2025 Lexus LBX Morizo RR review: Australian first drive

When we think of performance cars from Japanese prestige brand Lexus, we think of thumping V8s and that glorious F1-inspired V10 found in the LFA supercar.

We do not think of three-cylinder hot hatches or, more pertinently, hot crossover SUVs.

But it’s time to recalibrate that thought process, because the 2025 Lexus LBX Morizo RR is a new kind of performance car from the Japanese brand.

It’s the brainchild of Toyota chairman, Akio Toyoda, who wanted something that was small in size but ‘big on fun’ in his garage. Toyoda, it’s said, liked the LBX crossover SUV but felt it could benefit from some performance upgrades to instil it with a big dollop of ‘fun’.

The fun part comes courtesy of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing’s (GR) back catalogue, and that means the same 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine as found in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla siblings.

In Lexus guise, it makes 206kW and 390Nm, marginally down (by 15kW and 10Nm) on the outputs of its GR cross-town cousins. That’s largely down to the Lexus, unlike either Toyota, being fitted with a petrol particulate filter (PPF) for Euro 6C emissions compliance.

And that’s okay, because the Lexus LBX Morizo RR treads a slightly different path on the road to performance motoring.

It’s priced from $76,490 before on-road costs, making it almost $20,000 dearer than the Lexus LBX Sports Luxury all-wheel-drive hybrid, some $13,500 more than the most expensive GR Yaris, and $6000 more than the latest GR Corolla.

A word on the name. First ‘Morizo’, which is the alter ego of Toyota chairman, Akio Toyoda.

Why alter ego? Well, Toyoda likes to indulge in his passion for motor racing, participating in events such as the Nürburgring 24-hour where he races under his Morizo Kinoshita pseudonym.

And then there’s the ‘RR’ in the model designation, which simply stands for ‘Rookie Racing’, an off-shoot of Toyota Gazoo Racing and the team Toyoda himself often competes with.

Be under no illusion, the Lexus LBX Morizo RR is very much Toyoda’s car. But it’s also very much still a Lexus.

And that means all the hallmarks that make a Lexus, well, a Lexus, are still in place.

The plush materials, the commendable ride comfort, the unashamed focus on luxury, especially inside where the Morizo shines.

Quality materials abound throughout. Ultrasuede is used liberally, set off by racy red contrast stitching enhanced by aluminium pedals. The sports seats finished in perforated semi-aniline leather are beautifully supportive with good bolstering, both in the seat base and the seatback, which hold you nice and snug.

It’s a purposefully sporty cabin, but one that doesn't compromise on quality.

A 9.8-inch touchscreen hosts wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as native satellite navigation and DAB+ digital radio. There’s wireless smartphone charging, five USB Type-C outlets, a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a head-up display too.

The second row isn’t the last word in comfort, certainly in terms of available space, which remains at a premium in row two, even behind my own 173cm driving position. There’s little in the way of amenities back there either, with no fold-down armrest, and no cupholders either. The door pockets can take a small bottle, though. Air vents? Nope.

Cargo capacity is compromised too, with just 266 litres on offer with both rows of seats in use. That expands to 880L with the second row folded away.

The Lexus LBX Morizo RR shares a comprehensive suite of advanced driver assist and safety systems found in the wider LBX range – autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, speed sign recognition, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning and lane-centring assist, as well as front and rear parking sensors and drive attention monitoring are all standard. And while LBX models lower down the range wear a five-star ANCAP safety rating, the Morizo RR remains unrated for now.

Outside, the Morizo distinguishes itself from the regular LBX range with 19-inch forged aluminium wheels riding on Continental SportContact 7 tyres, a ride height lowered by 10mm and a 15mm wider rear track, a new front bumper, body-coloured wheel arches, and twin exhaust pipes poking out of a new rear diffuser.

It looks angry in the metal, and while its styling is not quite as aggressive as its Toyota GR cousins, there’s still enough inherent menace to set it apart from the softer LBX range.

Firing up the snarling 1.6-litre turbo-three under the bonnet elicits a throaty grumble that only a three-cylinder can muster. It’s a special engine note, which even at idle offers the promise of laugh-a-minute fun.

It’s paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a variable all-wheel-drive system which, in regular driving conditions, splits torque 75:25 front to rear, but can apportion up to 50 per cent to the back wheels as needed. A selectable AWD drive mode locks a perfect 50:50 torque distribution in place.

Australian buyers wondering about a manual option will be disappointed. There is a six-speed manual variant, but it’s currently only available in Japan, with no plans at this stage to bring it here.

It doesn’t suffer for it, however, because what we do have is a close-ratio, quick-shifting eight-speed auto that is as slick and razor-sharp as you could want. Better still, there is a true manual drive mode with steering-wheel-mounted paddle-shifters, which allows the throaty three-cylinder to run to redline. Selecting Sport mode adds to the drama with shift lights running across the top of the digital instrument display.

Comparisons between the LBX Morizo and Toyota’s GR-fettled hot hatches are inevitable, and while its power outputs are slightly down, it doesn't give away anything in straight-line speed.

Lexus claims 0–100km/h sprint time of 5.2 seconds, which is on par with the GR Corolla and GR Yaris. And yet, the LBX Morizo is a far more refined performance car. This is no accident, says Lexus, which stressed that the Morizo needed to still feel like a Lexus.

Whereas both the Toyotas enjoy a hard edge to them, the Morizo RR takes a softer – and marginally quieter – approach.

Around town, the Morizo is a perfectly amenable companion when Normal drive mode is selected. The engine remains muted, the shifts from the eight-speed auto quick and unobtrusive, and ride comfort a step above that offered by the GR siblings.

There’s a dull but satisfying rumble from the three-banger under the bonnet, but it remains soft and unthreatening, like an opera singer doing vocal exercises ahead of the big show.

Lexus says the LBX Morizo will go through its 50-litre tank at the rate of 9.2 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, a mix of city, urban and highway driving. We didn't track our consumption at the dynamic launch drive, but it would be reasonable to suggest it would have returned a higher number thanks to its sporty nature that demands to be exploited.

Selecting Sport mode transforms the Morizo. No longer a muted growl, the engine takes on a snarling and raspy mien, enhanced inside the cabin by Lexus’s Active Sound Control that sounds more natural than you might imagine, and arguably more natural than the GR Toyota soundtrack.

And it’s in Sport mode where the LBX Morizo shows its true colours and its true mettle. A pugnacious hot crossover SUV that has the performance to match it with harder-edged hot hatches, but with a more mature demeanour that is designed to appeal to a broader section of buyers.

Yes, it’s quick in a straight line, sling-shotting out of corners with abandon while remaining composed and compliant under wheel. The Morizo’s chassis has been tuned for performance but with at least one eye on comfort.

Chassis rigidity has been improved, while larger-diameter shock absorbers thread the line between refinement and performance, the Morizo absorbing road imperfections in the manner we’ve come to expect from a Lexus, but with just a slightly firmer edge that pays dividends during more spirited driving.

The steering is nicely weighted, with direct and accurate response to even the smallest of inputs. Braking performance is commendable too, courtesy of large 356mm ventilated rotors up front and 281mm solid rotors out back.

There’s a prodigious amount of grip on offer, especially with the AWD mode button depressed, which offers a perfect 50:50 torque split for more neutral power and traction delivery resulting in a beautifully balanced chassis when cornering. It inspires confidence, urging you to get on the brakes a fraction later and the go pedal a touch earlier.

And that’s what helps make this, the LBX Morizo RR, a very approachable performance hatchback-cum-crossover SUV. It’s easy to drive with purpose, easier still to live with daily, a genuine duality of purpose that will appeal to a subset of buyers who crave the performance of a hot hatch but without the compromises that often brings.

So is it ‘big on fun’ as Akio Toyoda decreed it must be? Unquestionably. And is Toyoda happy with the result? Well, he lent his name to the model, and according to Lexus, he only does that with cars he’d like to see in his personal garage.

Family Cars Guide

Rob Margeit is an award-winning Australian motoring journalist and editor who has been writing about cars and motorsport for over 25 years. A former editor of Australian Auto Action, Rob’s work has also appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Wheels, Motor Magazine, Street Machine and Top Gear Australia. Rob’s current rides include a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and a 2000 Honda HR-V Sport.

Read more about Rob Margeit