Lexus working on Toyota Yaris Cross based small crossover: Report

Luxury car brand Lexus is reportedly working on a small crossover that will sit below the UX in its portfolio. The sub-UX crossover is likely to be based on the Toyota Yaris Cross, as reported by MagX.

As it claims, the upcoming small luxury crossover will be based on the automaker's GA-B platform. It could also share the same 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid engine that works under the hood of the Toyota Yaris crossover.

The Lexus model will be available in Europe, Japan and Australia. Despite being based on the Toyota Yaris Cross, it will be sold alongside the Toyota badged crossover in some markets, claims the publication.

Interestingly, Lexus filed for trademarks LBX and Lexus LBX last year in Europe. This was fuelling speculation of an upcoming crossover that would be positioned below UX. The latest speculation comes in line with that.

In May 2020, it was rumoured that a small crossover is in pipeline from Lexus. This was rumoured to be badged as Lexus BX. This small crossover was said to be due for the 2023 launch at an estimated price of sub-$30,000.

All these previous and latest speculations point to a possible sub-UX crossover from the Japanese luxury carmaker. However, Lexus is still tightlipped about the development.

The SUVs and crossovers have been witnessing a surge in demand in the last few years. Several automakers that previously vowed not to enter the SUV segment has introduced their products in the same segment. For example, take Bentley, Rolls Royce etc. Lexus having SUV offerings already in its portfolio is planning to expand its lineup further to tap new segments.

With Audi Q2 and BMW X1 already in the market, Lexus would like to enter the compact luxury crossover segment to grab a chunk in this space.