SUVs are a popular commodity, that’s no surprise. Their proliferation is evident, not only across the supermarket car park but through the growth of an ever-multiplying number of SUV sub-segments.
These days, SUVs seem to have more sub-segments than Starbucks has variations of “coffee”. There’s compact, small, mid-sized, large, larger, massive, slightly mid-sized but larger-than-small, and everything in between.
Despite their growth, some sub-segments are still less saturated than others. The compact luxury SUV segment is among one of them. The European automotive marques have been represented for some time with the likes of the Audi Q2, and Mercedes GLA, among others. The Japanese, however, have been notably absent.
Until today, that is.
The Lexus LBX is a brand-new compact SUV from the brand, and a fresh entrant to the compact luxury SUV segment. So, is the new baby Lexus any good? And can it topple the European incumbents in this SUV niche?
What We Like and Dislike About The 2024 Lexus LBX Cool
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Comfortable, high-quality interior Substantively improved infotainment Good urban handling and ride quality Drivers assistance tech not too intrusive Value for money | Claustrophobic in rear Body control on rough roads Some tech still could be improved |
What’s In The 2024 Lexus LBX Range?
There are currently five variants of the Lexus LBX available, offered across three different trim levels.
The LBX Active is the entry level model in the range, while the LBX Cool and the LBX Relax exist alongside each other as the top-spec variants.
The difference between the Cool and Relax is in the finishes. Our test vehicle, the LBX Cool, features a suede interior, a black contrasting roof and alloys finished in a deep grey. By comparison, the LBX Relax has a leather interior, a body colour roof and silver alloys. Otherwise, the equipment list between the two is identical.
Interestingly, Kiwi buyers (so far) appear to prefer the LBX Cool, with sales being a 70/30 split.
All variants of the Lexus LBX are powered by a 1.5-litre hybrid three-cylinder petrol engine, rated for a combined output of 100kW of power. Both the Cool and LBX can come with an AWD drivetrain, adding an extra $3,000 to the price.
There is another LBX model set to join the range in early 2025, called the LBX Morizo RR. It’s an LBX, with the 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and the 4WD system from a GR Yaris (or GR Corolla) shoehorned underneath, producing 206kW and 390Nm via an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Obviously, we can expect the performance of the Morizo RR to rhyme with ‘nucking futs’.
There are up to nine colour options available for the LBX, including:
- Sonic Quartz (White)
- Silver Pearl
- Cement Grey (Matte Grey)
- Sonic Shade (Gunmetal Grey)
- Ink (Black)
- Emotional Red
- Sonic Copper (Orange Copper)
- Sun Fusion (Yellow)
- Blue Crush
And remember, the LBX Cool will have a black roof.
The LBX Relax has two interior colour options, black or tan. The LBX Cool only has the one colour, which is black/grey.
For more information on Lexus LBX, check out the Lexus New Zealand website.
How Does The 2024 Lexus LBX Cool Compare To Its Competition?
The Lexus LBX undercuts the offerings of the German big three, and is one of the few in the small crossover segment to offer a hybrid drivetrain. Compelling, isn’t it?
| Make/Model | Engine | Power/Torque (kW/Nm) | Seats | Fuel (L/100km) | Boot space (litres) | Price |
| BMW X1 xDrive25e (plug-in) | 1.5-litre 3-cylinder petrol plug-in hybrid | 180/447 | 5 | 1.1 | 490 | $86,990 |
| Mercedes GLA 200 | 1.3-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol | 120/250 | 5 | 8.2 | 445 | $83,900 |
| Audi Q2 40 TFSI | 2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol | 140/320 | 5 | 7.7 | 355 | $70,990 |
| Lexus LBX Cool/Relax | 1.5-litre 3-cylinder petrol hybrid | 100/NA | 5 | 3.6 | 329 | $65,990 |
| Mini Countryman Favoured | 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol | 125/280 | 5 | 6.8 | – | $61,990 |
| Mazda CX-30 | 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol | 132/224 | 5 | 6.0 | 317 | $57,790 |
| Volkswagen T-Roc R Line | 1.4-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol | 110/250 | 5 | 7.0 | 445 | $57,490 |
Please note that DriveLife does its best to ensure the information above is correct at the time of publication, however, prices, specifications and models can change over time. Please bear that in mind when comparing models in the comparison table.
First Impressions Of The 2024 Lexus LBX Cool
This Lexus doesn’t look quite like the others, I’ll admit.
Although, as the newest car in the range, I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised about the baby Lexus sporting a fresh face.
Dimensionally, the LBX is squat. It has a short wheelbase, tight overhangs, and taller ground-clearance than its immediate rivals.
At the front, Lexus’ hallmark spindle grille connects with angular headlights, which are reminiscent of a Toyota 86. The daytime running lights have also been ‘flipped’, and lower down sporty fascias house the fog lights. The rear design is on trend, LED tail lights connected by a light bar, L-E-X-U-S badging spelled out underneath, topped with a subtle roof spoiler. Better still, the baby Lexus offers bolder hues than beige.
Together, the LBX’s design is punchy and modern. It’s a bolder design, compared with its Lexus siblings. Alone, that’s worth some credit.
What’s The Interior Like In The 2024 Lexus LBX Cool?
Consumers are spoiled with the number of good SUVs available for their choosing. Although, I have a few reservations about some of those offerings, particularly those offered by premium marques in the compact SUV segment.
If I’m completely honest, I wouldn’t consider these SUVs to be good value for money. The worst offenders are the Germans. Their small luxury crossovers tend to place a sizable premium on their badge, while the underlying product isn’t becoming of its sticker price.
These aren’t bad vehicles by any stretch, but many times, you’ll find that a cheaper mainstream manufacturer will offer something better value.
This isn’t the case for Lexus, however.
The LBX is a high-quality product, which is evident from the moment you’ve climbed into the cabin. Its cabin is dressed with high-quality materials, and many of the touchpoints feel excellent. LBX’s interior certainly passes the tangibility test for a luxury car, with excellent interior build quality and doors which close with a substantial ‘thunk’.
Lexus has provided some thought to the more ordinary details, such as the door handles. They’re an electronically-actuating metal rocker switch, which pops the door with a tap of the thumb. It’s incredibly intuitive and just a little less effort than grabbing a handle, ya know.
Although, there are few areas where the LBX reveals its economy car lineage. The centre console has some flex when pressure is placed upon it, and there are some cheaper plastics which mightn’t qualify if there were a few more thousands attached to the price tag.
So, the LBX might fall shy of being considered a fully-blown luxury vehicle, but it does provide a taste. More importantly, the LBX’s interior outclasses many of the German rivals in this price range.
Speaking of the Germans, Lexus (and Toyota, for that matter) traditionally hasn’t been as tech-forward as its German rivals. Instead of rushing into the latest gadgets, Lexus will often move a fraction slower, implementing what works instead of what is fashionable.
This strategy has occasionally been challenging for Lexus, particularly as the technological life cycle has grown shorter over the last decade. Recently, Lexus’ infotainment systems have received more criticism compared to their rivals.
Fortunately, the LBX features ‘Toyota Connected’, which is its newly-developed infotainment system.
It’s a massive upgrade over previous Lexus infotainment systems. The interface is full touch, no longer requiring that notoriously finicky trackpad in Lexus’ of old. The screen resolution, colour levels, and the exterior cameras are excellent. It’s also sized right for this interior, meaning it doesn’t protrude into the driving environment.
The interface is approachable, and includes ‘fixed’ soft menus for navigating between different menus. I also commend the decision to retain physical controls for core functions, such as the climate control.
Although, there are a couple of details which could do with some polishing. In particular, some on-screen fonts are awkwardly stretched, like they couldn’t find the right aspect ratio. It also can occur for the front view camera, which develops a “fish eye” effect on some occasions. Furthermore, while the system is fast enough by modern standards, some competitors’ software is fractionally quicker to the touch.
On balance, the new system is excellent and probably one of the most user-friendly infotainment systems available. It’ll have broad appeal to nearly everyone, short of those who are total techies.
Better still, the LBX’s 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system is excellent, and is easily among one of the best in-car audio systems in its price range.
The LBX’s digital instrument cluster features Lexus’ standard configuration. The cluster itself has basic configurability, good resolution and is clearly legible. No complaints here.
Conversely, the Heads-Up Display (HUD) is an acquired taste. It’s an interactive display, where hovering a finger over the steering wheel controls will bring up different sub-menus on the HUD, showing each function.
I can appreciate the idea behind this, but personally, I found it difficult to focus on while driving. To me, these controls are better reserved for the digital dash cluster, while the HUD should provide basic information. Lexus appears to have designed it the other way around.
Switching off the tech, the LBX offers plenty of space in the front seats, but its naturally stubby exterior dimensions mean that the rest of its cabin space isn’t exactly sprawling.
The rear seats, for example, are somewhat cramped. Admittedly, I even reflexively thought that my Mum’s decade-old Mazda 2 had more legroom in the back seats.
Although, it looks worse than it actually is. The seat base is deep, meaning you sit further back than you might first realise. I am neither short, nor am I tall, but I did have a residual amount of legroom sitting behind the driver’s seat. The point is, anybody claiming that the LBX is only a 2+2-seater is exaggerating.
If anything, the challenging part is getting out of the rear, which occasionally requires a small amount of yoga because of the short legroom and large rear wheel arches. Still, there’s no escaping the fact that it’s a small cabin, and it probably feels smaller due to the darker material choices. A lighter coloured roof lining, or a sunroof, would make the cabin feel larger. Lexus, take note.
Fortunately, the LBX’s boot space is more generous, offering 329L of space. There’s no spare tyre, which isn’t too surprising given the LBX’s dimensions.
What’s The 2024 Lexus LBX Cool Like To Drive?
I’ve seen a handful of reviews for the Lexus LBX already. The consensus among them was one of general praise, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider any of the reviews to have been glowing.
On the surface, the reasoning seemed sound. Although, I suspect these reviewers weren’t considering the LBX’s natural target market. It’s important to consider, because trying to appeal to everyone usually results in impressing nobody. Yet, when considering those who are likely to buy it, it can make much more sense.
So, who belongs in the LBX’s target market?
It probably won’t be millennials, because many of them have mountainous mortgage payments and their residual income is bound to be spent on a 7-seater. The LBX also probably won’t be the choosing of the unabashed, over-confident corporate character. This person has been wearing their Mercedes hat since before they could drive.
And as a member of the younger generation, I can attest – we have no money.
If we’re honest, the LBX will probably do well among the older demographics – the Gen X’s and Baby Boomers.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to pigeonhole the LBX as a retiree’s car. Many people would probably like the LBX if they drove it – including myself.
Instead, the LBX just makes sense for older people. Why, you ask?
Because they’re likely to have some asset wealth, lower debt levels, and some disposable income. Their kids have probably grown up, maybe moved out, and they no longer possess the need for a large vehicle. Furthermore, age has an inverse relationship with a tolerance for nonsense. In other words, they don’t give a toss about gadgets. Instead, they want a reliable car, which rides and drives well, feels robust and is made to last, while being frugal-to-run and representing good value for money.
Simply put, the LBX ticks all of those boxes.
Under the bonnet of the LBX is a faithful 1.5-litre, three-cylinder hybrid petrol engine, shared with the Toyota Yaris Cross. The engine alone produces 67kW of power and 120Nm of torque, which sounds fairly minuscule, but when combined with the electric motor, the LBX’s total power output is boosted to 100kW.
The Yaris Cross felt underpowered when we last tested it, although it was only configured to produce 85kW. Sure, an extra 15kW isn’t a dramatic boost, but it does provide a considerable uplift in overall performance. Combined with the immediacy of the electric motor, the LBX has more off-the-line oomph than you might expect. The engine carries that momentum well through the mid-range, dropping off towards the top end. To quantify it, the LBX does the 0-100kph sprint in a fraction over 9 seconds.
In short, the LBX mightn’t be particularly quick, but it doesn’t feel underpowered either.
Performance figures aside, the LBX’s hybrid powertrain is primarily optimised for efficiency. On paper, the LBX claims a fuel economy figure of 3.6 litres per 100km. Our test yielded a result of 4.9 litres per 100kms.
This isn’t a surprise, however. Most of the mileage we rack up during our tests involves motorway driving. Electric motors are better around town, and less efficient on the motorway.
You’ll be closer to the claimed figures, spending less time on the motorway. I managed to eke out a result of 3.9 litres per 100kms in a short jaunt through the suburbs.
Better still, Lexus appears to have spent extra time and money improving powertrain refinement. In the Yaris Cross, the engine sounded coarse when under load. Admittedly, this isn’t entirely eliminated in the LBX. It can still sound somewhat gruff when pushed. Otherwise, the engine is much quieter and there’s less cabin NVH.
The LBX’s engine is paired with Toyota’s e-CVT transmission, which isn’t actually anything like a conventional belt-driven CVT transmission. Toyota’s e-CVT uses planetary gear sets, connecting to the ICE engine and two electric motor generators (call them MG 1 and MG 2). MG 1 acts as an energy generator and a starter motor, while MG 2 is the primary drive motor, which also has energy recovery via regenerative braking.
The ICE engine and MG2 provide power to the wheels together, and the planetary gears serve as a power split device.
I’ll hold back from going into the weeds for now (because you’d probably fall asleep). The takeaway is that an e-CVT has no belt, no chain, no clutch, no torque converter, nor any wear parts for that matter. Comparatively, it’s a simple and dependable transmission.
Anyway, that’s enough about under the bonnet, what underneath the rest of the car? The LBX is constructed on the TNGA-B platform (Toyota New Global Architecture – B), which underpins Toyota’s compact vehicle range. The LBX, Yaris, Yaris Cross, along with other models, like Aqua and Aygo, are based on this platform.
For suspension, the LBX use a MacPherson strut front and torsion beam for the rear. All-wheel drive variants utilise a more sophisticated, trailing-arm double wishbone at the rear. Our test car’s combination is standard application for many economy cars and small SUVs. It’s not a particularly sophisticated combination, although Lexus has dialled in the suspension well. Also, the LBX doesn’t weigh much. Our car is only a fraction over 1.3 tonnes.
Together, the LBX is a rather competent handler. It feels light and quick-to-turn, and it has predictable and progressive dynamics, despite the relatively short wheelbase.
The LBX also has good manners through faster, twister sections of road, which is a pleasant discovery given the LBX has the same ground clearance as the Subaru Crosstrek.
Ride quality is also good, for the most part. The dampening is excellent over larger singular bumps, smoothing over items like manhole covers and larger divots in the road. However, its body control could be better over the higher frequency bumps. For example, the LBX can feel slightly chatty where the roads aren’t particularly well-graded.
Otherwise, the LBX deals with all the urban bumps and bangs more than adequately. Better still, the turning circle is only a measly 10.4m, making the LBX ultra manoeuvrable in tight spots.
Being 2024, the Lexus LBX comes standard with the Lexus Safety Technology suite of safety software. Although these systems can divide opinion, Lexus has calibrated them well, and certain systems are less invasive.
In particular, the lane keeping assistance software is quite conservative, meaning it will brush close to the lines before intervening. Unlike some other manufacturers, you’ll rarely find yourself fighting the steering wheel in the LBX. Furthermore, I didn’t encounter any false positives with the forward collision and rear cross-traffic warning systems either, which again, cannot be said for all competitors.
Unfortunately, the LBX cannot avoid having a Driver Attention Monitoring system (DAMs), which is now required for a 5-star safety rating with some rating agencies. Basically, it is a sensor that’ll trigger whenever it detects that you’ve taken your eyes off the road. Unfortunately, many of these DAMs systems are utterly hopeless, but to Lexus’ credit, the one in the LBX is among those which are less irritating. I suppose there will always be some nonsense that you’ll deal with, at any age.
Regardless, all the LBX’s safety stuff functions well and, by and large, isn’t that annoying. Perfect for those who prefer a more traditional driving experience.
2024 Lexus LBX Cool – Specifications
| Vehicle Type | 4-door subcompact SUV |
| Starting price | $58,990 |
| Price as tested | $65,990 |
| Engine | 1.5-litre 3-cylinder petrol hybrid |
| Power, Torque (kW/Nm) | 67/120 (100kW combined) |
| Transmission | e-CVT automatic |
| Spare wheel | Tyre Repair Kit |
| Kerb weight (Kg) | 1280 – 1330 |
| Length x Width x Height (mm) | 4190 x 1825 x 1560 (220mm ground clearance) |
| Boot space (litres) | 329 (284 in AWD) |
| Fuel tank capacity (litres) | 36 |
| Fuel Economy, (L/100km) | Advertised Spec – Combined – 3.6Real-World Test – Combined – 4.9 Low Usage: 0-6 / Medium Usage 6-12 / High Usage 12+ |
| Towing Capacity (Kg, unbraked/braked) | 400/400 |
| Turning circle (metres) | 10.4 Small: 6-10m / Medium 10-12m / Large 12m+ |
| Warranty | 4-year / unlimited kilometre new vehicle warranty 4-year / unlimited kilometre full service plan 4-year / Lexus Plus AA Roadside Assistance 8-year/160,000-kms powertrain warranty |
| Safety information | ANCAP Rating – Not rated Rightcar.govt.nz – 5 Stars – QPP932 |
Have you enjoyed this review? Be sure to join our monthly email newsletter list so you don’t miss a single review!
