Lexus LM UK price and specification announced for luxury hybrid MPV

Lexus has launched its LM “luxury mover” in the UK, with prices for the high-end MPV starting at just under £90,000. 

As almost every other car maker abandons the people carrier segment in Europe, the Japanese premium brand has decided to introduce the LM, which it has previously sold in Asia, as a rival to the likes of the £70,000 Mercedes-Benz V-Class in the executive shuttle segment. 

It claims the purpose-designed seven-seater is the first of its kind, offering limousine levels of comfort and performance in a spacious people carrier shape. It’s also one of the brand’s most expensive models, with prices reaching almost £113,000 for the top-spec Takumi model, which comes with its own 48-inch TV.

Befitting its purpose of shuttling important people about in comfort, the LM features everything from enhanced cabin sound deadening to specially designed noise-reducing wheels and tyres to create a calm atmosphere, aided by active noise cancellation. 

In the UK the LM will only be sold with the latest version of Lexus’s 350h 2.5-litre full hybrid powertrain and not the turbocharged 500h offered elsewhere in the world. The same 247bhp system also features in the NX 350h and RX 350h and in standard specification will drive the LM’s front wheels. An extra £3,000 will allow buyers to specify their LM as a four-wheel-drive. 

Just two trim levels are on offer, both packed with equipment. All models get semi-aniline leather upholstery with Ultrasuede inserts and the front two sets of seats are electrically adjustable. Twin sunroofs and dual-zone climate control are also standard and entry-level cars feature a 14-inch monitor that folds down from the ceiling, along with a 21-speaker sound system from long-term Lexus partner Mark Levinson. 

Not that anyone travelling as a passenger will care, but the driver also gets a heated, power-adjustable steering wheel, head-up display, panoramic view monitor and park assist with remote parking function. 

Takumi spec ditches the middle bench in favour of two individual airline-style seats that can be fully reclined to horizontal and offer seven different massage programmes. In front of those seats is a dimmable glass partition which also houses a 48-inch widescreen monitor. The monitor has three viewing modes including a split-screen that allows passengers to watch different content on the left and right-hand sides of the screen simultaneously, with the aid of individual headsets. The sound system is upgraded to a 23-speaker setup and the “Lexus Climate Concierge” will use thermal sensors to precisely control and direct heating and ventilation. A smartphone-style controller will also allow passengers to manage the audio system, climate control settings, seat functions, interior lighting and window blinds remotely.

The LM will be offered in a handful of exterior colours and with the choice of 19- or 20-inch alloys. All models will come with the full Lexus Safety System+, which includes everything from cross traffic alert and adaptive LED headlights to Smart Exit Assist, which helps prevent doors being opened inadvertently into the path of traffic and cyclists approaching from the rear.

Front-wheel drive versions of the standard LM start at £89,995, rising to £92,995 for the all-wheel-drive variant. All Takumi models feature four-wheel-drive and cost £112,995. First UK deliveries are expected in November and Lexus says orders are “already into double figures”.