The Lexus LBX Hybrid SUV: Redefining Private Luxurious

We just lately had the extraordinary alternative to find the brand new Lexus LBX in Madrid, the place the model orchestrated an immersive expertise that completely captured their revolutionary method to multi-sensory luxurious. What unfolded over two days was way over a typical automobile launch – it was a rigorously choreographed journey via sight, sound, odor, contact, and style.

In 2025, the LBX has grow to be Lexus’s best-selling automobile in Europe, proving massively widespread with a younger, urban-centric viewers in search of premium high quality in a compact package deal. Awarded Finest Small SUV on the What Automotive? Automotive of the Yr Awards 2025, the LBX is a drive to be reckoned with. Our Spanish journey will reveal precisely why this modern compact SUV has captured so many hearts.

An Night of Discovery at The Madrid Version

Our journey started at The Madrid Version, the place our in a single day lodging provided consolation and repair that completely mirrored Lexus’s well-known Omotenashi hospitality ideas. The lodge’s minimalist design by John Pawson and its hanging spiral staircase set an appropriately refined tone for what was to come back.

Over welcome cocktails within the LOFT, we met Viviana Hohenstein, Lexus’s CMF specialist from their European Design Heart within the South of France. Viviana guided us via our first workshop centered on TOUCH, revealing how the LBX represents a departure from conventional luxurious hierarchies.

As an alternative of standard trim ranges, consumers select from 4 distinct “Atmospheres” – Elegant, Chill out, Emotion, and Cool – every creating its personal sensory atmosphere. We explored samples of the sustainable bamboo supplies featured all through the cabin, understanding how this versatile useful resource connects to Japanese heritage whereas providing an eco-conscious various to leather-based and plastics.

That night, Chef Diego Muñoz’s creations at Oroya offered our first style of how Lexus views luxurious as a whole sensory expertise, setting the stage for what was to come back. After dinner, we headed exterior to admire the Lexus LBX displayed on a velvet podium.

Behind the Wheel: Madrid to Torrelodones

The subsequent morning, we collected the keys to our LBX and set off via Madrid’s scenic outskirts towards Finca El Gasco in Torrelodones. The compact SUV instantly impressed with its “premium informal” philosophy – daring colors, modern textures, and surfaces that invited contact at each flip. This wasn’t simply transportation; it was a private sanctuary on wheels.

What struck us most was the outstanding quietness contained in the cabin – a near-silent cocoon that made dialog easy and allowed us to totally recognize the nuances of the Mark Levinson audio system. The suspension delivered an impressively easy journey, effortlessly absorbing Madrid’s assorted street surfaces whereas sustaining the nimble dealing with anticipated of a compact SUV.

Sensible touches delighted us all through the journey, significantly the intelligent double-level front-centre console between the seats – excellent for maintaining telephones, sun shades, and journey necessities organized and inside simple attain. The driving force’s cockpit is impressed by Lexus’s tazuna idea – aka a rider’s use of the reins to regulate a horse. Therefore, the controls necessitate solely small actions of hand and eye, maintaining the motive force’s deal with the street.

Regardless of the LBX’s compact dimensions, we have been pleasantly stunned by the boot house, which simply accommodated our baggage: a full-size suitcase and two carry-on trolley baggage with room to spare.

Espresso and Fragrances at Finca El Gasco

Arriving at Finca El Gasco, we encountered the intelligent Omotenashi-on-the-Go idea – Lexus’s interpretation of a luxurious meals truck. This six-metre-long cell kitchen, completed in elegant black and copper, served distinctive specialty coffees whereas demonstrating how the model extends its hospitality philosophy past conventional boundaries.

Right here, Felipe Castro from Givaudan led our second workshop: SMELL. We realized how scent influences practically 75% of our day by day emotional responses and skilled the 5 {custom} fragrances Givaudan has created for Lexus.

Every one contains a distinctive bamboo accord that evokes Japan’s serene forests. Felipe defined how the upcoming ES sedan will debut the Sensory Concierge system, orchestrating lighting, local weather, and perfume to create personalised driving atmospheres.

The Journey Continues to Villa Las Rozas

Our path to Villa Las Rozas for lunch provided one other alternative to expertise the LBX’s versatility. We may select a brief or lengthy driving route, every providing totally different surroundings and street situations that highlighted varied features of the automobile’s character.

Whether or not navigating tight city streets or cruising alongside open countryside roads, the LBX felt equally at residence – its easy suspension and refined drivetrain making each kilometre a pleasure.

The distinctive cabin insulation continued to impress, creating the right atmosphere to understand the delicate interaction of supplies, colors, and finishes that Viviana had defined the night earlier than. The quietness additionally allowed us to have conversations whereas having fun with the Spanish surroundings, making for a soothing street journey.

Sound Perfection with Mark Levinson

After lunch at Villa Las Rozas, our ultimate workshop, HEAR, explored the acoustic dimension of the LBX expertise in an modern method. Mark Levinson’s specialists didn’t simply display the custom-engineered 13-speaker system – they created an interactive workshop that uniquely mixed music tones with chocolate, caramel, and salt flavours, exhibiting how totally different senses can complement and improve one another.

The audio system, that includes a robust subwoofer and utilizing Quantum Logic Encompass Know-how with Clari-Fi processing, delivered remarkably clear, immersive sound. The group defined how they work alongside Lexus designers from the earliest growth levels, guaranteeing that each mannequin receives a bespoke audio system exactly tuned to its distinctive cabin structure. This partnership has flourished for over 25 years.

The cabin’s distinctive quietness that we’d skilled all through the day offered the best acoustic basis for this premium audio system to actually shine.

A New Definition of Automotive Luxurious

As Paul and I departed Madrid, we mirrored on how the LBX represents one thing genuinely new within the compact luxurious phase. This isn’t merely about premium supplies or superior know-how – it’s about making a harmonious atmosphere the place each sense is engaged and each journey turns into memorable.

The LBX embodies Lexus’s three guiding ideas: Omotenashi (Japanese hospitality), Takumi (artisan craftsmanship), and Time (honouring heritage whereas embracing innovation). By permitting house owners to personalize their sensory atmosphere via totally different atmospheres, sustainable supplies like bamboo, {custom} fragrances, and distinctive audio, Lexus has created a automobile that actually turns into an extension of its proprietor’s persona.

The Good Match for Our Life-style

Our Spanish journey demonstrated that the LBX is greater than Lexus’s entry into the compact SUV market – it’s a manifesto for a way luxurious automobiles can create deeply private, emotionally participating experiences that resonate lengthy after the engine stops. The mixture of its whisper-quiet cabin, easy suspension, considerate storage options, and shocking practicality left such a robust impression that Paul and I are actually severely contemplating buying an LBX Takumi ourselves.

For our way of life, which includes common transitions between metropolis driving and countryside escapes, the LBX appears ideally suited. Its compact dimensions make city navigation easy, whereas the refined journey high quality and beneficiant boot house guarantee longer journeys stay snug and sensible.

Via their meticulous consideration to each sensory element, Lexus has crafted not only a automobile, however a sanctuary the place life’s journeys – whether or not city or rural – unfold in excellent concord.

UK Grade Construction and Pricing

The Lexus LBX is accessible within the UK from £33,195, positioning it competitively within the premium compact SUV phase. Lexus gives the LBX in a transparent hierarchy of grades:

Premium (from £33,195) – This mannequin comes surprisingly well-equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with computerized excessive beam, dual-zone local weather management, 9.8-inch touchscreen with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, entrance and rear parking sensors, rear-view digicam, heated entrance seats, artificial leather-based upholstery, blind spot monitoring, protected exit help, wi-fi cellphone charging, privateness glass, and ambient inside lighting.

The minimal On The Highway worth for this base grade is £33,195 and consists of VAT (20%), the primary yr’s Car Excise Responsibility, Supply price, Licence Plate and Registration price. This worth excludes extras comparable to paint choices and personalisation.

Premium Plus (from £35,195) – Comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch digital driver show, head-up show, powered tailgate, keyless entry, and the nanoe-X air purification system.

Premium Plus Design (from £36,195) – Options bi-tone paintwork, machined 18-inch alloys, and perforated artificial leather-based upholstery with distinctive crimson stitching.

Takumi (from £38,495) – The posh selection with the 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, semi-aniline leather-based upholstery, energy driver’s seat with reminiscence, 64-color ambient lighting, Clever Park Help, and LED headlights with Adaptive Excessive-beam System.

Takumi Design (from £39,495) – Provides bi-tone paintwork, machined 18-inch alloys, and mixture Ultrasuede and leather-based upholstery. All-wheel drive variations begin at £42,445.

There’s additionally a particular Vibrant Version accessible for a restricted time, beginning at £36,195 for monotone paintwork or £37,195 for the Bi-Tone variant. This mid-range particular version sits alongside the Premium Plus Design and options unique Eclipse Blue (monotone), Ruby Crimson (bi-tone), or Sonic Quartz (bi-tone) paint choices. It comes with distinctive 18-inch matte black alloy wheels, ‘Vibrant Version’ badging on the rear pillars, black semi-aniline leather-based upholstery with Darkish Rose accents on the bolsters, heart console, and armrests, plus crimson double-track Tatami stitching all through the cabin.

LEXUS LBX TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine & Efficiency

• Kind: 1.5L 3-cylinder petrol hybrid
• Most Output (DIN hp): 136 DIN hp
• Most Torque: 120/3600-4800 Nm@rpm
• Electrical Motor: 94 DIN hp entrance motor with 185 Nm torque
• Acceleration 0-62 mph (s): 9.2 seconds
• Drivetrain: Entrance-wheel drive (All-wheel drive accessible on larger trims)

Gas Financial system & Emissions

• Gas Financial system l/100km: 4.5 – 4.7 l/100km
• Gas Financial system mpg: 60.1 – 62.7 mpg
• CO2 Mixed WLTP (g/km): 102 g/km
• Gas Tank: 36 litres

Dimensions

• Size: 4,190 mm
• Width: 1,825 mm
• Top: 1,560 mm
• Wheelbase: 2,580 mm

Weights

• Gross Car Weight Entrance (kg): 1755 kg
• Kerb weight (min.-max.): 1330 kg

Battery

• Kind: Nickel-metal Hydride
• Nominal Voltage: 201.6V
• Battery Capability: 5.0 Ah

Chassis

• Entrance Suspension: MacPherson Strut
• Rear Suspension: Torsion Beam
• Entrance Brakes: Ventilated disc 1-cylinder
• Minimal Turning Radius: 5.2 meters

The Lexus LBX proves that premium high quality and superior know-how needn’t be compromised in a compact package deal. It’s a automobile that has redefined what a small luxurious SUV could be, and one that matches completely into your life.

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