Lexus India will launch its luxury MPV, the new-generation LM, towards the end of 2023. Bookings for the latest iteration of the posh people-mover are to commence by the end of August, and deliveries are expected to begin early in 2024. The new LM, which is the sister model to the Toyota Vellfire, made its debut in China just a few months ago, and order books for it will open in India in the coming days.
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Speaking exclusively to car&bike, Lexus India President Naveen Soni said, “The all-new-second-gen LM model will debut in India sometime this year. This is a new category for Lexus in India, and the fact that we received an overwhelming response for the previous generation LM showcased at the Auto Expo earlier this year only reaffirms our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences. The LM will present a new standard for luxury mobility in the industry.”
Naveen Soni, Lexus India President with the previous generation of the LX showcased at the Auto Expo 2023
He further added, "At Lexus, our endeavour is to anticipate guests' needs in advance, offering levels of comfort and amenity. Each vehicle we unveil, embodies our traditional Japanese Omotenashi hospitality of delivering an unparalleled driving experience with levels of everyday luxury and refinement. Based on an 'all-time-high' requirement from HNIs for this category, we forecast a strong demand for such Luxury Movers to continue in the coming years."
The rear seat is designed to cocoon the rear passengers in luxury
For the Indian market, we expect the Lexus LM to be available in 4- and 7-seat configurations, with the former hosting a number of exciting features for rear passengers. It has a 48-inch screen which sits below a retractable glass partition between the first & second rows of seating. The retractable glass also has a dimming feature, so the owners can enjoy a lounge-like experience.
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Furthermore, Lexus has gone one step further to enhance comfort and offers a Warmth-Sensing IR (Infrared) Matrix Sensor, which constantly monitors the temperature of four areas of the rear seat occupants - face, chest, thighs, and lower legs. The system accordingly controls the air-conditioning and seat heaters to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the cabin.
The powertrain is shared with the Toyota Velfire
Lexus is likely to introduce the LM with a single powertrain option, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-hybrid motor producing 190 bhp and 240 Nm of torque.
Expect it to be priced around the Rs 2 crore mark. In terms of competition, the LM only has the Vellfire to contend with at the premium end of the market. Mercedes-Benz previously offered the V-Class in this segment, but the luxury MPV was discontinued some time ago. The new Vellfire was recently launched in India at a starting price of Rs 1.2 crore (ex-showroom).
