Latest news with #UX
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Goji Labs Expands UX and Accessibility Services to Empower Nonprofits
Goji Labs is announcing an expansion of its UX and accessibility services for nonprofits. Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - May 29, 2025) - Goji Labs has expanded its UX and accessibility services to help nonprofits create digital experiences that are easy to use, effective, and accessible to everyone. Accessible Design Helps Nonprofits Reach Everyone To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Accessibility and usability are crucial for nonprofits serving diverse users across ages, abilities, and devices. That's why Goji Labs has worked with groups like the World Health Organization, USC, and LAUSD to build practical experience designing for real-world, mission-driven needs. Goji Labs' product strategy and UX process includes: UX audits to identify accessibility gaps WCAG-informed design guidance integrated into UI/UX workflows Usability testing with representative users, including those with limited digital literacy or physical impairments UX strategy that supports staff, volunteers, and community users Joshua Webber, Goji Labs' senior marketing manager, said the goal was to create digital tools that are as inclusive and intuitive as the missions they support. "For nonprofits, impact is everything. But you can't make an impact if people can't access your tools, navigate your site, or even read your content. We work with nonprofits that serve incredibly diverse communities - across languages, ages, devices, and abilities. That means our digital products need to work just as well for a 70-year-old caregiver on an outdated Android as they do for a Gen Z volunteer with perfect vision and a brand new iPhone. Accessibility is how we make sure nobody gets left out. We've seen firsthand how small tweaks can make a big difference - bigger text, clearer navigation, and color contrast that doesn't strain the eyes. These aren't just 'nice to haves.' They're the difference between someone accessing critical services…or giving up." Learn more about Goji Labs' approach to accessible, user-centered design at About Goji Labs Goji Labs is an award-winning digital product agency headquartered in Los Angeles. Founded in 2014, the agency partners with startups, nonprofits, and enterprises to design, develop, and scale web and mobile applications that drive real business outcomes. The agency has launched over 500 products, supported clients in 12 countries, and collaborated with organizations like the World Health Organization. Goji Labs has been featured in Clutch's Top 100 and named a top-reviewed UX agency in Los Angeles. Media Contact Joshua WebberSenior Marketing Manager+1 (213) 787-7640hello@ To view the source version of this press release, please visit
The Advertiser
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Lexus axes its most affordable EV in Australia
The Lexus UX300e has reached the end of the road in Australia, where the small electric SUV has been discontinued less than two years after it received a substantial update. "The UX300e will no longer be available in Australia due to production restrictions on selected parts," a company spokesperson confirmed to CarExpert following the disappearance of the UX300e from the Lexus Australia website. When asked whether it will reintroduce the pint-size battery-powered luxury SUV should these production restrictions end, Lexus Australia confirmed there are no plans at this stage to do so. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "However, Lexus Australia remains committed to electrification, with close to 80 per cent of deliveries so far this year being with an electrified powertrain," said the spokesperson. "Lexus has just introduced a plug-in hybrid option for RX [the brand's large SUV] as it continues its leadership with industry-leading hybrids, and will soon add the updated all-electric RZ [mid-size electric SUV] to its lineup." To the end of April this year, Lexus has delivered only 28 examples of the compact UX300e, which is priced north of $80,000, compared with 614 hybrid UXs and 54 RZs. Last year, it sold 92 UX300e vehicles, accounting for 10 per cent of total UX sales. That saw it outsold by not only the larger and more expensive RZ (215), but also direct rivals like the BMW iX1 (2618), Volvo EX30 (2129) and Mercedes-Benz EQA (1044). Lexus Australia launched an updated UX300e late in 2023, bringing a larger 72.8kWh lithium-ion battery that boosted WLTP electric driving range by 135km to 450km. It also received a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen running Lexus' new-generation infotainment system. Power continued to come from a 150kW/300Nm front-mounted electric motor, with no dual-motor all-wheel drive version available, unlike key rivals. The Lexus UX first entered production in 2018, and was initially available only with petrol or hybrid powertrains before an all-electric option was added later and the base petrol UX200 was discontinued. It served as a more premium counterpart to the Toyota C-HR, which entered production in 20216, though it wears completely different styling inside and out. Given Toyota has now launched a new C-HR, and revealed a small electric SUV called the C-HR+, a new-generation Lexus UX should theoretically be around the corner. However, no prototypes have been spied testing as yet. The demise of the UX300e in Australia leaves Lexus with just one electric vehicle (EV). That's in stark contrast with rivals, which offer multiple. BMW, for instance, has seven, while Mercedes-Benz also has seven (excluding vans and people movers), Audi has four and Genesis has three. Cadillac also has only one, but has confirmed it will release two more electric model lines for Australia in 2026. Once the RX450h+ arrives, Lexus will have two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, matching Audi and surpassing both Genesis and Cadillac (none yet), as well as Mercedes-Benz (one), but falling short of BMW (four). But the Toyota-owned premium Japanese brand has them all beat when it comes to conventional hybrids, offering eight in total. MORE: Everything Lexus UX Content originally sourced from: The Lexus UX300e has reached the end of the road in Australia, where the small electric SUV has been discontinued less than two years after it received a substantial update. "The UX300e will no longer be available in Australia due to production restrictions on selected parts," a company spokesperson confirmed to CarExpert following the disappearance of the UX300e from the Lexus Australia website. When asked whether it will reintroduce the pint-size battery-powered luxury SUV should these production restrictions end, Lexus Australia confirmed there are no plans at this stage to do so. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "However, Lexus Australia remains committed to electrification, with close to 80 per cent of deliveries so far this year being with an electrified powertrain," said the spokesperson. "Lexus has just introduced a plug-in hybrid option for RX [the brand's large SUV] as it continues its leadership with industry-leading hybrids, and will soon add the updated all-electric RZ [mid-size electric SUV] to its lineup." To the end of April this year, Lexus has delivered only 28 examples of the compact UX300e, which is priced north of $80,000, compared with 614 hybrid UXs and 54 RZs. Last year, it sold 92 UX300e vehicles, accounting for 10 per cent of total UX sales. That saw it outsold by not only the larger and more expensive RZ (215), but also direct rivals like the BMW iX1 (2618), Volvo EX30 (2129) and Mercedes-Benz EQA (1044). Lexus Australia launched an updated UX300e late in 2023, bringing a larger 72.8kWh lithium-ion battery that boosted WLTP electric driving range by 135km to 450km. It also received a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen running Lexus' new-generation infotainment system. Power continued to come from a 150kW/300Nm front-mounted electric motor, with no dual-motor all-wheel drive version available, unlike key rivals. The Lexus UX first entered production in 2018, and was initially available only with petrol or hybrid powertrains before an all-electric option was added later and the base petrol UX200 was discontinued. It served as a more premium counterpart to the Toyota C-HR, which entered production in 20216, though it wears completely different styling inside and out. Given Toyota has now launched a new C-HR, and revealed a small electric SUV called the C-HR+, a new-generation Lexus UX should theoretically be around the corner. However, no prototypes have been spied testing as yet. The demise of the UX300e in Australia leaves Lexus with just one electric vehicle (EV). That's in stark contrast with rivals, which offer multiple. BMW, for instance, has seven, while Mercedes-Benz also has seven (excluding vans and people movers), Audi has four and Genesis has three. Cadillac also has only one, but has confirmed it will release two more electric model lines for Australia in 2026. Once the RX450h+ arrives, Lexus will have two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, matching Audi and surpassing both Genesis and Cadillac (none yet), as well as Mercedes-Benz (one), but falling short of BMW (four). But the Toyota-owned premium Japanese brand has them all beat when it comes to conventional hybrids, offering eight in total. MORE: Everything Lexus UX Content originally sourced from: The Lexus UX300e has reached the end of the road in Australia, where the small electric SUV has been discontinued less than two years after it received a substantial update. "The UX300e will no longer be available in Australia due to production restrictions on selected parts," a company spokesperson confirmed to CarExpert following the disappearance of the UX300e from the Lexus Australia website. When asked whether it will reintroduce the pint-size battery-powered luxury SUV should these production restrictions end, Lexus Australia confirmed there are no plans at this stage to do so. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "However, Lexus Australia remains committed to electrification, with close to 80 per cent of deliveries so far this year being with an electrified powertrain," said the spokesperson. "Lexus has just introduced a plug-in hybrid option for RX [the brand's large SUV] as it continues its leadership with industry-leading hybrids, and will soon add the updated all-electric RZ [mid-size electric SUV] to its lineup." To the end of April this year, Lexus has delivered only 28 examples of the compact UX300e, which is priced north of $80,000, compared with 614 hybrid UXs and 54 RZs. Last year, it sold 92 UX300e vehicles, accounting for 10 per cent of total UX sales. That saw it outsold by not only the larger and more expensive RZ (215), but also direct rivals like the BMW iX1 (2618), Volvo EX30 (2129) and Mercedes-Benz EQA (1044). Lexus Australia launched an updated UX300e late in 2023, bringing a larger 72.8kWh lithium-ion battery that boosted WLTP electric driving range by 135km to 450km. It also received a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen running Lexus' new-generation infotainment system. Power continued to come from a 150kW/300Nm front-mounted electric motor, with no dual-motor all-wheel drive version available, unlike key rivals. The Lexus UX first entered production in 2018, and was initially available only with petrol or hybrid powertrains before an all-electric option was added later and the base petrol UX200 was discontinued. It served as a more premium counterpart to the Toyota C-HR, which entered production in 20216, though it wears completely different styling inside and out. Given Toyota has now launched a new C-HR, and revealed a small electric SUV called the C-HR+, a new-generation Lexus UX should theoretically be around the corner. However, no prototypes have been spied testing as yet. The demise of the UX300e in Australia leaves Lexus with just one electric vehicle (EV). That's in stark contrast with rivals, which offer multiple. BMW, for instance, has seven, while Mercedes-Benz also has seven (excluding vans and people movers), Audi has four and Genesis has three. Cadillac also has only one, but has confirmed it will release two more electric model lines for Australia in 2026. Once the RX450h+ arrives, Lexus will have two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, matching Audi and surpassing both Genesis and Cadillac (none yet), as well as Mercedes-Benz (one), but falling short of BMW (four). But the Toyota-owned premium Japanese brand has them all beat when it comes to conventional hybrids, offering eight in total. MORE: Everything Lexus UX Content originally sourced from: The Lexus UX300e has reached the end of the road in Australia, where the small electric SUV has been discontinued less than two years after it received a substantial update. "The UX300e will no longer be available in Australia due to production restrictions on selected parts," a company spokesperson confirmed to CarExpert following the disappearance of the UX300e from the Lexus Australia website. When asked whether it will reintroduce the pint-size battery-powered luxury SUV should these production restrictions end, Lexus Australia confirmed there are no plans at this stage to do so. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "However, Lexus Australia remains committed to electrification, with close to 80 per cent of deliveries so far this year being with an electrified powertrain," said the spokesperson. "Lexus has just introduced a plug-in hybrid option for RX [the brand's large SUV] as it continues its leadership with industry-leading hybrids, and will soon add the updated all-electric RZ [mid-size electric SUV] to its lineup." To the end of April this year, Lexus has delivered only 28 examples of the compact UX300e, which is priced north of $80,000, compared with 614 hybrid UXs and 54 RZs. Last year, it sold 92 UX300e vehicles, accounting for 10 per cent of total UX sales. That saw it outsold by not only the larger and more expensive RZ (215), but also direct rivals like the BMW iX1 (2618), Volvo EX30 (2129) and Mercedes-Benz EQA (1044). Lexus Australia launched an updated UX300e late in 2023, bringing a larger 72.8kWh lithium-ion battery that boosted WLTP electric driving range by 135km to 450km. It also received a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen running Lexus' new-generation infotainment system. Power continued to come from a 150kW/300Nm front-mounted electric motor, with no dual-motor all-wheel drive version available, unlike key rivals. The Lexus UX first entered production in 2018, and was initially available only with petrol or hybrid powertrains before an all-electric option was added later and the base petrol UX200 was discontinued. It served as a more premium counterpart to the Toyota C-HR, which entered production in 20216, though it wears completely different styling inside and out. Given Toyota has now launched a new C-HR, and revealed a small electric SUV called the C-HR+, a new-generation Lexus UX should theoretically be around the corner. However, no prototypes have been spied testing as yet. The demise of the UX300e in Australia leaves Lexus with just one electric vehicle (EV). That's in stark contrast with rivals, which offer multiple. BMW, for instance, has seven, while Mercedes-Benz also has seven (excluding vans and people movers), Audi has four and Genesis has three. Cadillac also has only one, but has confirmed it will release two more electric model lines for Australia in 2026. Once the RX450h+ arrives, Lexus will have two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, matching Audi and surpassing both Genesis and Cadillac (none yet), as well as Mercedes-Benz (one), but falling short of BMW (four). But the Toyota-owned premium Japanese brand has them all beat when it comes to conventional hybrids, offering eight in total. MORE: Everything Lexus UX Content originally sourced from:
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
SaaS Companies: 18 Common UX Mistakes That Derail Growth
getty The quality of the user experience can make or break a software as a service product. But too often, SaaS companies focus on what their product can do—to the exclusion of what end users need and understand—leaving customers frustrated or overwhelmed. From confusing onboarding flows to inconsistent design and overlooked device functionality, UX missteps in a SaaS offering can erode trust and stall (or tank) growth. Below, Forbes Technology Council members share some of the most common UX pitfalls they see in the SaaS space and what companies can do to improve clarity, usability and customer satisfaction. Many SaaS companies assume 'more features' equals 'more value,' but adding more features often comes with a more complex UX that doesn't consider user engagement, which leads to confusion. To correct this, focus on simplicity. By designing clear tasks, smart defaults and intuitive navigation, SaaS companies can make their products seamlessly fit into workflows, driving adoption and long-term loyalty without overwhelming users. - Ed Frederici, Appfire Too many SaaS products bury core functionality under layers of clicks or cluttered menus. It's friction disguised as 'feature-rich.' To fix it, map user journeys, surface the top three actions users take daily and make them accessible in one click. Simplicity isn't minimalism—it's precision. - David Pickard, Phonexa Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify? Making minor enhancements without a thorough process harms the overall user experience. SaaS companies must prioritize comprehensive user research and rigorous usability testing to ensure changes don't compromise core functionalities. Adhering to established design principles and maintaining system integrity are crucial. When introducing new features, avoid cluttered interfaces to prevent user confusion. - Sandeep Shivam, Tavant Technologies, Inc. When building something great, it is easy to get tunnel vision and design workflows around the product vision instead of intuitive use. Letting users test early without guidance shows where their instincts pull away from the intended flow. Those friction points are the real roadmap to a better UX. - Leah Dodson, NextLink Labs SaaS platforms often exclude non-English-speaking users through poorly translated interfaces that feel impersonal and sometimes inaccessible, which erodes trust. By investing in tools and approaches that deliver contextually relevant, culturally tailored translations in clean interfaces, SaaS companies can create inclusive experiences that all customers love. - Kehinde Fawumi, Amazon If buttons, icons and layouts function differently throughout the application, it causes cognitive friction. A solution is to adhere to a consistent design system and component library, which leads to quicker learning and reduced frustration. - Anoop Gupta, Capital One One common UX pitfall in SaaS is overwhelming users up front with cluttered dashboards and too many features. To fix this, companies should adopt progressive disclosure—surfacing functionality as users need it—making the experience cleaner, more intuitive and less intimidating. - Arpan Saxena, One of the UX pitfalls in SaaS is rigid user onboarding paths that can't be skipped or revisited. Forcing all users through the same flow—regardless of experience—creates friction. To improve this, offer modular onboarding. Let users choose their path, skip steps or return later, matching guidance to real-time needs. - Ivan Guzenko, SmartyAds Inc. One frequent UX misstep: onboarding that assumes users already 'get it.' Too many SaaS tools drop users into complexity. To fix it, guide users with intuitive onboarding, contextual tips and progressive disclosure. - Katerina Axelsson, Tastry One of the patterns that I have seen over and over again is technologists thinking that design is easy and they can do it by themselves. They focus on the architecture, code and so on, overlooking the importance of the design and user experience entirely. My advice is to leave design to the professionals—the same way we leave technology decisions to the technologists. - Dr. Sreeram Mullankandy, Elumina Health Inc. One common UX mistake in SaaS is designing features based on internal assumptions rather than actual user behaviors. Iterating based on how people actually use the product leads to cleaner, more intuitive experiences that truly serve users. Prioritizing user-centric design will take you much further. - Mark McDonald, CoStar Real Estate Manager One issue that can happen over time is that the UX becomes stale, cluttered or outdated. Often, the market leader falls prey to this mistake because of confirmation bias—they believe that their success is because of their UX, when in reality, they are successful in spite of their UX. Feedback from new users can help reveal issues, and comparing themselves to market leaders in other industries can give SaaS companies insight into their own gaps. - Luke Wallace, Bottle Rocket User experience is a critical component of any SaaS solution. It should be thoughtfully designed to ensure clarity and usability. Not every feature or data point needs to be exposed in the user interface—doing so can lead to visual clutter and overwhelm the user. To avoid this, the design-thinking process should be applied to deeply understand user needs and business objectives. - Hari Sonnenahalli, NTT Data Business Solutions A common UX mistake in SaaS is making the sign-up and cancellation processes overly complicated—for example, requiring multiple steps to sign up, such as creating a password, or hiding cancellation options. To improve, SaaS companies should streamline sign-up with social logins (Google, Facebook) and make cancellation effortless, like a one-click button. This enhances user trust and boosts adoption rates. - Imran Aftab, 10Pearls Often, a SaaS company will rely on a template. The problem is, the company offering the service doesn't always tune their UX to the needs of their customer base. Ultimately, what results is a muddled mess and overcomplicated visuals that can cause customers to tune out. Take care to test and understand what your customers want, how they want it and what is easy for them to use. - WaiJe Coler, InfoTracer Ignoring mobile-first design is a big mistake. Many SaaS platforms are built with desktop experiences in mind and then hastily adapted for mobile. This often results in clunky, difficult-to-navigate apps on smartphones. Design with mobile as the primary experience, ensuring functionality, responsiveness and ease of use across devices. - Kingsuk Chakrabarty, Estee Lauder Companies Many products suffer from excessive configurability. It's crucial for a SaaS product to guide the user experience and expose only the components that truly need customization. When teams overengineer for flexibility, they often create unnecessary complexity that confuses users rather than empowering them. Products should be designed with a very clear vision of the user experience. - Naga Vadrevu, Wonderschool inc. A common UX failure is forcing users to navigate complex access configurations without context or clarity. SaaS companies can correct this by visualizing identity relationships—clearly showing who has access to what, why and under what conditions. This not only improves user confidence and reduces errors, but also accelerates adoption by making governance intuitive and actionable. - Craig Davies, Gathid
Entrepreneur
06-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Why Your Product's Design Could Be Costing You Customers
What good design teaches us about making products people actually want to use. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. I've lost count of how many times I've done this: standing like an idiot before a door with a handle screaming "PULL ME!" while a tiny sign says "push." We all have. Don Norman, the User Experience (UX) legend, labeled this a "Norman Door": design so bad it needs instructions to use. And I'm here to tell you: Your product might be a Norman Door. In my years as a product manager, from enterprise to small business software, I've cringed watching users struggle with prototypes my team swore were intuitive. This door problem isn't abstract design theory. It's a product disease that's bleeding your conversion rates dry. Related: The 10 Obstacles Keeping You From Great Product Design Affordances aren't just design jargon When I first learned about affordances, visual cues showing how something works, it seemed like design-school fluff. Then I watched a user test where people couldn't find our "obviously placed" save button, and suddenly Don Norman didn't seem so theoretical. Take Robinhood's original interface. While dinosaur brokerages buried users in cavernous websites, Robinhood stripped investing to its essentials: up means good, green equals money, swipe to act. It wasn't just "easier." It fundamentally changed who wanted to invest by making actions obvious. The mistake product managers and teams make is designing for ourselves. Most products make perfect sense if you built it and already know how it works. But customers only have what is in front of them, and that needs to be intuitive. Your customers are always right When users struggle with your product, it's tempting to blame them. "They didn't read the manual." "They need training." "Not our ideal customer persona." This is the product version of slapping a "PUSH" sign on a door with a pull handle. Good design doesn't need a manual. Bad error messages are my personal pet peeve here. Many are written by developers for developers: "Error code 5432: Null pointer exception in transaction handler." Great, helpful. HCI research (and common sense) shows that effective error messages need to explain what happened in human language, clarify consequences and suggest a fix. When Slack tells you "You're trying to upload a file larger than 50MB" and immediately suggests "Try compressing it or using our Google Drive integration," they're preventing the rage-quit I've seen too many times in usability tests. Related: How Prioritizing UX Design Can Fuel Long-Term Growth in the Next Decade Constraints as a business strategy Industrial designers use constraints intentionally — like how a SIM card only fits one way (though I still somehow get it wrong every time). Product constraints aren't limitations; they're clarity engines. The most successful products I've worked with deliberately limit options to prevent catastrophic errors and the blank stare of cognitive overload. Look at how Figma entered the design tool space. Rather than trying to cram in every Adobe feature accumulated since 1990, they constrained their tool to the essential components of interface design. They deliberately avoided complex layer effects in favor of making collaboration seamless. I watched countless designers switch over once they realized these "limitations" actually sped up their workflow dramatically. For your business (and mine), this means ruthlessly killing features that don't support your core value. Features that don't align can actively undermine your UX. The feedback loop that actually matters Don Norman's "gulf of evaluation" — the gap between what users expect and what happens — applies as much to your quarterly business reviews as it does to your checkout flow. When a user takes an action in your product, how quickly do they know if it worked? If the answer is "they have to check email" or "they'll find out later," you've created an evaluation gulf that will drown user confidence. I've been guilty of this. My team once built an "instant" data export feature that actually took 30 seconds to run — with zero feedback during processing. User testing revealed people were clicking the button 5-6 times, thinking it was broken. We added a progress bar, and users now wait patiently. Amazon mastered this with one-click ordering. The moment you tap "Buy Now," you get confirmation that your order is processing. It resolves the uncertainty anxiety that kills conversion rates. For your product strategy, this means investing as much in confirmation states as feature development. Users remember uncertainty more than they remember your feature list. Related: What a Complete User Experience Process Looks Like — and How Investing in One Can Benefit Your Business Apply these principles now These HCI principles are practical business tools I use daily. Here's how to apply them immediately: Find your product's "Norman Doors" by watching new users interact without help (and resist the urge to explain when they struggle) Map the entire user journey, flagging every moment of confusion or surprise Review error states with the same rigor you apply to feature development (seriously, audit them all) Evaluate feature requests against your core constraints instead of automatically adding them to your backlog The products that win aren't those with the most features or flashiest tech. They're the ones that communicate clearly, prevent errors gracefully and deliver feedback instantly. They're doors that you know how to open the first time. Though honestly, those "PUSH" and "PULL" sign manufacturers are probably doing just fine. There's always money in bad design.
The Irish Sun
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
The smallest Lexus ever made is loaded with luxury but doesn't cost a lot
LEXUS used to make large luxury saloons with big, silky-smooth V8s. But customers don't want cars anymore — they want SUVs and Lexus has ditched all but one of its saloon car range, now only selling the ES model. Advertisement It has invested heavily in SUVs and Lexus now has a comprehensive line-up available, starting with the baby of the bunch and this week's test drive, the LBX. Then the rest of the Lexus SUV range consists of the UX and UX Electric, the NX, RZ and range-topping RX that are all hybrids. 4 LEXUS BABY SUV: The LBX is the smallest SUV in the Lexus line-up but it isn't lacking in style or luxury and is powered by a 1.5-litre engine and self-charging hybrid system Credit: Lexus UK But in keeping with Japanese quirkiness it also produces the LM people carrier, which comes in a seven-seater or a super luxurious four-seater version that brings a whole new meaning to comfort and travelling in style. But back to the LBX, the smallest Lexus ever. Advertisement It's based on the Toyota Yaris Cross, so they share the same chassis, engine and hybrid system. The LBX compact SUV may be small in dimensions but it's not lacking in luxury — it's as plush and as well-built as you'd expect a Lexus to be. 4 LAP OF LUXURY: Super-soft heated seats and loads of soft leather trim throughout the cabin Credit: Lexus UK Key Facts: Lexus LBX Cost: From €39,440 (From £29,995 in the UK) Engine: 1.5-litre, three cylinder petrol hybrid Power: 120bhp Torque: 136Nm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds Top Speed: 170kph Economy: 52.3mpg Rea world economy: 44mpg Emissions: 103g/km Rivals: Audi Q2, Mercedes GLA, BMW X2, Volvo XC40 4 BOOT SIZE: LBX boot is 332 litres and that rises to 994 litres with the rear seats down Credit: Lexus UK Advertisement The seats are super-sumptuous, but quite figure-hugging, heated of course and there's loads of soft leather trim throughout the cabin. It's quite compact in the back, and although some bigger Lexus models are like a limo for rear-seat passengers, there's not many creature comforts back there in this one bar a USB-C charging port and electric rear windows. Most read in Motors The 9.8-inch central screen is a decent size but the infotainment could use more functionality as there are limited settings compared to some brands like BMW, who have too many apps. There are plenty of physical buttons and even though the heated seats are operated via the display, if you use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto there's a permanent menu bar at the bottom of the screen so you can always adjust the important functions, even when your phone is connected. Advertisement Power comes from a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine, so no turbo, and along with the hybrid system the combined output is only 136bhp. But it makes up for it with torque as the engine produces 129Nm and the electric motor adds a further 185Nm — so its good for a 9.2-second sprint to 100kph and a top speed of 170kph. 4 HYBRID SYSTEM: The LBX uses Lexus' famed self-charging hybrid system so you never need to plug it in Credit: Lexus UK The CVT gearbox can be a bit vocal under heavy acceleration, but it performs really well. Alas, there's no sport mode. Advertisement It's a self-charging hybrid so you don't need to plug it in to charge and the official combined fuel economy figure is 52.3mpg. And I averaged 44mpg during mixed driving conditions, so that could easily be bettered on a long run. It's a brilliant little SUV, benefitting from Lexus build quality and reliability and it starts from €39,440.
