Most potential customers don't give a t*** about underpinnings, chassis, aluminium or steel and so on. If the cabin has nice materials looks and feels premium ( Not Luxury!!), if the overall styling has some presence and can ever so slightly impress the neighbors expect this car to show up as second or third car in the household in some neighborhoods.

In the end every manufacturer needs to make a profit and the current financial outlook for Toyota is not too good. They carry a massive debt, the largest in the automotive industry, and are starting to loose market share rapidly as markets switch to BEV which they don't offer. That could well be the Achilles heel of the LBX as customers could well be looking for Electric. 

[VSR]

Hi guys, how much do you think the LBX will cost in the UK