Lexus appears to be preparing a hybrid premium urban SUV for 2022. Find out what this Toyota Yaris Cross “cousin” could look like. The vehicle should be called LBX, but this remains to be confirmed.
Over the statements of Lexus officials indicating that there is room under the UX in the range, and filings of names pointing to unpublished models, things are clarified about a possible urban SUV at the premium manufacturer of the Toyota group. This B segment vehicle would logically be a close technical “cousin” of the Toyota Yaris Cross, but it would nonetheless display the brand’s stylistic identity.
TO READ. Lexus LBX: a registered name for an urban SUV?
Assertive style for Lexus
Despite a silhouette very close to that of the Yaris Cross, therefore, the small Lexus crossover would be immediately recognizable by its large anvil-shaped grille taken from the firm’s larger models. Thinner front lights than on the Toyota SUV, incorporating the sharp Lexus light signature, would also contribute to this differentiation. The distinction could be even more evident in the interior if Lexus opted for a finish at the level of its more upscale cars. Materials, colors and aesthetic details would give the car a much more opulent atmosphere than on board the Yaris Cross.
A crossover named LBX?
The Lexus urban SUV would be based on the same TNGA-B platform as the Toyota Yaris Cross and would probably take over the engine, namely a 116 hp 1.5 three-cylinder hybrid associated with two or four-wheel drive of your choice. The Lexus model could however display slightly higher performance marking its premium positioning. It would compete in particular with the Audi Q2. The idea of a Lexus for cities is not new, as the LF-SA city concept car demonstrated in 2015.
It remains to know the name of this hypothetical but probable model. Lexus would have registered in Asia the name BX, difficult to use in Europe because attached to Citroën. So on the Old Continent, it is the name LBX, which was the subject of a deposit. But Jaguar Land Rover opposes it; the final decision of the European Trademark and Patent Office has not yet been issued.
Source : motor.es
