The Japanese firm’s smallest machine yet is a hybrid-powered compact crossover. Can it excel in an underserved area of the market?
The Lexus LBX may be the smallest Lexus yet, but it’s a big deal for the company. In fact, its bold ambitions are hidden in plain sight in its name: LBX stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover.For now, let’s skip over the pedant-bothering detail that this car is therefore technically called the Lexus Lexus Breakthrough Crossover and instead focus on the ‘breakthrough’ element.This is the first compact premium car developed by the Toyota group (well, unless you count the Aston Martin Cygnet…) and has a real focus on growing Lexus sales in Europe.The brand expects the LBX to account for around a third of its total sales volume in the UK next year, instantly becoming its best-selling model and playing a key role in breaking through the barrier of 20,000 annual sales. It was engineered in Japan, but the focus has very much been on this region.Bosses say the LBX is aimed at young urban professionals, suggesting this is a premium car you can feel comfortable driving in jeans and trainers – which makes us wonder if they think people put on tuxedos to drive their Lexus RZs. We could also see it proving popular with existing Lexus owners looking to downsize, perhaps because their kids have left home so they no longer need that sizeable RX.
