LBX, short for Lexus Breakthrough X (Crossover), was born from an idea to redefine the old concept of luxury cars and small vehicle comfort. There is a spirit to “fight” the status quo regarding these two things.

Luxury vehicles that are small; or small vehicles, but luxurious. “Luxurious” and “small,” two concepts that seemingly contradict in the form of a vehicle. If you want a luxurious vehicle, yes, it must be large in size. That is the conventional concept of a luxury car, which Lexus attempts to deconstruct through LBX.

Also read: Futuristic, Leak of Future Lexus Design

The puzzle of how Lexus redefine luxury driving with a small car was answered at the Lexus LBX event Dynamic Press Launch in Valencia, Spain, second week of December 2023. Dozens of journalists from Asia Pacific countries were invited to attend, including Kompas, one of two media from Indonesia.

The headquarters of Lexus in Japan sent Jun Takahashi, Project Manager Product Planning, to explain various things about the LBX. He was accompanied by Adriana Mendes, Specialist Lexus Europe Product Communication, and Etienne Plas, Senior Manager Lexus Europe Product Communication, as well as Evan Er, General Manager Lexus Asia, presenting the premium casual-themed vehicle in the form of the LBX.

Why in Valencia, Spain? LBX is specifically designed for the European market, targeting younger and more lifestyle-conscious groups.

Valencia was chosen as the location for the event due to its unique blend of contemporary style, traditional architecture, and well-established culture. This year, Valencia will take over the title of European Green Capital 2024 from Tallinn, Estonia.

Coupled with a relaxed lifestyle and far from formality, all the qualities in Valencia feel suited to the concept and spirit presented by Lexus through the LBX. The question that arises when you first see Lexus’ “youngest” car is what gave the vehicle the nickname “breakthrough”.

What qualities make LBX worthy of “breakthrough“. “What we want to present with the LBX goes beyond the existing size hierarchy and presents a small luxury vehicle,” said Takahashi.

“Our goal is to challenge conventional concepts of luxury cars. We have fully discovered a driving experience that allows for natural dialogue between the driver and the vehicle, as well as a design in an elegant form,” he said.

Our goal is to challenge the conventional concept of luxury cars.

For Lexus, with a new overall model, the LBX is designed to be a game changer in small luxury vehicle models. The LBX challenged the status quo and redefined what a small car could offer.

Takahashi referred to LBX as a new chapter in Lexus’ history. To bring LBX to life, in line with the spirit that has accompanied Lexus since its inception in 1989, the engineers and designers not only broke conventional boundaries, but also had to rewrite their own design guidelines.

Also read: All New Lexus RX, a Work of Art in the Form of an SUV

Since the birth of Lexus, only LBX and – previously – LFA have been named with three letters. According to Takahashi, this is to demonstrate Lexus’ commitment and confidence in their new model.

What is certain is, whatever the model and the innovations presented, one thing that has not changed and cannot be negotiated is the commitment to provide a satisfying driving experience and Lexus-style driving privileges (Lexus Driving Signature) which are based on the dogma “3 C”, namely control (control), comfort (comfort), and confidence (self-confidence), for the driver.

Comfort

How are the three typical Lexus luxuries presented in a small and compact car like the LBX? This is a basic question. It should be noted, this new car has a length of 4,190 millimeters (mm), a width of 1,825 mm, a height of 1,545 mm, and a wheelbase distance of 2,580 mm.

For Lexus, the driving experience based on the Lexus Driving Signature—in this case, for small cars—is a central concern. The constituent elements are varied. For example, the use of the GA-B platform (which places the driver’s seat in a low position, towards the center of the car to increase the car’s center of gravity so that the driver feels like driving a sedan), wheelbase length, suspension settings, braking, acceleration, cabin design, exterior appearance , and others.

Also read: Towards 2035 with the Lexus RZ

The three elements of Lexus-style driving privileges—control (control), comfort (comfort), and confidence (self-confidence), for the driver—are felt when testing the LBX in a driving test for 258 kilometers, which was divided into two laps, along city streets (including toll roads), suburban areas and rural areas in Valencia and its surroundings.

On the outskirts of the city and rural areas, with many roundabouts, comfort is felt when driving a car at moderate speeds or when stopping and accelerating again. In the city, driving with LBX can maneuver smoothly amidst the traffic congestion.

The comfort of the LBX is indescribable when driven on the toll road. Not only agile in maneuvering, if it is necessary to change lanes, its acceleration response is also strong and controlled. Fitra Eri, a journalist colleague from OtoDriver media, during the vehicle test journey, often reminded of the speed limit when the speedometer exceeded 140 kilometers per hour.

This car is equipped with a pure hybrid drive system, which is claimed to be very efficient and designed to obtain a fast acceleration response like the character of a pure electric car (battery electric vehicle/BEV).

The total power released by the LBX drive system is 136 HP with a peak torque of 185 Nm. Lexus claims that acceleration from 0-100 km per hour for this car only takes 9.2 seconds for the front-wheel drive variant and 9.6 seconds for the all-wheel drive variant.

The WLTP testing cycle data indicates that this car has fuel consumption efficiency of up to 4.4 l/100 km (approximately 22.7 km/l) and CO2 emissions of 100 grams per km.

The LBX uses a 1.5-liter self-charging full hybrid electric and is the second Lexus vehicle, after the RX, to use a bi-polar nickel metal hydride (NiMH) hybrid battery.

During the presentation, Etienne Plas, Senior Manager of Lexus Europe Product Communication, explained that the LBX suspension is designed to produce stable steering and braking responses. ”We have increased driver control thanks to the braking control posture, which was previously only available on our flagship luxury car, the LM. “Now that technology is in LBX,” he said.

Also read: Pampered First Impressions of the All New Lexus LM

Tazuna Omotenashi

Another aspect of comfortable driving, in line with the Lexus Driving Signature dogma, is the atmosphere inside the cabin. In this regard, LBX adheres firmly to the concept of Tazuna. In Japan, the concept of Tazuna is likened to a horse rider who has complete control and command over their horse.

In the driver’s cabin, this is realized, among other things, by placing impressive features and supporting equipment for steering in such a way that the driver does not have to move much or shift their gaze when operating the features. This is to minimize distractions so that the driver can stay focused while driving.

The dashboard section, for example, looks clean and simple. There are no features that interfere with the view towards the front. A full digital instrument screen measuring 7 or 12.3 inches is placed on the steering wheel. The head-up display, reflected on the driver’s windshield, makes it easier to control the vehicle.

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The interior design of LBX also pays attention to the value and concept of Omotenashi. This is a typical approach by Lexus, which makes the driver and passengers feel warmly welcomed and at home while inside the cabin.

LBX showcases a cabin design that is clean, spacious, and smooth, embodying the essence of Omotenashi, a unique Japanese hospitality art. The cabin is carefully designed to meet the needs of customers, ranging from lighting and temperature control to seat arrangement and multimedia interaction,” said Adriana Mendes, Specialist Lexus Europe Product Communication, during the presentation.

Also read: UX 300e, Opening the Electric Lexus Generation

In terms of cabin lighting, there are 64 light options available in five themes (healing, relaxing, arousing, focusing, and exhilarated), which can be adjusted according to the driver’s mood and preferences.

Anti-“status quo”

With the spirit of “resistance” to the status quo, which underlies the creation of the LBX, the most significant changes can be seen in the exterior design. At the front, the spindle grille—Lexus’ signature face design of the last decade—is deconstructed into a new face. On the LBX, a trapezoidal grille is placed beneath a narrow opening at the end of the bonnet, revealing a sharp line connecting the two headlights.

Through this design, a sturdy and dynamic impression is emphasized. “A firm appearance (Resolute Look),” is what Lexus calls this appearance.

With its casual theme, LBX wants to invite its drivers to appear in an informal style—for example driving wearing jeans and sneakers—without abandoning the elegant and luxurious appearance that has been typical of Lexus for so long.