Lexus LBX 1.5 Cool Review

The letters 'BX' in the Lexus LBX's name don't actually stand for 'baby crossover' - although they very well could.

The car marks the smallest crossover the firm has released yet, clocking in under even the UX, which had already carried Lexus into uncharted compact territory when it was introduced in 2019. But downsizing with the LBX has materialised perhaps more significantly in terms of power. Rated at 129bhp, the LBX's hybrid drivetrain makes it the first Lexus to be sold in Singapore with a Category A COE ever. 

Still, for something so pint-sized, the weight resting on the LBX's shoulders is outsized.

The Big Reveal (capital letter 'b') is that the 'B' in its name actually stands for 'breakthrough'. And if you're a longtime fan of the brand, you'll even realise that a three-letter moniker hasn't been used on a Lexus model since the LFA - quite a different car, to put things lightly. That should give some indication of the work that Lexus has cut out for the LBX. 

Recognisable yet fresh

As to what sort of breakthrough Lexus is envisioning for the car, the answer lies with age.

Lexus hasn't shied away from the fact that the LBX is meant to target a younger buyer demographic - and this much should already be clear from the moment one sets their eyes on its sheet metal. You may or may not see the designer-shoe inspiration, but it's indisputable that the car takes a step away visually from other crossovers/SUVs within the family, while still boasting styling that is recognisably Lexus-like.

Stroke-like head lights meet with a garnish piece tracing the car's bonnet, giving the car a boomerang-like front. Coupled with its evolved Spindle Grille and squat-like stance, the LBX cuts a striking figure on the road 

The latter quality comes courtesy of a frameless, trapezoid-patterned grille (an evolution of the Spindle Grille, Lexus says) that appears to fade into its bonnet. The hawk-eyed should pick up that this design element doesn't even draw directly from the NX or RX, but intriguingly, the LM (the extreme opposite end of the lineup). Whereas some may find the LM's front end too busy, the grille actually works very well in more bite-sized form here on the LBX.

Also lending the LBX some physical gravitas are its wide stance, large wheel arches, and a boomerang-like front end connecting each of the car's single-stroke head lights. Interestingly, it's only really in person that you'll notice its body narrowing notably towards the mid-section (imagine a pudgy hourglass if you view the car from above).

In other words, nobody should be calling this car blandly or safely-styled. Coupled with a full-length light bar at the rear, the LBX easily stands out in a sea of same-y crossovers. 

Uncluttered and expensive-feeling: The LBX's cabin quality might just be one of the model's most immediately notable strengths  

Cut from the same, expensive cloth 

The LBX shines brighter still when you climb inside. In fact, we'd even go as far as to call the cabin one of the car's highlights.

Any suspicion about Lexus borrowing from the parts bin of its sister brand will be largely squashed from the driver's seat. In a distinctly Lexus-like cockpit, a pleasant suede-like material covers most visible surfaces, including the door cards, dashboard, centre console, and seats.

The widespread use of a suede-like fabric material - and even the inclusion of those electronic door handles - further enhance the cabin's premium feel 

Copper-stitching is sprinkled in for good measure, and the LBX even features Lexus' latest electronic door handles, which are endlessly entertaining, yet also satisfying to operate once you've gotten familiar with them. One gets the sense that the NX and RX would be more than proud to acknowledge their smaller sibling. 

Just as importantly, the LBX also gets the sort of latest-gen digitalisation that puts it on a similar plane to the latest Lexus models.

No shortchanging: The operating system across both the 9.8-inch central infotainment touchscreen and the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is just as you'll get on Lexus' latest models 

Again, the experience is downsized - a 9.8-inch infotainment touchscreen takes centrestage, and is paired with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster - but both screens more than live up to the premium experience with sharp and vibrant graphics. Alongside buttons for adjusting temperature, USB-C ports are also conveniently under the screen, while the floating centre console's clean design still allows space for storage underneath.

There are natural constraints, however, to a car of the LBX's size.

Despite large windows that allow light to flood in, that rear bench works best for ferrying two average-sized adults around regularly. One gets the sense that longer journeys might get uncomfortable either with taller passengers, or with three riding behind. Another befuddling point of note is that the front seats lack slightly in thigh support.

The rear bench is best left for two average-sized adults - but a 400-litre boot (for a crossover in this segment) should satisfy even the most aggressive grocery-shoppers 

Having said that, smaller families should certainly find no issues with the space on offer; this goes even more without saying for younger couples or, indeed, singles.

Where the LBX should be universally appreciated, however, is right at the rear. Let its motorised tailgate swing open and most will find its rectangular shape and 400-litre capacity easily sufficient for their needs.

Peppy, playful eco-warrior

Furthermore, those who may immediately assume the LBX is sluggish simply because of its Cat A-classification will be quite handily disproved when they get behind the wheel.

To be clear first, the LBX is no firecracker. A combined output of 129bhp is mustered by its 1.5-litre in-line three and electric motor, with the latter capable of putting out 185Nm of torque on its own. These are numbers that are easily adequate, if not mind-boggling for a non-performance crossover.

Nonetheless, it's how the power is delivered that makes the LBX pleasant to pilot.

Powering the LBX is a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine, mated to an electric motor, producing a combined output of 129bhp 

With its hybrids, Lexus has quite deftly mustered the one-two punch of power from the electric motor and petrol engine, and from a standstill, the kick of torque is largely instantaneous and silent, giving the car a sense of lightness off the line.

Thereafter, the transition to the engine is almost seamless - though one does feel less shielded from the CVT's drone than in larger Lexuses. Then, even when at our expressway speeds, the LBX feels like it still has more to give. 

One might expect the LBX to only have comfort in its sights, but its suspension setup, intriguingly, slants just that bit more towards the stiffer side. Given its short-ish wheelbase, too, that does mean the LBX is keener than you'd expect on communicating what sorts of road surfaces you're driving on, especially at lower speeds.

Peppy and highly manoeuvrable, the LBX feels right at home in the city 

The flip side, however, is that the LBX surprisingly stakes its place as one of the more playful models from the firm we've gotten in recent times. Its unexpected resistance to body roll when thrown around gentler bends makes it easy to forget its raised ride height as your hands are shifting the wheel. Meanwhile, the car's small size and peppiness at lower speeds give it an ability to zip eagerly in and out of gaps in traffic - almost to a 'point-and-squirt' point.

Of course, the other undimmable quality of the LBX's hybrid powertrain is a not-so-secret ability it holds high over its competitors: Fuel efficiency. Against an official consumption figure of 26.3km/L, we found ourselves managing around 22km/L regularly.

Achieving a comfortable mix between the familiar and new, the LBX appears well-equipped to open new doors for the Lexus brand

Downsized breakthrough?

Names carry weight. And with the very notion of a breakthrough embedded within its three letters, it's likely that few cars in recent memory know this as well as the LBX. 

Those expecting business as usual when they swing the LBX's doors wide open will still be greeted with traits that are familiar - but perhaps not in the way that they'd expect.

The LBX isn't concerned with being all things to all people (or drivers); it's not the final word in space, comfort, or stateliness, in the manner that many Lexuses thus far have traditionally been famed for. 

But it doesn't have to be all of those things. Smart suit aside, its blend of impeccable interior craft, technology and efficiency stays resolutely true to what we appreciate from Lexus. At the same time, as an unmistakable product of today's automotive age, it doesn't shy away from its remit as a hyper-modern - and dare we even say - trendy reinterpretation of what luxury (in Lexus' terms) can look like - in a city-friendly, wallet-friendlier package.

After all, you only grow when you push yourself out of your comfort zone, and towards different directions. Downsized in power and physical form, yet outsized in terms of the possibilities it opens up, the LBX feels poised to be a central character to Lexus' next chapter of versatility and growth. 

Here are a few other cars that may interest you! 

Improved thanks to a mid-life facelift, the Audi Q2 is a comfortable and refined crossover to drive around town

Though divisive, the untraditional MINI Countryman fits the bill for those seeking something a little bit more unique and characterful