Lexus announced the latest iteration of its LM minivan four years after its debut, with the Japanese company pledging to lift the ante on automotive luxury. The LM premiered at the Shanghai Auto Show and will be available in over 60 countries, including Europe and Japan, for the first time. Unfortunately, if you live in America, you'll have to fulfill your minivan desires with something else, as this vehicle will be available in the United States sometime soon.
For the 2024 model year, the luxury people-mover receives several upgrades. Much effort was put into increasing the LM's core strength, especially torsional stiffness, which has been enhanced by 50% with this new version. The changes were made by installing new bracing on the radiator support and rear underfloor, straightening the rocker structure, and improving the quarter pillars.
Lexus has also outfitted the new LM with the company's innovative 'AVS Suspension with Frequency-Sensitive Piston Valve.' Combining an Adaptive Variable Suspension actuator and a frequency-sensitive piston valve in the shock absorber results in a smoother ride with fewer vibrations. Overall, these improvements should make the LM a more pleasant ride for passengers, making it an even more enticing option for discriminating minivan buyers.
Given that the LM is all about carrying passengers in luxury, it's no wonder Lexus spent a significant amount of time and money, making it seem even more expensive. In constructing the new seats, for example, it analyzed passenger body motions, even going so far as to guarantee that they limit head movement and stabilize an occupant's line of sight. The front seats of the LM are likewise engineered to retain the body better. In contrast, the second-row seats include two types of shock-absorbing materials that decrease vibrations when stationary and while moving.
Lexus will sell the new LM in four, six, and seven-seat versions. The most opulent option is the four-seater, which has a divider between the front and back seats, a 48-inch widescreen display, a refrigerator, individual storage spaces, and even heated armrests and ottomans. A sophisticated heating and cooling system measures a passenger's temperature in their face, chest, thighs, and lower legs. It adjusts the HVAC to guarantee your body is at the ideal temperature.
The Lexus Safety System+ includes a slew of safety measures as standard equipment. This configuration contains a Pre-Collision Safety System incorporating Pre-Collision Warning, Pre-Collision Brake Assist, and Pre-Collision Braking. It also boasts Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, and an Abnormal Driver Response System, which checks the driver's posture. At the same time, the lane tracing aid system is engaged and, if it thinks the driver cannot continue driving, flashes the hazards and softly decelerates.
Lexus hasn't disclosed comprehensive powertrain specs for the new LM, but it will be offered in two hybrid configurations: a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid and a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid.
