Lexus LBX review: Sensible Lexus or overpriced Toyota?

Note: This feature was first published on 10 July 2024.

Engineering an entry-level luxury car could be one of the hardest things to do. Such cars are an exercise in making balanced, well-judged compromises. Not only do they have to look and feel upmarket, but they also need to be produced economically enough to keep profit margins intact. It’s an unenviable task and I reckon most engineers would rather be asked to invent a motor that can run off water. But such cars are necessary to broaden the appeal of any luxury marque. This is why Lexus makes the LBX – their smallest car ever and their first category A COE car. 

Did Lexus leave too much on the table to get the LBX down to their target price point, or did they manage to successfully capture the essence of the brand in their most affordable car?

The TL;DR version:



It may be the most affordable Lexus, but it’s still a pricey thing. There are signs of cost-cutting if you look hard enough. Still, there’s no denying its hybrid powertrain is impressively frugal.

Let’s cut to the chase, the LBX is based on the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid. The two share the same 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid powertrain, but little else is the same. If you hadn’t read this, you probably couldn’t even tell because the two look so different. Style is, as they say, subjective, but I think few would argue that the LBX is the more aggressive-looking of the two. To my eyes, it’s a smart-looking little car with tidy proportions.

The interior of the LBX is unrecognisable from the Yaris Cross, which demonstrates the extent of engineering that Lexus undertook. It also looks stylish and feels suitably luxurious. Lexus clearly went to great lengths to avoid using plastic and so the cabin (including the seats) is covered mostly in a suede-like material. 

However, there are signs of cost-cutting if you look. The most apparent is the centre console area which is mostly plastic. I’m also fairly certain the gear lever is straight out of the Toyota Prius. The leather that wraps steering wheel feels low-rent.

The 9.8-inch infotainment display is a little small by today’s standards, but it works well enough and crucially supports both Apple CarPlay (wireless) and Android Auto (wired). One big surprise is that the LBX has a heads-up display – a feature that's commonly only found on much pricier metal. The large 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is legible and can be customised to show the information you want – though I suspect users will take some time to figure out how to work through its confusing menus.

Round the back, there are no aircon vents for rear passengers, only two USB-C ports. Speaking of the rear, legroom in the back is tight, particularly if the front passengers are of above-average height. Children will fit with no issues, but adults will likely find the back of the LBX cramped. Happily, front passengers will be much happier because these seats are comfy and supportive. The 400L boot should also suffice for most small families.  

The ride falls short of what one would expect from a car with a Lexus badge on the bonnet. It never gets to the point where it’s jarring or unpleasant, but neither is it what you’d call plush or refined. Its firmness can cause it to feel overly lumpen, especially on patchy roads. If it’s any consolation, the upside to this is that body movement is well-controlled and the LBX feels direct and agile.

Tuned to make 129hp and 185nm of torque to qualify for a Cat A COE, the hybrid powertrain is mostly slick. Driven sensibly and calmly, it’s remarkably quiet and refined – and exhibits very little of the harshness typically associated with three-pot motors.

It’s also delightfully frugal. Over 300km of testing, I managed a return of 20.4 km/l. So even with its tiny 36L fuel tank, it should be a piece of cake to achieve 600km of range. Admittedly, I was probably driving more gently than I normally would, but I reckon you’ll need to consistently drive in a manner that would attract the attention of the traffic police to get the LBX to return anything worse than 17 km/l.

At any rate, it makes far more sense to drive sensibly and enjoy the LBX’s excellent fuel economy because this is a powertrain that doesn’t appreciate being slogged. Ask more than what it can comfortably deliver and it protests with a dull groan that grows in intensity as the revs climb. This shift in personality is both surprising and disconcerting. 

Engineering entry-level luxury cars is tricky, but taken as a whole, Lexus should be applauded for its efforts. The LBX looks smart, has a nice interior, and has a high-tech and very efficient powertrain. But it slightly misses the mark with its ride quality and its motor’s unwillingness to be worked hard. But even so, the LBX feels more like a Lexus than a Toyota, and that should be taken as a positive. 

Availability and pricing

The Lexus LBX is available now in two trim levels: Cool and Elegant. The Cool trim, which we tested, features genuine leather embellishments and the seats and interior are trimmed in a material Lexus calls Ultrasuede. Otherwise, the two are mechanically similar. The LBX Cool variant is S$234,800, while the LBX Elegant is S$229,800.

Note: Prices are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change because of fluctuating COE prices. For more information, go to Lexus' website.

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