It appears to be a more luxurious Toyota Yaris Cross.
Lexus has given the world a sneak peek of the all-new LBX, which will debut on June 5, 2023, in Milan, Italy.
Other than the above information and the accompanying images, Lexus provided no hints as to what the LBX will be or who it will be aimed at. Still, given recent developments, we can see Toyota/Lexus killing two birds with one stone.
The measly updates Lexus made to the UX for the 2024 model year suggest the car is on the way out. It will follow in the footsteps of the already discontinued Toyota CH-R. Rumor has it the next-generation CH-R will not be sold in the USA, and if the UX is culled, there will be a sizeable gap in Toyota/Lexus' range.
According to Toyota, the Corolla Cross and Corolla Cross Hybrid are a good fit for the compact crossover segment. It may be a great car selling up a storm, but one can't deny that from a design perspective, it's nothing more than 176 inches of generic crossover.
The Lexus LBX will be aimed at a more fashion-centric customer. Those who appreciate the benefits of a well-made and frugal hybrid but with a bit more je ne sais quoi.
Looking at the teaser images, the LBX has the Lexus daytime running light signature at the front and a single LED light stretching from one side to the other at the rear. We have yet to see the complete design, but we're willing to bet it's more interesting than a Corolla Cross.
The grille at the front also tells us that it's not an EV but most likely a hybrid. Every Toyota/Lexus electric vehicle we've seen has a blocked-off grille, which the LBX doesn't have. A hybrid also makes more sense, given Toyota's general attitude toward electrification.
The LBX will likely use the same GA-B compact car platform as the European Yaris Cross compact crossover. As you can see in the images below, the two cars appear to be the same size and share similar design cues.
The Yaris Cross is smaller than the C-HR and the UX, but downsizing is a big trend. With the LBX based on an existing platform, Lexus may even undercut both in terms of price while sticking closely to the pricing of the Corolla Cross Hybrid. That way, the Japanese giant has a hybrid for people who want a practical hybrid and nothing more and for those who want something funkier.
It's unlikely the LBX will come to America, however, as the teasers were posted to Lexus' foreign press site sand not the US one.
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