A “Compliance Car” is a vehicle designed not to be sold in large quantities but to meet consumption standards across the entire range. For example, makers of huge, gas-guzzling trucks may have to offer an economical, gas-guzzling ride to balance emissions numbers. An infamous example is The Aston Martin Swan, a rebadged Toyota iQ with a luxury interior that sold for three times the price of the iQ. Now let's imagine a company elected intentionally manufacture one of those vehicles. That's the best way to describe The new Lexus LBXa small but luxurious city car, exclusive to Europe, that you will love to sit in while waiting in traffic.
The LBX is a subcompact car based on the same underlying platform (GA-B) as Toyota's Yaris Cross, its small crossover SUV. The Yaris Cross is a city vehicle that pretends to be an SUV, complete with flared wheel arches, high ride height and optional all-wheel drive. Lexus is keen to point out that this is not a name change and that the luxury automaker has refined every facet of its design. The wheelbase is longer and wider, the powertrain smaller and faster, with luxury equipment everywhere you look. You can call this many things, but it's not a lazy cash grab, especially considering how much of the early chat around this car talked about that diluted The Lexus brand.
Inside, you'll find a 1.5-liter three-cylinder VVT-iE engine with a bipolar nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery. That composition offers greater power density and quicker response with a smaller footprint than Toyota's own brand hybrids, with a lighter weight that is key in such a small car. Total combined power is 136 DIN horsepower, which is appropriate for a car designed to stay in traffic. But Lexus piqued my interest in this car by claiming that its new hybrid system offered “powerful acceleration like that of a battery-electric vehicle.” Given the majestic way most small hybrids move, I was curious to put that statement to the test.
If you're just speeding to get off the line when the lights change, you'll find plenty to like here. It's too much of a stretch to compare it to an electric vehicle, but if you're looking for a high-performance city car, you won't be far behind. It thrives in cities, where its small size, speed and ease of driving allow you to corner and dive into tight spaces. But this power doesn't go much further than the lights, and putting your foot on the road exposes this engine. No amount of sound-deadening technology (and there's a lot of it in this car) can mask the LBX's anguished cries when you try to accelerate or reduce power when climbing hills.
At the front, it is spacious and offers a comfortable driving position, while the rear seat is higher to offer passengers a better view. I'm 5' 11″ and had plenty of headroom, but I doubt anyone taller than me would want to travel here for long. There isn't much legroom in the back either, so you won't want to take a long trip in one of these.
The Lexus LBX is a batch of a car, too much for the role it must play in your life, with a lot of fru-frou. Since this is a car designed for short trips, I'm not sure it needs to have as much technology on board as it actually does. The model I tested had a digital instrument binnacle, a large center console, and a head-up display. Plus, flexible paddles so you can control your level of braking and Three USB-C ports in the center console. Oh, and a set of safety tools that were so sensitive they would erupt into a chorus of pings and bongs if I even looked at the accelerator before the road ahead of me was clear.
Lexus says the LBX is aimed at “younger, city-savvy Europeans” rather than the company's older, traditional base. The marketing is full of young people in red vinyl coats and Vitaly jewelry, but I'm not sure that's the demographic that will be interested. I'm not sure many young, urban Europeans can afford a car like this, or even know how to drive. Some of the recent statistics have been skewed by COVID, but the general trend of young people learning to drive has changed. pointing down for a moment. Company representatives mentioned that they thought another potential demographic would be empty nesters looking to downsize.
And then there's the price: the base model costs £29,995 (around $37,700) in the UK, while the fully-specced model costs £40,545 (around $50,870). You don't need to tell anyone whether that's a lot or not, especially given the various ways people buy new cars today. But Lexus, knowing it won't undercut similarly high-spec city cars in the space, says that while the starting price is higher, it will save drivers a lot with its fuel economy. I'm not sure how many people buy a luxury car because they are paying attention to dollars and cents.
Fundamentally, as much as I like the LBX, I am unable to square its inherent contradictions as they pile up on top of each other. There are very few faults that I can point out that relate solely to this vehicle, rather than quirks inherent to the company's range. But I can't imagine a world where people line up to buy a car that is this over-equipped and over-specced given the environment in which it thrives.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lexus-lbx-is-the-luxury-city-car-you-never-knew-you-didnt-need-230153698.html?src=rss
