Already driven: Lexus’ new Luxury Mover LM: Even flying is nicer

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Once a booming segment, large sedans have almost entirely disappeared from the market. Even the old van pioneer Renault Espace is evolving into a trendy SUV in the latest generation.

Toyota’s luxury subsidiary Lexus is not following this trend and is bringing us back the once popular minivan. However, it has an extremely exclusive construction standard, befitting a luxury brand. Lexus LM, which stands for Luxury Transporter, is designed for institutions such as luxury hotels or VIP driving services that want to pamper their royal guests in a befitting way on the road, rather than for budget-conscious large families.

No wonder I felt like a movie star after arriving at Krakow Airport, Poland. I am picked up directly from the plane and chauffeured from the airport to the hotel in the back of the new Lexus LM VIP. Admittedly: From the outside, the 5.13 meters long and 1.94 meters high LM does not look very stylish with its striking front end, two sliding doors and shoebox shape. However, the luxury transport vehicle does not want to be beautiful first, instead it wants to pamper its passengers with comfort and luxury.

Airline style leather seats

And the all-wheel drive system does this impressively during the half-hour drive from the airport to the hotel. The driver heads unobtrusively to the front, behind a partition that can be lowered at the touch of a button or opaquely darkened for greater privacy. Meanwhile, I’m lounging on a large, spacious airline-style leather couch that can be completely converted into a sofa bed using a smartphone. The seat can be ventilated or heated and offers a variety of massage programs. Just like on an airplane, a small table can be folded from the armrest. I can work on it or enjoy a cold drink from the onboard fridge.

I watch a video giving information about the new vehicle and the area to be visited on the huge 48-inch HD widescreen that covers the entire width of the vehicle. Of course, you can enjoy movies or play computer games. It’s hardly noticeable that I’m sitting in a moving car. Sitting in my luxury seat, I sometimes don’t notice any of the bad roads; The carefully designed chassis absorbs all the bumps. And almost nothing can be heard from the hybrid drive in the perfectly sound-insulated passenger compartment.

The workplace is less comfortable

It’s completely different when you’re the driver behind the wheel of the LM VIP. We have now changed roles. Now, while I am the driver in the front, a journalist colleague of mine is enjoying the luxury in the back. And I immediately notice: the space in front of the driver and front passenger seats is much less spacious, thanks to the wide center console and the bulkhead in the rear. In addition, the sound of the hybrid drive, consisting of a 2.5-liter gasoline engine and an electrical module with a total system output of 250 hp (184 kW), can be heard much better. The curb weight of 2.4 tonnes is especially noticeable when accelerating; In this case, the sound of the engine is also heard, especially with the continuously variable CVT transmission. It takes 8.7 seconds for a moving sedan to accelerate from rest to 100 km/h; The maximum speed is 190 km/h.

What applies to the front also applies to the back. The space in the trunk is not very generous either. From 110 to 752 liters are available here. For this reason, the VIP couple working as chauffeurs at LM VIP should not travel with too much luggage.

Four or seven inserters

In addition to the highly exclusive four-seat LM VIP version, priced at 169,900 francs, Lexus also offers the slightly cheaper seven-seat LM Excellence version with a 2-2-3 seating configuration. Priced from 149,900 francs, this people carrier also pampers its passengers with many luxuries (for example, second-row massage seats, large screens and a Mark Levinson premium sound system).

Lexus doesn’t expect the LM to have large sales volumes in Europe. Only five vehicles are planned for the first annual quota for Switzerland. But who knows, maybe one or two luxury Swiss hotels will soon use Japanese luxury instead of British or German luxury for the airport transfer of their VIP guests?

Source: Blick