Lexus has made plenty of big, fast and loud performance vehicles. But compact, brisk and a bit cheeky? That’s something new.
LEXUS LBX MORIZO RR: Powertrain 1.6-litre turbo-petrol 3-cylinder, 8-speed auto, AWD Output 206kW/390Nm Efficiency 9.5l/100km (3P-WLTP) Size 4190mm long, 1485kg Price $89,900.
And that’s the LBX Morizo RR, which takes Lexus’s LBX compact-crossover (itself a big departure for the brand) and adds a lot of spice from Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR).
It’s well-known that this new performance-LBX is a passion project for Toyota chairman Akio Toyota (also president from 2009-23). “Morizo” is a pseudonym Toyoda has used for racing, although the name itself is borrowed from one of Japan’s 2005 Aichi Expo mascots - a wise grandfather of the forest.
“RR” is a reference to Rookie Racing, a motorsport organisation founded in 2017 and purchased by Toyota in 2020, running as a sister team to GR.
Why make a racier LBX? Largely because Toyota/Lexus can. The standard LBX is based on the platform and powertrain of the Toyota Yaris Cross, which in turn makes it a conveniently close relation to the GR Yaris and GR Corolla.
Lexus has made plenty of big, fast and loud performance vehicles. But compact, brisk and a bit cheeky? That’s something new.
So in goes the GR 1.6-litre 3-cylinder engine and AWD hardware. With 206kW/390Nm it’s not exactly the same as the Toyota models, which are both now 221kW/400Nm. But the 8-speed Direct Shift automatic gearbox used in the Lexus is also now available in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla, so they have that in common.
It’s a lot more than simply an engine transplant, though. The LBX platform has been strengthened with 469 extra welds and bracing, a rear performance damper and an extra 12.8m of structural adhesive.
It’s a serious machine, albeit not as raw or immediately lively as the GR twins - and that’s very much by design.
The Morizo RR is 15mm wider than the standard LBX (check out the body-colour wheelarch extensions) and 10mm lower, which doesn’t sound like a lot; but the driver’s seat has also been lowered 10mm, which gives it a really different feel from behind the wheel.
And fitting the GR AWD hardware in at the back meant tossing out the torsion beam suspension in favour of the GR Corolla’s multi-link setup.
As with the GR Yaris, you can configure the AWD system in different ways. But the settings are branded in a much more Lexus-appropriate way.
So it’s a serious machine, albeit not as raw or immediately lively as the GR twins - and that’s very much by design, because the company still wants the LBX Morizo to feel Lexus-y when you’re driving around town or cruising on the motorway. Lexus calls it “casual luxury”.
The cabin is suitably swish but doesn’t give the impression of being overly racy, beyond the snug, low-set seats, some suede-like trim inserts and a bit of red stitching. It would easily pass for a run-of-the-mill LBX, as would the urban driving experience - the thrummy sound of the powered-up 3-cylinder is quite subdued and the 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly.
The 19-inch wheels and 235/45 tyres are fairly aggressive for a car of this size, but the low-speed ride is perfectly acceptable for day-to-day driving.
As with the GR Yaris, you can configure the AWD system in different ways. But the pushbutton settings are branded in a much more Lexus-appropriate way: none of this Gravel and Track nonsense, there’s simply Normal, Sport and “AWD” (which splits drive 50/50).
So you can’t force the majority of the power to the back like you can in the GR models’ Track setting, and what’s more it defaults to Normal every time you switch off. It’s a much more low-key configuration.
But the little RR is still an outrageous amount of fun when you wind everything up. The 3-pot engine is effervescent once it’s on song and the 8-speed Direct Shift gearbox lives up to its name with whip-crack changes.
It’s not crazy fast, with 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds, but that’s not the idea. It’s more about the sensations the car delivers on the way.
The chassis doesn’t feel anywhere near as edgy as the GR Yaris, but there’s an unbelievable amount of mechanical grip and the traction/composure of the AWD system (there are Torsen limited-slip differentials front and rear) is deeply impressive.
The LBX Morizo RR is a whopping $21k more than the most luxurious LBX hybrid Relax/Cool AWD models. Worth it? Absolutely, because this comprehensively enhanced little Lexus is very much its own thing; it’s very much its own thing compared to Toyota’s sister GR models too, which is even more impressive.
How much is the Lexus LBX Morizo RR?
The go-fast LBX is $89,990, a whopping $21k more than the next LBX down the range. But it's a whole other car, really.
What are the key statistics for the Lexus LBX Morizo RR?
The 3-cylinder turbo makes 206kW/390Nm (a little less than the latest GR Yaris and GR Corolla) and drives through an 8-speed automatic. It's AWD.
Is the Lexus LBX Morizo RR efficient?
The engine is tiny but it likes a drink, no question. It's a proper performance car, after all. The official figure is 9.5l/100km.
Is the Lexus LBX Morizo RR good to drive?
Brilliantly engaging, albeit a bit less edgy than the Toyota GR product with which it shares its powertrain. But that might be a better blend of talents for many buyers.
Is the Lexus LBX Morizo RR practical?
It might be a 5-door, but think of the RR as a 2-person car. It really is tiny and the back seats are barely habitable for adult passengers. The boot is tiny, too: even smaller than the standard LBX, thanks to the new suspension hardware required for the Morizo.
What do we like about the Lexus LBX Morizo RR?
It looks fantastic, the powertrain is full of character and it drives like a highly polished performance product from people who know exactly what they're doing.
What don’t we like about the Lexus LBX Morizo RR?
It's not as immediately entertaining-feeling as a GR Yaris, there's no AWD setting to push more power to the back and it's very expensive compared to both other LBX models and the GR Yaris/GR Corolla.
What kind of person would the Lexus LBX Morizo RR suit?
Somebody who appreciates the exquisite engineering work and powertrain character that's gone into this car, and doesn't want to be as obvious as those GR people.
