The LBX’s technical specification was shaped by the demands of its target customers, Lexus Europe boss Dimitris Tripospitis says, with “the vast majority” wanting a parallel hybrid powertrain.
The configuration includes a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a single electric motor that sends up to 134bhp and 136lb ft through the front wheels. It draws power from a new double-pole nickel-metal-hydride battery, first used in the larger Lexus RX launched last year.
Chief engineer Kunihiko Endo said it offers higher energy density and yield potential than traditional lithium-ion cells, allowing the LBX to offer off-brand acceleration comparable to battery-electric cars.
It dispatches 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and, according to product manager Bart Elan, delivers class-leading fuel economy, with CO2 emissions “comfortably” under 120g/km. A twin-engine, all-wheel drive variant is also coming, Elan said, but technical specifications are yet to be confirmed.
Infusing the LBX with the refinement expected by a Lexus is “quite challenging,” Endo tells Autocar, requiring an alternative approach to conventional installation of sound-insulating materials.
He said, “If you want [remove] Using more sound absorbers leads to higher sound costs, right? So we try to eliminate sound, so we don’t have to use too much to get a quiet car.
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