- Lexus revealed the LBX Morizo RR concept at the Tokyo auto show, a hotter variant of the company’s smallest crossover, which isn’t sold in America.
- The Morizo RR is powered by the 300-hp turbocharged three-cylinder from the Toyota GR Corolla but is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
- The LBX Morizo RR also wears unique, muscular bumpers and yellow accents in the grille and on the brake calipers.
The Toyota GR Corolla is an enthralling take on the hot hatch that combines sharp styling with a potent 300-hp turbocharged inline-three and a rally-inspired adjustable all-wheel-drive system. But despite its $37,595 starting price, the GR Corolla struggles to separate itself from the dour interior of the $23,145 economy car upon which it is based. But the Lexus LBX Morizo RR concept, revealed at the Tokyo auto show, previews what a more luxurious version of the hot hatch could look like. Toyota drops the same 1.6-liter powertrain into the subcompact LBX crossover sold in Europe.
A GR Corolla in a Lexus Wrapper
The engine is unchanged from the version in the Corolla, with the three-pot pumping out 300 ponies and 295 pound-feet of torque. The electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system also carries over, but unlike the manual-only GR Corolla, the fancier LBX is fitted with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This gearbox is now going to be offered on the overseas-only GR Yaris, which also shares the same powertrain, so it’s possible that the GR Corolla could gain an automatic option in the near future.
Toyota didn’t publish any performance statistics for the angry-looking little crossover, but at 165.0 inches long, the LBX Morizo RR should keep up with the GR Corolla, which measures over eight inches longer and weighs roughly the same as a stock LBX. This would suggest a zero-to-60-mph time of less than 5.0 seconds and a quarter-mile sprint in the low 13-second range. Those numbers might also improve since the LBX doesn’t need to be shifted by a human like the GR Corolla.
Compared with the standard LBX, the Morizo RR wears a redesigned bumper with a larger grille and sizable lower intakes. There’s also a yellow accent trim piece linking the headlights and echoing the color of the brake calipers, which clamp 18.0-inch rotors up front and 16.0-inchers in the rear—a fair bit larger than the rotors on the GR Corolla. The rear bumper has also been restyled and houses a small diffuser and two large exhaust pipes. Other upgrades include the tires, which go from 215-section-width rubber (paired with 17- or 18-inch wheels on the normal LBX) to 235/45R-19 tires.
While the LBX Morizo RR is still just a concept, we wouldn’t be surprised if Toyota is testing the waters for a production version. Morizo is, after all, an alias used by former CEO and current chairman Akio Toyoda for his racing exploits. Still, even if the Morizo RR were to escape concept-car purgatory, the LBX likely won’t come to the United States.
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.