The completely new model of the Lexus range, LBX, which debuted last year, breathed fresh air into the range of the Japanese manufacturer. This is not only the smallest car of the brand with a new generation hybrid drive. The compact urban SUV will expand the company’s offer in a new segment and will target the European taste, as for the first time the car was developed taking into account the needs of drivers in the European region.
Breakthrough Goals
It is the first Japanese model to be designed on the global small car architecture platform GA-B. It has features that ensure driving pleasure: a low center of gravity, a wide track, an extremely strong body and short overhangs behind the wheels.
Already in the name of the model, it is coded that this is a new concept crossover. The manufacturer does not hide that it hopes to achieve a breakthrough in new audiences with the LBX model (LexusBreakthroughCrossover): the affordable price level of the new car should also attract the attention of potential customers. In Lithuania, the price of the LBX city SUV starts at 35 thousand. 600 euros or 363 euros per month with a special offer.
Basically, the new model starts a kind of revolution in the automotive industry: it proves that even a small vehicle can be luxurious, characterized by high-quality materials and advanced technologies. Special attention is paid to technological progress in the field of safety, so the LBX model, like large Lexus sedans or SUVs, is equipped with the LexusSafety System+ system, which has a wide range of safety and driver assistance functions.
It includes a number of early warning features. In the event of danger, they automatically activate the control of steering, braking and driving forces and help avoid a collision or mitigate its consequences. Among the most important technologies, there is an emergency system with cornering assistant, dynamic cruise control, lane keeping or lane keeping assistance.
New audiences
All of these features and the manufacturer’s reputation for quality, long-lasting, reliable and efficient hybrid powertrains make the Lexus LBX much more appealing to a younger audience and perhaps drivers who have yet to discover the brand.
Another trump card for these audiences should be a wide range of individual styling tools. Emphasizing this, the manufacturer offers to choose not equipment levels, but one of five separate styles and even then to design additional desired equipment in more detail. Nine colors are offered for the exterior alone and at least eight more combinations when choosing to paint the car in two shades.
“We set out to challenge the conventional concept of a luxury car.” We persistently sought to create a dialogue between the driver and the sophisticated design of the car while driving,” said KunihikoEndoh, chief engineer of the project, when presenting the new model.
The most modern hybrid
It is also important that the manufacturer installs a new generation fully hybrid power system in this model: as a result, the average fuel consumption is only 4.5 liters. The Lexus hybrid electric power system works with a compact and lightweight 1.5-liter three-cylinder internal combustion engine. Key components of the hybrid system, including the transmission and powertrain, have been fundamentally redesigned to reduce the car’s weight, drivetrain size, energy losses and increase performance.
The engine’s thermal efficiency is one of the most impressive in the world. It’s made possible by rapid combustion technology and design details such as straight intakes and laser-turned intake valve covers. Other notable features include ultra-lightweight pistons designed for high-rpm performance and an electronically controlled advanced variable valve actuation system.
A new bipolar nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery with higher energy efficiency and high output power has also been installed. It provides additional support to the electric motor during acceleration and extends the car’s driving range in electric mode only.
The LBX SUV features genuine Lexus E-Four all-wheel drive. It uses an additional electric motor mounted on the rear axle. During acceleration, cornering or on poor traction surfaces, the system automatically directs drive power to the rear wheels, helping to maintain vehicle stability and maintain driver confidence.
The latest Lexus model can already be tested at the manufacturer’s representative offices in Lithuania.
