Lexus just used the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) as a venue to reveal a special version of their newest LBX luxury crossover SUV. Called the Lexus LBX Morizo RR Concept, this small luxury crossover was developed with inputs from Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda, wherein this small luxury SUV aims to deliver a relaxed and premium driving experience combined with the sporting nature of a vehicle that was designed around the driver’s intentions.
To achieve this, the major highlight of the Lexus LBX Morizo RR Concept is its 1.6-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder engine, which produces a whopping 304 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque. If the figures sound familiar to you, that’s because it’s the same engine as in the newly-updated GR Yaris. Also inherited from the new GR Yaris is the GR-Four all-wheel drive (AWD) system as well as the new eight-speed automatic.
Working with Chairman Akio Toyoda, otherwise known as both Morizo and master driver, the aim was to retain the high-quality driving performance and sophisticated design that is unique to Lexus, while creating a high-performance model that would allow the driver to enjoy interacting with the car, smile spontaneously, and experience a sense of extraordinary exhilaration.
But of course, Lexus didn’t just inherit the mechanicals of the newly-updated GR Yaris into the LBX and then call it a day. Aerodynamic enhancements were made to the LBX Morizo RR Concept as a way to make the vehicle look more aggressive, but more importantly, address the additional cooling demands from the more powerful drivetrain.
The aesthetic upgrades to the LBX were also what we’d consider as tastefully curated for Morizo himself. This has been achieved through the special 19-inch wheels, the application of Morizo’s signature color of yellow to the plated molding of the front “Unified Spindle”, brake calipers, and seatbelts, resulting in a car that embodies casual luxury and that Morizo himself could enjoy on weekends as a trusted partner, like his favorite pair of comfortable, well-worn sneakers. A similar treatment has been applied to the LBX’s premium interior as well, wherein Morizo’s yellow shade of choice was applied in key areas of the cabin, such as the seats, dash, and door panels.
For now, the LBX Morizo RR Concept remains pretty much that–a concept. Here’s to hoping that the Toyota chairman himself puts this small luxury crossover into production since all of the mechanicals of this high-performance crossover are ones that are already in mass production. This, of course, includes the TNGA-B platform that the LBX uses, which is also underpins the GR Yaris and the standard Yaris (for Japan and Europe).
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