This post was originally published on Autocar
Lexus challenges the notion that there is insufficient demand for plush small cars
The Lexus LBX sets out to make one wonder ‘why couldn’t you have a small luxury car?’.After all, even if you’re not burdened with a lot of people or stuff to carry, you might still want something with high-end interior materials, sound insulation and ride comfort, while also enjoying the zippiness and easy manoeuvrability of a compact car.It sounds like an obvious idea, but it’s one that very few manufacturers have ever put into practice, and fewer still have been able to make a commercial success of.Only Mini has really been able to convince sufficient numbers of buyers to pay more for a small car. The first generation of Audi A1 did quite well, but the second generation struggled to repeat that success and is now unlikely to be renewed for a third run. The Audi Q2 has equally failed to set the sales charts on fire. Vauxhall tried to convince us it was a premium manufacturer for a short minute with the Adam, but few people bought either the claim or the car.The modern-day Toyota Motor Company is bold and won’t be deterred, so it has come up with the Lexus LBX. Loosely based on the Toyota Yaris Cross, the LBX isn’t just a see-what-happens experiment. LBX informally stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover and the model is the first Lexus to be developed specifically with European tastes in mind. As such, Lexus hopes it will appeal to younger buyers than most of its cars, targeting 6000 UK sales a year.The range at a glanceModelsPowerFromHybrid FWD urban134bhp£29,995Hybrid AWD Takumi134bhp£39,555The LBX comes with only one basic powertrain: the 1.5 full hybrid. It is normally front-wheel drive, but a small motor on the rear axle can be added for all-wheel drive. This is a £1300 option, but only on two top trims (Takumi and Takumi Design), hence the large price difference.There are no fewer than seven trim levels, but apart from paint and wheel choices, there are no separate options.