Tokyo Auto Salon: 2024 Lexus LBX Morizo RR Concept bursts out

Lexus has debuted a new high-performance concept based on its upcoming LBX light SUVat the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon today.

Officially dubbed the 2024 Lexus LBX Morizo RR Concept, the vehicle in question is essentially a high-riding version of the updated Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch also revealed in Japan today, meaning it packs a 224kW/400Nm punch and drives all four wheels via a new eight-speed ‘direct shift’ automatic transmission.

As per the GR Yaris, an upgraded 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine lurks under the bonnet, while the underpinnings of the pint-size luxury SUV – which is based on the same TNGA-B platform of the Toyota Yaris Cross – have been completely overhauled with a lower, firmer and beefier suspension set-up comprising MacPherson struts up front and double wishbones at the rear.

Under the widened body, the new chassis is equipped with broader wheel tracks, lightweight 19-inch alloys, sticky high-performance tyres and an upgraded braking package to ensure the LBX Morizo RR Concept can corner as well as it goes in a straight line, however, official performance claims are yet to be made.

Advertising all this newfound aggression and capability is a series of cosmetic upgrades including unique front and rear aprons, extended and body-coloured wheel-arches, the aforementioned rolling stock, bigger yellow brake callipers, twin exhaust outlets, a black grille and yellow highlights.

“The concept is inspired by master driver and Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda, aka Morizo, who says he wanted a spot in his garage for an everyday luxury Lexus that didn't need to be big in size but needed to be big on fun,” Lexus said.

“The aim was to retain the high-quality driving performance and sophisticated design that is unique to Lexus, while creating a high-performance model that would allow the driver to enjoy interacting with the car, smile spontaneously and experience a sense of extraordinary exhilaration.”

Inside the cabin you’ll find an ‘Ochre’ interior colourway, sport seats, alloy pedals and yellow seatbelts featuring ‘MORIZO RR’ logos to match the exterior badging.

The LBX Morizo RR Concept’s public debut was heralded by both Lexus in Japan and Australia – a move which traditionally bodes well for the local market and suggests the model is very much on the cards for Aussie showrooms.

Even more promising is the fact the local division said its parent company “is yet to confirm when [rather than if] a production version of the LBX Morizo RR Concept will be offered” instead of its usual ‘under study’ phrasing.

In the event that the hotter Lexus LBX doesn’t make production and/or Australian shores, its existence hints at the potential and feasibility of a potential Toyota GR Yaris Cross – a performance version of the mainstream city SUV that would be cheaper than its Lexus equivalent and has been whispered about ever since the GR Sport variant emerged last year.