Australians with a taste for chauffeur-driven luxury will soon be able to satisfy their appetite following news that the second-generation Lexus LM people mover – revealed at Auto Shanghai – will be available locally.

Available with a choice of two hybrid-electric powertrains, the new LM has, Lexus says, been completely redesigned and offers ‘an expressive and sophisticated exterior design befitting a flagship MPV with a spacious and comfortable interior.’

Globally, the LM will be available with a two-row, four-seat layout or a three-row arrangement with the choice of six or seven seats.

Lexus reckons the crown jewel of the LM range is the four-seat layout that places a partition between the front and rear seats for complete privacy.

The upper part of the partition features a plate of smoked glass paired with a 48-inch widescreen display that can be used for business purposes such as online meetings as well as entertainment.

The flagship four-seat lounge features a pair of rear captain’s chairs complete with armrests and a retractable ottoman, with full heating functionality.

The Rear Climate Concierge provides control of the air conditioning, seat position, sunshades, lighting and other features. Along with four pre-set modes, users can also customise settings to suit their preference.

The rear of the cabin is constantly monitored by a sensor that detect ambient and occupant temperature. The system estimates the temperature across four body areas (face/chest/thigh/lower leg) and selectively controls the air conditioner and seat heater to consistently maintain a comfortable cabin environment.

The centre armrest offers a retractable table large enough to house a tablet or laptop computer.

Regardless of rear-seat layout, the new LM offers control of seating, audio, lighting, climate control, and other parameters though a detachable touch-type multi-operation controller. Two multi-operation panels are available on the console armrests of the second-row seats to allow occupants to individually control their preferred settings.

Lexus says its engineers have improved interior noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and also worked on ride comfort through strengthening the chassis with bracing applied to the radiator support, rocker structure, rear underfloor, quarter pillars and more.

An upgraded version of Lexus’ Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) has been adopted for the first time, and a there’s a ‘Rear Comfort’ drive mode which prioritises the AVS damping force characteristics for rear-seat comfort while minimising pitch and roll characteristics during acceleration and deceleration.

The LM will be available with two powertrain options – a 2.5-litre hybrid for three-row versions, while the flagship four-seat grade will be offered with a 2.4-litre turbocharged hybrid powertrain.

A full suite of Lexus Safety Sense and features are fitted.

Further details on the LM including launch timing, local specification and pricing in Australia are to be confirmed.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (May 2023)

15 May 2023