LEXUS RZ
Does the new junior Lexus overshadow its big brother?
MILEAGE 5363
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if Lexus’s famed attention to detail makes up for the modest range
Sitting on a sofa in a small underground carpark transformed into a kind of living a pretty weird way to spend a Wednesday afternoon. Being escorted to said car park past an array of dumped (or stored, as they said) Burberry sewing machines (the legendary fashion brand’s creation studio stood next door) really added to the weirdness. But then in the world of Lexus, this seemed quite apt. This is a firm that takes ordinary (here in the form of Toyota cars), spruces it up and sells for a premium.
This preview event for the LBX was my first encounter with the Japanese premium marque’s new entry-level model – or, in other words, a £23,000 Toyota Yaris Cross that has been tweaked, reshaped and given an interior makeover to leave that true Lexus mark.