Toyota-owned luxury carmaker, Lexus is working on a new compact SUV. This compact SUV will be based on the Toyota Corolla Cross. This information has recently been published by Magazine X magazine, and spread on the Lexus Enthusiast blog.
The Japanese publication reveals that the new Lexus compact SUV will be positioned under the UX model. The new model is reportedly to be based on the same TNGA-B platform that also underpins the Yaris and the Yaris Cross. It is expected that the Lexus compact SUV will be sold in the same markets that Yaris Cross is currently available.
The Toyota Yaris Cross and Yaris is currently on sale in select international markets including Europe, Japan and Australia. The new Lexus compact SUV is reportedly to be powered by the same 1.5-litre 3-cylinder hybrid engine.
The Japanese automaker has already trademarked the “LBX” and “Lexus LBX” names in Europe. This would be the name of the next Lexus compact SUV, which will be positioned below the UX. The company could use these names for the concept version of the SUV. However, Lexus is yet to make an official announcement on the same.
Previous media reports claim that the small Yaris Cross-based crossover is expected to be called the Lexus BX. It is reportedly to be launched in 2023 and will be priced below US $30,000. The new Lexus compact SUV will act as an entry-level model in the premium segment. It will be positioned against the Audi Q2 and the BMW X1.
