We’ve featured a lot of chauffeur-oriented vehicles this week, from the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV to the Volvo EX90 Excellence. This isn’t hugely surprising given that Auto Shanghai 2023 is going on right now, but what might be surprising to some is that Lexus appears to have everyone else beat. This is the new Lexus LM and it might just be the ultimate stealth limo. Best of all, it might appear outside of China. While the outgoing Lexus LM is a decked-out Toyota Alphard for the Chinese market, the new one sets its sights on other shores. So, how does Lexus plan on rivaling Maybach with a minivan? By offering incredible space and opulence, simple as.
It’s hard to ignore how designers have given the new Lexus LM a crazy front end. Since it’s both a van and a Lexus, it features a grille large enough to swallow up low-flying helicopters. Oh sure, it’s been toned down with body-color mesh, but it’s still enormous. That being said, it does feel proportionate for a vehicle this tall.
Once you get used to the grille, you’ll notice that Lexus has played some clever tricks with the greenhouse. Not only is there a ton of glass, but all pillars have been visually minimized to some extent with black accents. The result is a real fishbowl look, which is refreshing in an age of rolling bunkers. If that isn’t weird enough for you, check out how the daylight opening is shaped, with painted surfaces and metal accents jutting into the shape. How wonderfully bizarre. The strangeness continues with the rear full-width taillight that actually dips in the middle. Oh, and how’s this for unusual: The LM gets two moonroofs, although neither are where you’d expect them to be.
Instead of a moonroof for the front occupants and a moonroof for the rear occupants separated by a lateral support member, the LM gets two moonroofs above the rear seats, one on either side of the roof. I’m getting third-generation Nissan Quest vibes here, and I like what I’m seeing.
The Lexus LM is available in six-seat and seven-seat configurations for traditional minivan use, but we’re really interested in the four-seat chauffeur-focused seating arrangement. Instead of two rows of flexible rear seats, the four-seat LM gets two massive recliners that genuinely look like high-end furniture. Each headrest is roughly the size of one Yaris (I’m exaggerating, but only kinda), the backrests are articulated, proper footrests pop up for full support, and the ottomans and armrests are heated. Even better, occupants won’t need to dig through virtual menus to adjust the seats as traditional controls sit on either side of a massive fixed console. Speaking of the console, it hides non-slip leather-covered tables for doing business on the go, along with a variety of storage spaces.
Although the rear seats use physical controls, virtual controls still exist for certain functions. Two detachable tablets sit in the rear console to control the sunshades, climate controls, sound system, and 64-color ambient lighting. Impressive stuff, but that’s nothing compared to the sheer solitude available in the back of the LM. Behind the front seats is a full-height partition featuring retractable electrochromic glass that can tint on command, ensuring privacy for whatever activities are going on in the back. Beneath the glass sits an enormous 48-inch widescreen monitor that’s said to be useful for both entertainment and teleconferences, presumably so you can Zoom while you zoom. Beneath that sits the obligatory fridge for keeping passengers refreshed on the go.
While the fridge should keep drinks cool, an insane climate control system aims to keep passengers comfortable. An infrared matrix sensor scans every surface of the rear compartment and its occupants to determine how comfortable the passengers feel in their faces, chests, thighs, and lower legs, and then the climate controls work together with the seat heaters to envelop each passenger in one consistent temperature from head to toe. It’s exactly the sort of obsessive gadget you expect in a high-end Lexus.
Under the hood sits either a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid powertrain or a more economical 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder hybrid. Both of these should be familiar as they’re found in various new Toyota products from the Crown to the Grand Highlander. That being said, I’m not sure the powertrain really matters in a vehicle like this. It’s a van, not a performance vehicle. As long as it gets out of its own way, whatever’s under the hood should be just fine. What matters more is that Lexus has fitted the new LM with computer-controlled dampers that have a special rear seat comfort mode for ironing out the ride. It sounds like a fabulous solution that isn’t as maintenance-intensive as air suspension.
While previous Lexus LM models have been almost exclusively for China, Lexus hopes that this new one can carry to new markets. A report from Motor 1 claims that the new LM will be sold in more than 60 countries including in Europe, a market perhaps more accepting of a posh minivan than North America. Sadly, the LM won’t be crossing the U.S. border anytime soon, but there’s a chance that’s shortsighted.
It’s a shame that the Lexus LM won’t make it to America because I reckon it would do fairly well among a subset of the rich and famous. A whole bunch of celebrities own Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans, but those aren’t entourage vehicles meant to carry a whole bunch of luggage. Instead, they’re fully kitted-out living rooms on wheels with reclining chairs, TVs, drinks cabinets, and the like.
Think of these as private jets for the road. A first-party warrantied alternative with the Lexus promise of reliability would make a very compelling alternative to pimped-out cargo vans.
(Photo credits: Lexus)
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If they sell this in the US I predict it will have approximately the same life as the Ford Flex. There will be the devout fans who swear it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and everyone else will (rightly) think it’s hideous.
That front grill literally makes me feel physically revolted and ill. It’s some sort of pox/parasite infested…. ugh. I might go throw up now.
I would tell you to Google trypophobia, but they’re going to “helpfully” include an image in the results and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Side view looks like a pot-belly pig.
Enough with the freaking Predator face!
I think mini-vans are making a comeback. I’m grew up in a Mazda MVP and a Ford Windstar. I loved them both and my next car is either a wagon or a van. I think it’s been long enough where the stigma is leaving, most Van owners I know are men who don’t care what people think of their cars and they love them.
My wife won’t get one, but I have been looking hard at the Toyota and Chrysler and would rock one with pride.
Amen, brother. They will have to pry my Odyssey out of my cold dead hand. Unless I get a newer van, of course!
The Alphard has the super-tall front face as well, so it’s a design feature that is hard to diminish. But honestly, Toyota/Lexus designers should be skilled enough to break up that visual mass. I think the concept of a luxury minivan is great and it needs to be more of a thing!
So what’s going on behind the second row? The Unga-Bunga Rowdy Room?
It is, just not in the west. Luxury vans are the best luxury vehicles.
Fancy-Kristen-says-what?
BMW Grilles? Lexus says hold my saki.
That’s no grill, it’s a beard.
Lexus dealers are known for service, at least last I heard. I assume they will have a dedicated low level service employee always sitting outside waiting for LM owners to rollup on demand and get a free grill bug cleaning. No way the botox soccer moms on their way to yoga spin class can drive around with 10lbs of bugs in her grill.
Your post made me think of how Lexus will ultimately end up selling a ton of these. Service Shuttle. A few rides home in one of these for someone who didn’t need a loaner and they may think they should get one for themselves.
A minivan for people who don’t have kids if there ever was one.
Nope
We Americans don’t deserve nice things such as the Vellfire, so we won’t get this either 🙁
I would love for this to be a thing in the US. However, the IQ levels of American buyers combined with their absolute need to project steroid cop levels of aggression means that Toyota would lose millions if they tried selling it here.
At least you dont have to look at the spindle skyscraper from inside.
ugly as sin! But if you are inside you don’t care. If I have money to be driven around like this, why in the world would I care about what the plebs think of its looks. I love the interior, be nice to see something like this in a more consumer version. It’s nice to block the kids off, but I can foresee times when I’d have to get back there and it would be an issue.
Dear Lord, look at the cow catcher on that thing!
Well, it’s nice that it is vaguely reminiscent of Citroën H-Type vans but other than that the thing looks absolutely hideous.
I’m…not sure about the styling but I’m happy this exists. Luxury minivans are an under explored niche and probably 95% of the people buying luxury SUVs would be just as well, if not better, served by this. Hell maybe it’ll help me vanpill the wife who cares about badging more than I do and wants a luxury crossover as her next car. BRING IT STATESIDE YOU COWARDS!
The niche that’s being missed here is the van with every possible luxury in the front seats, but vinyl floors and seats in the back, with the only amenity being a big screen for the kids.
I don’t really love the idea of my kids destroying that back seat, but I would be willing to pay for nicer furnishings in front than my wife’s Sienna Limited.
This is a good and correct take
And a fire hose…for cleaning out the van of course, not at all for dealing with sticky, snot filled ingrates
If anyone was in a position to seriously try a luxury minivan over the last ~40 years – like a true attempt and not a sometimes-upmarket brand (like Chrysler), I’d think it would be Lexus – but the fact they haven’t suggests to me that there was never really enough market to demand it.
Lexus should make a manual luxury van and separate every enthusiast from their money. There are dozens of us! DOZENS!
I’d be in for one.
Honestly, I’d probably buy it.
I would think this would make an appealing limo over here, but I’m guessing most people won’t get over the minivan stigma.
I’d honestly love to book this from a livery service on vacation.
It’s quirky. I love it. I want to let my kids cover that backseat in stray fruit snacks and cheeto dust while I drive peacefully with the partition closed.
That front fascia…. woof. Reminds me of the Brendan Fraser Mummy, when the mummy opens its mouth super wide
https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/the-mummy-14-21.gif
TV seems kinda useless with that aspect ratio. I guess you could watch 2 different movies at the same time :\
https://tvdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Cylons?file=Galactica_1980_1x10_003.jpg
old enough to fear a Cylon attack.
I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be the only one who sees this.
And it all started innocently enough: https://tinyurl.com/28sa5225
The Vellfire and Alphard have been my forbidden fruit since I rode in one about a decade ago.
My wife would never let me get a minivan, but yes, I also would love either of them.
I saw those all over the place in Singapore when I was there last. At first the tall/narrow shape was off-putting compared to what I’m used to seeing in the U.S., but after a few days I sort of began to appreciate them – especially once I saw the inside and how crazy nice they be. When I finally convinced my wife to buy the minivan, she actually asked if we could get one “like the ones we saw in Singapore”. Despite her disappointment, she still loves her Odyssey.