LBX Morizo RR Concept is a GR Yaris under Lexus clothing

Subcompact crossovers with punchy engines are starting to become a thing nowadays. In the Philippines, you can see those in vehicles like the GAC GS3 Emzoom, Geely Coolray, and even the Honda HR-V. But in this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, Lexus has elevated it to a much higher level.

Making its debut at the recently concluded Tokyo Auto Salon 2024 in Makuhari Messe is the Lexus LBX Morizo RR Concept. And by now when you see a Toyota/Lexus model with its Master Driver’s pseudonym in it, you’ll know it’s designed to deliver high levels of driving thrills.

Basically, Lexus has stripped out the latest Toyota GR Yaris down to its barebones (including its shockingly interesting new dashboard), and put in the LBX crossover’s body in it. The result? You get a subcompact crossover with all-wheel-drive, and 300 horsepower on tap. The Lexus LBX Morizo RR also gets the new 8-speed automatic transmission of the updated GR Yaris for good measure.

On the outside, the LBX Morizo RR sits lower than the standard model and sports a bunch of yellow accents which is Akio Toyoda’s signature color. It has a wider body and rolls on 19-inch wheels wrapped in 235/45R19 tires. Much like the GR Yaris, the LBX Morizo RR has a MacPherson strut front suspension and a double wishbone setup on the rear.

For now, Lexus has yet to reveal if the LBX Morizo RR Concept will be put into production. But the prospect looks good, especially with the popularity of performance crossovers – something that cannot be said back when Nissan came up with the Juke R.