Lexus has opened full order books for its new LBX hybrid crossover, priced from £29,995.

The LBX marks a new SUV entry point for the Lexus line-up

Effectively a luxury version of the Yaris Cross, it sits under the Lexus UX and brings a rival to the Audi Q2 and Ford Puma.

LBX stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover and its arrival marks a new SUV entry point for the brand, distilling “the essence of Lexus into a smaller package, transcending customers’ traditional expectations of what a premium compact SUV can offer”.

It’s also expected to bring the brand within reach of a younger audience and those who may not have considered a Lexus before but without any “compromise in Lexus quality, luxury and refinement”.

It’s priced some £5,150 higher than the Yaris Cross it’s based on but just under £5k cheaper than the entry UX model.

The sole powertrain is a full-hybrid that combines a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol and single electric motor, generating 136hp with peak torque of 185Nm. CO2 emissions are 105-109g/km with combined fuel consumption of 60.1-65.7mpg. An all-wheel drive model with an additional electric motor on the rear axle is also available.

Seven trims are on offer: Urban, Premium, Premium Plus, Premium Plus Design, Takumi, Takumi Design and Original Edition. All are solely offered with front-wheel drive, bar the Takumi and Takumi Design, which include the option of AWD.

The lead-in model with the £29,995 opening price tag is the LBX Urban. This comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with automatic high beam, Lexus Link Connect multimedia system with 9.8-inch touchscreen, dual-zone climate control, smartphone integration with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, the Lexus E-latch electronic release system, front and rear parking sensors and rear-view camera.

The LBX Premium is priced at £32,495 and adds in heated front seats, Tahara upholstery, rear privacy glass, wireless smartphone charger, pre-collision system with driver monitor, rear side monitor, blind spot monitor and safe exit assist and automatic windscreen wipers.

The LBX Premium Plus (£34,495) sits above this and features high-gloss 18-inch wheels, powered tailgate, 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, head-up display, smart entry (front and rear) and nanoe-X air purification system.

For an extra £1,100, the Premium Plus Design model adds bi-tone paintwork, machined alloys and perforated Tahara synthetic leather upholstery with red stitching.

Above this, the Takumi grade (£38,245 FWD / £39,545 AWD) features a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, semi-aniline leather upholstery, power driver’s seat adjustment with memory, multi-colour interior ambient lighting, intelligent park assist, an advanced safety Pack and LED headlights with adaptive high beam.

The Takumi Design (£39,245 FWD / £40,545 AWD) specification adds bi-tone paintwork, machined 18-inch alloys and a suede and leather upholstery combo.

At the top of the range, the LBX Original Edition (£39,995) features a bespoke Sonic Copper bi-tone finish, with matt black 18-inch wheels, bumper inserts, rear pillar decals and dedicated badging.

All models come with the third-generation Lexus Safety System+ package of safety and driver assistance systems.

Customer deliveries start from March 2024.

Model range and pricing