In the end, Lexus has a automobile with the punchy three-cylinder engine from the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. Nonetheless, this is not one other sizzling hatch. Launched final yr, the LBX is a premium variant of the Yaris Cross, and on the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota’s luxurious division showcased an idea powered by the G16E-GTS unit.
Smaller than the UX accessible in the USA, the LBX now packs a mighty 300-horsepower punch from its turbocharged 1.6-liter engine. The inline-three unit produces 295 pound-feet of torque, completely matching the GR Corolla Morizo Version. Curiously, the efficiency crossover additionally bears the Morizo moniker, the nickname of Toyota’s chairman, Akio Toyoda.
42 Images
Whereas the GR Corolla is completely accessible with a six-speed handbook gearbox, the spicy LBX comes geared up with a newly developed eight-speed automated transmission. This torque-converter ‘field made its debut within the 2024 GR Yaris on the identical Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan this week. Just like its software within the sizzling hatch, the transmission powers all 4 wheels within the small crossover, which, for now, continues to be only a idea.
Identified by its full title because the Lexus LBX Morizo RR, the present automobile sits barely nearer to the street because of a stiffer suspension setup. It additionally has a wider physique and 19-inch wheels shod in 235/45 R19 tires. The engineers fitted a MacPherson strut entrance suspension and a double-wishbone rear, together with disc brakes in any respect corners. It additionally has a bunch of yellow accents as a nod to Akio Toyoda’s signature colour.
A high-performance LBX would convey a colossal bump in output in comparison with the common model, which contains a puny hybrid powertrain making simply 134 hp and 136 lb-ft. Nonetheless, Lexus hasn’t mentioned a phrase about doubtlessly placing the LBX Morizo RR into manufacturing.
