With stubborn wads of sand wedged between our toes from the dawn beach walk, our group is guided through various yoga poses as Pacific waves crash in the near distance. Welcome to the Lexus lifestyle…
Luxurious, understated, and at one with its environment – a lot, come to think of it, like the first-ever Lexus LBX.
Beyond the breaks, Mangawhai Heads rise majestically through a salty morning mist; behind us, the undulating grassy green carpets of the spectacular Te Arai Links golf course unspool, dotted with red flags, and framed by towering pine trees. Immediately next to Verve, fashion doyenne Karen Walker flows effortlessly through her poses. Welcome to the Lexus lifestyle…
A select media group has been invited by the Japanese luxury carmaker (now second only to BMW in NZ’s premium market sales, we are proudly told by affable Lexus New Zealand VP Andrew Davis) to the launch of its gorgeous compact crossover, the LBX, which begins with an exquisite lunch at Morningside’s urban oasis, the Glasshouse, before beginning our road trip to Auckland’s far northeast coast to spend the night at Te Arai Links.
The golf venue boasts accommodation befitting its worldclass sporting reputation: luxurious, understated, and at one with its environment – a lot, come to think of it, like the first-ever Lexus LBX. The “Lexus family”, including brand ambassador Karen Walker, are impeccable hosts, joining us for firepit-side chats, fine dining fare, and an amusingly raucous putting competition (blame the cocktails/craft beer/wine) which is cut short thanks to rain and fading light. We’re even each gifted a pair of Karen Walker sunglasses. Welcome to the Lexus lifestyle…
“We’re all about creating amazing experiences,”
But such lifestyle, of course, lives and dies by its product. And, just like that Pacific coastline, it’s a product already making waves: the LBX recently won the What Car? 2024 Car of the Year award and was a top three finalist in the World Car Awards 2024 World Urban Car category.
“We’re all about creating amazing experiences,” Andrew tells us. “The LBX is moving the premium hybrid game to the next level.”
Blending “hybrid efficiency and compact sophistication”, and beginning at $58,900, the LBX is all about “accessible luxury”, with the trendy city-dwelling millennial market firmly in its sights (though any of their hip older siblings or parents will just as easily tempted, too). Electrified vehicles play a significant role in Lexus’s sales, with nearly nine in 10 of local registrations this year being hybrids, PHEVs, or BEVs, though it is hybrids that are now leading the (excuse the pun), charge. We’re told to expect to spend around half of our driving hours in electric mode (and Karen Walker tells us she only fills up with fuel every couple of months) thanks to a highly efficient three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol hybrid engine.
Fittingly, the LBX arrives not in grades or trim packages, but three ‘moods’: Active, Cool, and Relax, with eight exquisite exterior two-tone colours like Sonic Quarts, Silver, Pearl, Emotional Red, or Blue Crush. The surprisingly roomy cabins are a perfect balance of sporty and practical, riding on handsome 18-inch alloys and packed with features, depending on the ‘mood’, like a reversing camera, automatic high beam, parking sensors, ambient interior lighting, leather seats, and a head-up display. Relax and Cool arrive with a 13-speaker Mark Levinson premium sound system and are available with a choice of front-wheel or E-Four all-wheel drive.
While luxury and performance so often arrive with a hefty price tag, Lexus believes that everyone deserves to experience the finer things in life – and that’s where this LBX steps in. Japanese craftsmanship is no longer niche, and neither is that worthwhile journey to decarbonisation. Little wonder that for the second year in a row, Lexus New Zealand has reset its sales record.
Karen Walker has been with the brand for 19 years now, and relationships don’t last that long simply through convenience. “It’s a gem of a car,” she gushes. “It just looks like ‘fun’.”
But don’t just take her word for it. Or even ours. Beyonce herself is a bigtime fan, too.
