First Lexus LM people-mover here this year

Lexus Australia has confirmed its first people-mover, the all-new Lexus LM, will be released in Australia by the end of this year.

Revealed in Shanghai in April, the new-generation Lexus LM will be the first of three all-new models to be released in new market segments for Lexus Australia by the end of 2024, almost certainly including the new Toyota Prado-based Lexus GX off-road SUV.

As previously confirmed, the new LM – based on the third-generation Toyota Alphard and replacing a model available in China since 2020 – will be exclusively available Down Under with the choice of two four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid powertrains.

Like every new model launched by Lexus Australia from June, it will also come equipped with the Japanese luxury brand’s connected services suite, which includes features such as over-the-air (OTA) updates, stolen vehicle tracking and connected navigation.

The entry-level 2024 Lexus LM 350h will be the first variant available in the fourth quarter of this year, while the more powerful LM 500h will arrive shortly afterwards in the first quarter of 2024.

Lexus Australia hasn’t confirmed powertrain or equipment details, but carsales understands the LM 350h will come with a full suite of Lexus Safety Sense+ features and share its new petrol-electric powertrains with the recently-launched new-generation Lexus RX large SUV.

That would mean a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid system good for 179kW of power, while the top-spec LM 500h should score a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder hybrid system outputting a big 273kW of power and 550Nm of torque.

Tipped to be available either as a traditional three-row people-mover or a four-seat ‘limousine’ in top-spec guise, the Lexus LM will obviously be positioned above the Hyundai Staria, Kia Carnival, LDV Mifa, Toyota Granvia and Volkswagen Multivan, with direct rivals being only the electric LDV Mifa 9 (priced from $106,000) and Mercedes-Benz V-Class (from $91,688 to $155,338 for the electric EQV).

Lexus Australia chief executive John Pappas is confident the LM will make an impact in the niche luxury people-mover segment Down Under.

“LM is going to bring new buyers to us,” he told carsales.

“It’s going to bring chauffeur drivers, it’s going to bring lifestyle [buyers], families. I used to live in Singapore and [Toyota] Alphards and these people-movers were everywhere, they were like the hot thing. And this Lexus LM is going to be the ultimate.” 

Pappas said the LM people-mover is proof that Lexus is committed to catering for the increasingly diverse lifestyles of its Australian customers, including “those seeking a chauffeur-driven oasis of relaxation and personal mobility”.

As we’ve reported, the lavish new Lexus LM makes a bold statement with its bluff spindle grille design and imposing dimensions, including a 5125mm length, 1890mm width and 1945mm height making it longer than the flagship Lexus LX SUV.

Riding on a huge 3000mm wheelbase, the four-seat flagship version sold in other markets even has a smoked-glass partition between the front and rear compartments, maximising passenger privacy and housing a massive optional 48-inch widescreen display.

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