Meet the new Lexus LBX Morizo RR, which debuts with a 224 kW version of the turbocharged 1.6-litre Toyota GR Yaris engine and a choice of transmissions…
Though the Lexus LBX – the luxury brand’s smallest model and thus effectively the entry point to the range – has yet to reach South Africa, a new high-performance version has already been revealed in Japan. Meet the Lexus LBX Morizo RR, which borrows its heart from none other than the Toyota GR Yaris.
Having been previewed in concept form at the Tokyo Auto Salon as recently as January 2024, the LBX Morizo RR has now been unveiled in full production trim. Developed with help from so-called “master driver” and Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda (also known as Morizo), the high-performance derivative is equipped with a version of the turbocharged 1.6-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine familiar from Toyota’s GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches.
In the hottest Japanese-spec LBX, this G16E-GTS motor generates 224 kW at 6 500 r/min and 400 Nm from 3 250 to 4 600 r/min, peak outputs that are sent to all 4 wheels via an “electronically controlled full-time AWD” system. However, Lexus in Australia has already confirmed its version will be detuned to 206 kW and 390 Nm.
Buyers in Japan will be able to order the LBX Morizo RR with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or an 8-speed automatic transmission (that latter having recently been confirmed for the GR Yaris). Lexus lists a 0-100 kph time of 5.2 seconds, a figure attributed to the auto-equipped version.
In addition to choice suspension and braking upgrades, Lexus has handed the LBX Morizo RR model-specific front and rear bumpers, along with various other body-coloured addenda and 19-inch forged wheels (the latter wrapped in 235/45 tyres). Inside, you’ll find items such as “specially designed” sports seats and aluminium pedals.
While the Morizo RR derivative is the same length (4 190 mm) as the standard LBX, it’s 15 mm wider at 1 840 mm. According to Lexus, the manual-equipped model tips the scales at 1 440 kg, while the self-shifting version weighs around 30 kg more.
So, will we see this high-performance crossover in South Africa? Well, that remains to be seen, since Lexus SA has yet to confirm even the standard LBX for the local market (having just told us “we’re unable to provide details on our upcoming product line-ups”). Interestingly, Toyota has also yet to apply to trademark the “LBX” badge in Mzansi, though filed to protect the “Morizo” nameplate in January 2024.
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