Video: Lexus LM Minivan at the Shanghai Auto Show

Joaquin Ruhi

Actually, if you read the trademark tea leaves, maybe the idea of a Lexus minivan may not be so far-fetched. As noted both here and on my Kaizen Factor blog, Toyota's latest seemingly Lexus-related trademarks are LQ (with no numbers attached), LM 300h and LM 350. What if LQ is for the production version of the LF-1 Limitless RWD-based crossover and LM 300h and LM 350 are for a GA-K platform Lexus minivan offshoot of the upcoming 4th-gen Toyota Sienna?

I remember when Lexus US said that they are not planning minivan Lexus.... so I thought it would never happen.

BUT

With Lexus push into Asia, that makes a lot of sense... it is going to make even more sense for them to do that minivan. It might not be offered everywhere, just like ES or LX were not offered everywhere.

Toyota is doing really good with luxury minivans in Asia... they sell far more of those than sedans. So it would make sense to make Lexus version in their continued push into getting more market share.

I'm a Chinese.
From the website of Trademark Office of The state administration for industry & commerce of P.R.C.
I get this screenshot,"LQ" is be registed with words "toyota".

shizhi

I'm a Chinese.
From the website of Trademark Office of The state administration for industry & commerce of P.R.C.
I get this screenshot,"LQ" is be registed with words "toyota".

That's extinguishes any doubts.

mwyf

That's extinguishes any doubts.

I hope so! A Lexus minivan may make all the sense in the world in Asia etc., but IMO it would be abandoning everything Lexus has worked for elsewhere for “no boring cars”. Unfortunately, nothing says “boring” better than a minivan.

I just haven't heard dealers begging for a Lexus van at all.

What I can share is Toyota was shocked to see OTD prices of the Sienna. Then they were even more shocked to see guys modify them and dump another 5-20k in them. We are talking 50-60k easy...I'm pretty tight with Vankulture, the biggest vanning club here expanding around the globe and learned a ton the past few years working with them and Toyota on the project below...




Now while the transaction prices are there, does this make sense for Lexus? To this day the "Van" stigma is just bad to the general masses. Note the Benz R Class is gone.

I do think there is room in the market for it, a very niche product.

Minivan is becoming the preferred way of transport among business people in Asia. Sedans are just too impractical. A LM300h/LM350 combo will easily outsell the LS, and the LM350 can end up being more expensive than the LS500h in actual transaction price. The profit is just too lucrative to let pass. Lexus needs easy profit models like LX and LM to keep funding expensive prestige projects like LC and LS.

With a LM300h starting at ¥600k and LM350 starting at ¥800k I would be surprised they fail to push 500+ units a month. The Alphard currently sells 4,000 units a year (because that's about how many LHDs they make) with a mark up of close to 50% (!) and a wait list of 12 months. Dealerships are desparate enough that they have to import USDM Sienna to meet the demand.

If the LM doesn't have a market in US or Americans think it's boring, then don't sell it there.

Welcome new member! @shizhi

mikeavelli

I just haven't heard dealers begging for a Lexus van at all.

What I can share is Toyota was shocked to see OTD prices of the Sienna. Then they were even more shocked to see guys modify them and dump another 5-20k in them. We are talking 50-60k easy...I'm pretty tight with Vankulture, the biggest vanning club here expanding around the globe and learned a ton the past few years working with them and Toyota on the project below...




Now while the transaction prices are there, does this make sense for Lexus? To this day the "Van" stigma is just bad to the general masses. Note the Benz R Class is gone.

I do think there is room in the market for it, a very niche product.

Well, I am amazed and pleased to see there are “cool” vans. Thanks for posting this!

A welcome to new member @meteoro as well!

Joaquin Ruhi

That's all just educated guesswork and possibility, and not anything Lexus has officially confirmed.

https://www.carscoops.com/2018/10/company-president-says-select-markets-may-get-lexus-minivan/

I think we will see it soon

maiaramdan

https://www.carscoops.com/2018/10/company-president-says-select-markets-may-get-lexus-minivan/

I think we will see it soon

That's simply Carscoops regurgitating the Philippine Auto Industriya story that started off this thread.

Oops
I really want even LHS from Alphard

The number of people who reply to that video with "if I knew vans could be that cool" should be a wake-up call for someone at Toyota. Offer a Sienna GR Edition with some performance and appearance mods and an adjustable air suspension rolling on Vossens and they'd do well I think.

Honestly, in history there are even sporty minivan, the renault espace f1 is amazing example

maiaramdan

Honestly, in history there are even sporty minivan, the renault espace f1 is amazing example

:heart_eyes::heart:

Ian Schmidt

The number of people who reply to that video with "if I knew vans could be that cool" should be a wake-up call for someone at Toyota. Offer a Sienna GR Edition with some performance and appearance mods and an adjustable air suspension rolling on Vossens and they'd do well I think.

Realistically not really at all. Vans are dead in Europe, and dying in NA. Luckily for TMC owners in USA, it is one of the largest markets for TMC, so Sienna will survive.

Sienna was one of the first ones with some kind of sport package, and AWD. I am sure next one will do Camry like XSE, but lets not fool ourselves about viability of MPV in western world.

Oh, I don't think they'll turn the tide on van sales or anything, but it might get a few people who'd otherwise buy an SUV into a more suitable vehicle.

The Alphard recently received a refresh with TSS (early this year for RHD and last month for LHD). I've neved checked Toyota JP before so I don't know if E-Four is new. But previously there was definitely a FWD-only hybrid. Now hybrids are E-Four only. The V6 is updated to the FKS variant. If I'm not mistaken the second row is also upgraded to even more luxurious seats (but not quite LS Executive level). We have reason to believe the LM is just around the corner given the LHD Alphard just received this refresh.

ssun30

The Alphard recently received a refresh with TSS (early this year for RHD and last month for LHD). I've neved checked Toyota JP before so I don't know if E-Four is new. But previously there was definitely a FWD-only hybrid. Now hybrids are E-Four only. The V6 is updated to the FKS variant. If I'm not mistaken the second row is also upgraded to even more luxurious seats (but not quite LS Executive level). We have reason to believe the LM is just around the corner given the LHD Alphard just received this refresh.

new TNGA based Alphard is coming in 2020....

The refreshed Alphard LHD is selling over 1.5k per month in China, for a vehicle that has a OTD price 30% higher than the LS.

spwolf

new TNGA based Alphard is coming in 2020....

Seeing how even a LS-priced minivan has such a strong demand. Now I'm hoping Toyota expand its van lineup more aggressively out of JDM. Dealerships are resorting to unofficial channels to import the HiAce, Previa, and Sienna to meet the demand. A full lineup of Sienta, Previa, Alphard and Lexus LM, all redesigned for TNGA, should add a lot of profit for them. They probably don't want to do HiAce anymore seeing how badly it worked last time.

https://www.motor1.com/news/272727/lexus-minivan-imagined-render/

ssun30

They probably don't want to do HiAce anymore seeing how badly it worked last time.

What do you mean with that? As in it didn't work in the chinese market? I'd say HiAce has been doing well overall, it is just long in the tooth now. But I can't imagine it not getting a successor.

BenzCity

What do you mean with that? As in it didn't work in the chinese market? I'd say HiAce has been doing well overall, it is just long in the tooth now. But I can't imagine it not getting a successor.

It did too well that it soon got overwhelmed by copycats, due to simplicity of manufacturing...true Toyota-made HiAce is less than 1% of all the HiAce running on the roads. Same happened to the Hilux. Glad it didn't happen to the Land Cruisers, because these are significantly harder to reverse engineer.

krew

Rendered: The Lexus Luxury Minivan

Bizarrely appealing.

View the original article post

Argh! Now my lunch isn’t going to digest properly. It’s not so much “bizarrely appealing” as just plain bizarre.

Imagine it done up full Van Kulture style lowered on Vossens. And the giant spindle would stun Jalopnik commenters at 500 yards.

Edit: had the wrong ex-Gawker site in there the first time.

Like it

An English review:

https://jalopnik.com/the-toyota-alphard-is-the-opulent-luxury-minivan-the-re-1831331429

Amazing article for another amazing JDM forbidden machine

If they'd eliminate the weird shark fin just aft of the B pillar this would have the best "floating roof" design ever.