Australia Becomes The First Non-European Country To Arrival Lexus LBX

Lexus LBX. (Doc. Lexus)

JAKARTA - Lexus confirmed the arrival of the LBX model to the Australian market next year after being introduced globally in June. Thus, Australia will be the first non-European country to sell this compact crossover model.

According to a report from Drive, Thursday, December 14, LBX, which is the twin brother of Toyota Yaris Cross, will be present in two variants, namely Luxury as the basic version and Sports Luxury as the highest variant. It is estimated that this model will be the cheapest hybrid vehicle sold by Lexus in the Australian market, with a price predicted to be less than US$50,000 or around Rp520.4 million.

The Japanese manufacturer also confirmed that LBX will be launched in Australia between January and June 2024.

LBX itself stands for the "Lexus Breakthrough X(cross)-over," a car carrying a concept opposite to a luxury car stereotype. With a compact design, this SUV has a length dimension of 4,190 mm, a width of 1,825 mm, a height of 1,545 mm, and a wheelbase of 2,580 mm.

With an 18-inch rim, the LBX Lexus is available in front-wheeled and all-wheeled driving configurations, using Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) exclusively.

In the powertrain section, LBX uses a hybrid system with a 1.5 liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine, producing a combined power of 134 dk and a torque of 185 Nm. With a combination of power from engines and electric motors, LBX can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/hour within 9.2 seconds.

The LBX interior features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a HuD display combined with a 9.8-inch touchscreen. The infotainment system is equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. To present the maximum audio experience, Lexus collaborated with Mark Levinson as a sound system supplier consisting of 13 speakers and subwoofers.