Unique “Luxury Mover” is a private oasis of relaxation and creativity
April 18, 2023
- Lexus reinterprets chauffeur-driven personal mobility with flagship MPV
- Focus on ride comfort and quietness to create a mobile space where customers feel in equilibrium
- Elegant exterior design that evokes a sense of arrival
- Airy, sophisticated interior where all passengers feel at ease
- Unparalleled attention to detail in features aimed at customer wellness
At Auto Shanghai 2023, Lexus celebrated the world premiere of the all-new Lexus LM. Beginning with the key luxury MPV market of China, the second-generation LM will be launched in over 60 countries worldwide, including for the first time in Europe and Lexus’s home market of Japan.
Lexus has treasured a spirit of innovation since the marque’s establishment in 1989, seeking to provide new value propositions to customers through progressive design and technology. With the desire to enrich customer lifestyles in and around the car, the brand offers a wide variety of products to meet the needs of customers around the world.
The first-generation Lexus LM was launched in 2020 as a response to customer aspirations for chauffeur-driven MPV’s in China and other parts of Asia. Offering both 4-seat and 7-seat configurations, the vehicle was well received by a wide range of customers. In the intervening years, the needs and desires of the global luxury market have further intensified and diversified. In response, the new LM has been completely redesigned, reevaluating its value and raison d’être as a “Luxury Mover,” from where the model’s name is derived.
The core objective of the engineering and design team was to create a vehicle that provided an interior space and dynamic experience where all passengers could naturally feel at ease. This begins with core ride comfort and functionality. The driver enjoys effortless engagement through direct and precise maneuverability, attributes that benefit the rear-seat passengers, who also enjoy a lack of distraction from unwanted noise and vibrations, allowing them to feel productive and refreshed.
The exterior design projects an elegant presence and aerodynamic form in keeping with the Lexus design language, the vehicle’s lines reflecting function and dynamic performance. In the interior, the front cabin design combines practicality with refinement to allow drivers to focus, while the spacious rear suite offers meticulously crafted seats and trim alongside a variety of features and technology to make the most of passenger’s precious travel time.
MAIN PRODUCT FEATURES OF THE ALL-NEW LEXUS LM
IN TUNE WITH THE SENSES: FURTHER EVOLUTION OF HALLMARK LEXUS RIDE COMFORT AND QUIETNESS
Ride Comfort
To ensure a comfortable ride for all passengers, development focused on ride quality worthy of a flagship MPV. By design, an MPV has large aperture sliding doors, and securing body rigidity within this framework was paramount. Following the approach taken with all new generations of Lexus vehicles, work began with improving core strength. Overall, torsional rigidity is 50% higher than that of the current model, an achievement made through elements such as braces on the radiator support and rear underfloor, a straight rocker structure, and quarter pillar reinforcement. Structural adhesive used for the upper body and floor also helps to reduce vibration.
For seat development, passenger body movements were thoroughly analyzed to ensure a naturally relaxed state for both body and mind no matter where you are sitting. Special attention was also paid to reducing head movement and stabilizing the line of sight. The front seats optimize surface pressure distribution on the seat cushion to hold the body, regardless of the amount of G-force during turning. The goal is to achieve seating comfort that reduces fatigue and an environment that allows the driver to have dialogue with the car. For the second-row seats, two types of shock-absorbing materials with different characteristics were used to gently envelop and support the passengers, from vehicle standstill to when the vehicle is in motion. In models with third-row seats, thick seat backs and cushions allow adults to sit comfortably.
For the first time, Lexus features “AVS Suspension with Frequency-Sensitive Piston Valve”, which combines an Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) actuator and a frequency-sensitive piston valve in the shock absorber. The system provides excellent ride quality regardless of speed, by meticulously dampening and reducing vibration over a wide range of frequencies.
For the first time in a Lexus vehicle, a “Rear Comfort” drive mode enables an emphasis on rear-seat comfort. The dampening force characteristics of the AVS are set to prioritize rear-seat comfort, while integrated control of the gas pedal and brake reduces posture changes during acceleration and deceleration.
Quietness
For the new LM, special attention was paid to creating a natural and comfortable sense of quietness. Noise frequency bandwidths and noise sources were analyzed, resulting in a 3-step approach to noise reduction: reducing generated noise (source noise), preventing noise from entering the vehicle (sound insulation), and reducing noise inside the vehicle (sound absorption). Source noise reduction focused mainly on road noise and wind noise. In addition to the specific countermeasures for road noise around the tires and for wind noise around the hood and pillars, acoustic glass was used to help reduce high-frequency wind noise. The engine, one of the primary sources of noise and vibration, and the related mounts, which amplify the vibration, received thorough tuning. Also, cabin noise was greatly reduced by placing carefully calculated amounts and thicknesses of sound-absorbing, sound-insulating, and vibration-damping materials in appropriate places throughout the vehicle.