Lexus Malaysia has released a teaser for the new second-generation LM on its Instagram profile. The ultra-luxurious MPV – based on the fourth-gen Toyota Alphard – is the last of the trio (the other being the Vellfire) to arrive here, despite being the first to be revealed to the world back in April last year.
Despite the shared underpinnings, the latest LM is quite different from its sibling, so much so that it now has a unique AW10 codename (ironically shared with the original AW10/AW11 MR2; the Alphard is the AH40). The dashboard and much of the interior panels are different, and crucially, so is the sheet metal – including the inverted D-pillar “fin” shown in the teaser – meaning that we will see far fewer “converts” this time around.
New features include the addition of Lexus’ Tazuna infotainment interface first seen on the second-gen NX, incorporating a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, a 14-inch centre touchscreen, physical climate control dials and the jettisoning of the awful Remote Touch pad.
You also get a 23-speaker Mark Levinson Reference sound system, the Lexus Climate Concierge and, on the four-seater model, a massive 48-inch widescreen rear display that can be used in split-screen form with twin HDMI inputs, plus a fridge.
The outgoing LM350 is only available with four pews, even though a seven-seater option is available in other markets; it remains to be seen if distributor UMW Toyota Motor will offer the latter this time around. Perhaps the company will mirror the approach taken by its Australian counterpart, where the LM is sold as a seven-seater in LM350h form and as a four-seater in LM500h guise.
One thing that’s certain is that the LM will no longer be available with a V6, all variants now being four-cylinder hybrids. The LM350h uses a 190 PS/236 Nm 2.5 litre A25A-FXS naturally-aspirated Atkinson-cycle engine connected an eCVT, featuring twin electric motors that produce 182 PS and 270 Nm of torque. Total system output is rated at 250 PS.
There’s also an LM500h that uses the same all-wheel-drive Direct4 powertrain as the RX500h. Under the bonnet lies a 275 PS/460 Nm 2.4 litre T24A-FTS turbocharged four-pot, paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox sandwiching an 87 PS/292 Nm electric motor. A separate 103 PS/169 Nm motor drives the rear wheels, contributing to a total system output of 371 PS and 550 Nm.
Whichever variant UMW Toyota decides to offer here won’t come cheap. The first-gen LM350 is currently priced at RM1,208,000, and given the steadily rising prices of Japanese imports, we can expect the new one to be even more expensive.
GALLERY: Lexus LM350h at GIIAS 2023
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More comfortable for long distance business trip,
a short distance one too.
Icing on the cake, for glory.
Contention with Alphard for ugliest car ever.
Copy Chery grill.
Lexus has been doing that grille for years. Your beloved crappy cherry brand being copycat just like the rest of other chinese brands LMAOZ
So that bees can fly in build nest to produce royal jelly.
Di Indonesia harganya RM850k only
stupid toyota malaysia keep bringing in these ugly refrigerators but dont give us the voxy, instead we getting a very overpriced new unser called innova zenix