A BETTER CLASS OF PEOPLE MOVER (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The Lexus LM sets its sights on the Mercedes V-Class at the top end of the luxury MPV market. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 38

Lexus redefines what an ultimate luxury MPV can be with this LM. A limo might cosset you but the huge stretch-out cabin here spoils its occupants in an even more opulent way. There's really nothing quite like it.

Backgroundword count: 145

Elsewhere in the world, Lexus has long been known as a purveyor of huge luxury people carrying MPVs, but never here - until now. The LM (for 'Luxury Mover') launched in the UK as one of the brand's most expensive models ever. And it's intended for chauffeur-driven top executives who don't want a big saloon or SUV. You might not think it a six-figure proposition to look at - until you take a look inside and sample a cabin which quite simply takes luxury to another level. And a standard beyond the model this Lexus is most obviously aimed at, the Mercedes V-Class. There's no full-EV LM variant to rival that German competitor in its EQV form, but the fossil-fuelled self-charging Hybrid engine in this Japanese contender is a step more sophisticated than any combustion powerplant available in a V-Class. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 274

Though the concept of a Lexus MPV might be unusual, the underpinnings that this one rides upon are more than familiar - the GA-K platform we've already seen in slightly shorter form in the brand's NX and RX SUVs. The single engine option's familiar from other Lexus models too, a '350h'-badged 2.5-litre four cylinder self charging petrol-powered full-Hybrid unit. It's mated as usual to a CVT automatic gearbox and is paired with an electric motor allowing the car to run purely on battery power for short urban periods. This engine puts out a more-than-adequate 247bhp, but in damp conditions you'll only be able to properly transmit its 239Nm of torque to the tarmac if you pay the extra to swap the standard front-driven format out for the brand's E-Four four wheel drive system. That provides an extra electric motor to power the rear axle. This can send up to 80% of the powertrain's torque to that back axle - or up to 100% to the front. Maximum speed is 118mph and 62mph from rest takes 8.7s. There's been a huge emphasis on cabin noise reduction - active noise-cancelling tech, improved sealing and air-tightness, noise-reducing wheels and tyres and a special headliner said to enhance insulation by 40%. There's also a unique 'Rear Seat Comfort' driving mode supposed to "adjust suspension performance and drive torque distribution, suppressing vibration helping both the vehicle and its passengers maintain a comfortable posture". There are also a range of systems aimed at counteracting the LM's prodigious size and weight. - 'Automatic Smart Stop Braking Control', 'Pitch Control' and an 'Adaptive Variable Suspension' set-up intended to balance dynamics and comfort.

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