Lexus LBX Morizo RR: No limit on pocket rocket's availability for Australia
Lexus won't cap the availability of the limited-run LBX Morizo RR in Australia, as orders continue to mount for the genre-bending performance model.
Around 90 units have been allocated to the Australian market for the first year of deliveries, which is less than the number of orders Lexus has received.
One third of the initial allocation has already been delivered including dealer demonstrators, leaving 60 cars to satisfy an order bank exceeding 100 vehicles.
In response to brimming demand, Lexus Australia is pushing the decision-makers in Japan to bolster local stock of the Morizo RR.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
'There is no predetermined, finite number for this car, but it will be built in limited volumes,' a Lexus Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.
'There's been high anticipation for it because of the type of car that it is and demand for the car is exceptionally high, both overseas and locally. It's only been on sale in Australia for one month, and we already have a really healthy order bank.
'We're always working with our production teams in Japan to try to increase the volume of cars that we can get.'
The LBX Morizo RR swaps out the hybrid powertrain of regular LBX variants for a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine producing 206kW of power and 390Nm of torque. Both the engine and eight-speed automatic transmission have been sourced from the related Toyota GR Corolla and GR Yaris. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Priced from $76,490 before on-roads, the Morizo RR is $19,500 more expensive than the LBX Sports Luxury AWD, and pitched as a compact performance SUV to rival the likes of the Volkswagen T-Roc R, Cupra Formentor, and Mercedes-AMG GLA 35,
It's also $13,500 more expensive than the Toyota GR Yaris GTS automatic, and $6000 more than the Toyota GR Corolla GTS automatic.
Aside from extensive mechanical upgrades, the Morizo RR sits 10mm lower and 15mm wider than the core trim levels, with a meaner face and larger 19-inch alloy wheels.
Inside there are black leather-accented sports front seats, as well as a leather-accented shift knob, dimpled steering wheel with contrast red stitching, and suede trim throughout the cabin.
MORE: Everything Lexus LBX
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"We're quite happy that… we've got enough supply to do SX and GT-Line across [Hybrid] all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, and to ask for another variant means we're going to need more supply. "If the stars do align, we can bring [entry-level Sportage S HEV variants] in. It's easy to create the variant, but not necessarily easy to get the supply of it. So we've got to juggle that right now and see how we go – timing wise… I don't know," Mr Rivero added. Notwithstanding his desire for a cheaper S-spec version of the Sportage hybrid, Mr Rivero said supply of petrol-electric Sportage vehicles has improved slightly for the model's mid-life facelift, and currently sits somewhere between 400 and 500 units per month compared to the 300/month total for the pre-facelift model. 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For the 2024 calendar year, the Sportage line notched up 22,210 registrations (up 41.0 per cent year-on-year), again placing it fourth behind the same rivals in the same order. Interestingly, the related Hyundai Tucson lineup (7940 sales YTD) trails the Sportage in terms of popularity, despite offering double the number of hybrid variants – eight versus just four for the updated Sportage. Stay tuned to CarExpert for our first Australian drive of the facelifted Sportage on July 13. MORE: 2025 Kia Sportage price and specsMORE: Everything Kia Sportage Content originally sourced from:
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"While Mr Pether remains subject to legal proceedings in Iraq, this is a positive development and follows persistent Australian government advocacy over many years. "His case has been raised with Iraqi authorities over 200 times, including at the highest level by the prime minister and myself." Mr Pether wrote a letter in 2024 expressing concern for his health. Senator Wong said officials would continue to press the case for the Australian in Iraq. "We will continue to support Mr Pether and his family and to advocate for Mr Pether's interests and wellbeing," she said. "I want to thank Australian officials for their tireless work on Mr Pether's case, including Australia's special envoy who travelled to Iraq in recent weeks to negotiate for this outcome." An Australian man detained in an Iraqi prison for nearly four years has been released on bail. Engineer Robert Pether was granted conditional release after being detained on misrepresentation and fraud charges. Mr Pether was arrested following a dispute with the Iraqi government and his employer, a consulting firm working on headquarters for the country's central bank. He was sentenced in 2021 to five years in prison and fined millions of dollars. A United Nations report on arbitrary detention detailed allegations that Mr Pether was subject to extreme cold, humiliation, threats of death and forms of psychological abuse, including being shown a torture room. Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed Mr Pether's release. "I know the personal toll Mr Pether's detention has taken on him and his family and hope this news brings a measure of relief after years of distress," she said in a statement. "While Mr Pether remains subject to legal proceedings in Iraq, this is a positive development and follows persistent Australian government advocacy over many years. "His case has been raised with Iraqi authorities over 200 times, including at the highest level by the prime minister and myself." Mr Pether wrote a letter in 2024 expressing concern for his health. Senator Wong said officials would continue to press the case for the Australian in Iraq. "We will continue to support Mr Pether and his family and to advocate for Mr Pether's interests and wellbeing," she said. "I want to thank Australian officials for their tireless work on Mr Pether's case, including Australia's special envoy who travelled to Iraq in recent weeks to negotiate for this outcome." An Australian man detained in an Iraqi prison for nearly four years has been released on bail. Engineer Robert Pether was granted conditional release after being detained on misrepresentation and fraud charges. Mr Pether was arrested following a dispute with the Iraqi government and his employer, a consulting firm working on headquarters for the country's central bank. He was sentenced in 2021 to five years in prison and fined millions of dollars. A United Nations report on arbitrary detention detailed allegations that Mr Pether was subject to extreme cold, humiliation, threats of death and forms of psychological abuse, including being shown a torture room. Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed Mr Pether's release. "I know the personal toll Mr Pether's detention has taken on him and his family and hope this news brings a measure of relief after years of distress," she said in a statement. "While Mr Pether remains subject to legal proceedings in Iraq, this is a positive development and follows persistent Australian government advocacy over many years. "His case has been raised with Iraqi authorities over 200 times, including at the highest level by the prime minister and myself." Mr Pether wrote a letter in 2024 expressing concern for his health. Senator Wong said officials would continue to press the case for the Australian in Iraq. "We will continue to support Mr Pether and his family and to advocate for Mr Pether's interests and wellbeing," she said. "I want to thank Australian officials for their tireless work on Mr Pether's case, including Australia's special envoy who travelled to Iraq in recent weeks to negotiate for this outcome." An Australian man detained in an Iraqi prison for nearly four years has been released on bail. Engineer Robert Pether was granted conditional release after being detained on misrepresentation and fraud charges. Mr Pether was arrested following a dispute with the Iraqi government and his employer, a consulting firm working on headquarters for the country's central bank. He was sentenced in 2021 to five years in prison and fined millions of dollars. A United Nations report on arbitrary detention detailed allegations that Mr Pether was subject to extreme cold, humiliation, threats of death and forms of psychological abuse, including being shown a torture room. 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