CAR OF THE WEEK: A little luxury in the Lexus LBX

BY BRIAN BYRNE

IT has been a while since I drove a Lexus, and for this piece I’m in their smallest crossover, the LBX. There are varying explanations of the model acronym’s meaning, but mine is Lexus B-segment Crossover (X is Toyota alphabet-speak for crossover). It’s as good an explanation as any.

The LBX is related to the Yaris Cross, and to the current Yaris hatch, using the same platform as both. Albeit with some mild extra engine punch. You could see the reasoning, ‘let’s give the Lexus family owner a city-sized runabout that might keep them in the brand with their second car ... or if they’re retired empty nesters and downsizing, this will do it too.’ It might. Though going B segment might also be compressing things a little too much while trying to maintain a luxury cachet.

To be clear, the LBX is not merely a rebadged version of its Toyota cousin. The bodywork is all different, the Lexus is a tad longer and noticeably wider. There’s a less SUV look because the LBX’s roofline slopes more, and the car is lower to the ground than the Toyota. Overall, the Lexus has a smoother and sleeker style, with some cheeky small flourishes. There’s no angle from which it doesn’t look good.

Inside, there’s been significant effort to give the car a luxury feel. The smooth dashboard line is complemented by a leather-style finish which is carried through the doors and steering wheel and the electronic shifter knob. And, of course, the seats. Rather than a stick-up infotainment screen, it is neatly integrated into the centre console, leaving the view across the bonnet clear. The driver’s cluster is neatly sized, the graphics and information on both well laid out and with good use of high definition colour to make touch ‘button’ selection more easy. The temperature and volume controls are blessedly physical. There’s a special gimmick to the interior opening of the doors.

The LBX is very comfortable for the two people up front. But if one or both of them are long-legged, it does mean there’s a dearth of knee-room in the rear. This is, after all, a crossover in the supermini size. It’s probably not fair to expect luxury level room. But if the aforementioned empty nesters wanted to take a couple of younger grandchildren out for the day, it would be fine.

The engine is, of course, a hybrid. It’s similar to that used in the Yaris and Yaris Cross hybrids, a 1.5 petrol and an electric motor combo. The LBX, though, uses a slightly different battery with a greater output allowing a more powerful electric motor, so there’s some extra hp on tap. The CVT autobox managing all this is something I like, if not always favoured by colleagues. But the whole powertrain works well, and efficiently — my time with the car averaged 4.3L/100km. There’s also an evidence of some Lexus level soundproofing in that the motor is hardly heard at all.

It’s almost not necessary to say that the car rides and handles as good as it should for the badge that fronts it. Within the limits of the overall size, of course ... a bigger car will, all else being equal, ride better than a smaller one.

The LBX is actually a very nice package. With enough of the luxury touches to warrant the Lexus name. There are three grades to add your own extra levels. There’s also a Lexus price premium, but the start cost of an LBX is relatively reasonable. I like the size, I like the ethos, and the technicals.