Take a limo to your next business meeting? Naaah... that's too nineties. What you need is the sheer, unbridled comfort and space of a luxury MPV and that's exactly what Lexus is going to provide with the new LM.
Second-generation LM
This is the second-generation LM, and it's based on the big, roomy Toyota Alphard. Both cars are wildly popular in south Asia, but this time around Lexus has its eyes on the corporate chauffeur market. The new LM is being shown for the first time at the Shanghai motor show this week.
Lexus says that the LM has been "designed as a space for complete relaxation and comfort" and you'll be able to buy it in practical seven-seat form, or super-luxury four-seat form where the rear seats are fitted out like a business-class aircraft. Indeed, Lexus actually worked with some private jet manufacturers to find out exactly what their clients would want in the ultimate airport transfer vehicle.
According to Lexus: "The seats are designed for perfect support and comfort; the cabin environment is precisely controlled for temperature, air quality and lighting; and there is easy, intuitive access to connectivity and entertainment, including a 48-inch HD widescreen monitor and bespoke Mark Levinson 3D Surround Sound reference audio system with a 23-speaker array."
Seven-seat option
The seat layout for the seven-seat version puts two big, comfortable chairs in the middle row, while the three-seat third row is more for occasional use and flips down to liberate more luggage space. The seats have even been designed to counter 'head-sway,' so passengers have a stable line of sight, and to reduce uncomfortable low-frequency vibrations. The seat cushions are made of two different materials to give a soft surface on a hard base, and they have a tilt function that prevents the occupant sliding forward when the vehicle brakes.
There's also a clever 'climate concierge' system that links to your mobile phone and allows you to set the cabin climate, lighting and seating to your personal tastes. All of that can also be controlled from inside the car with a single button, making life easier for those in the back. Lexus reckons that the breadth of service it provides can be compared to a personal "butler" ensuring everything meets the user's requirements.
The four-seat LM has thermal sensors integrated in the centre partition. These use infra-red surface temperature scanning of the occupants and the cabin to gain a more precise understanding of what level of warmth or cooling is required, and where. Local heating and ventilation sources are adjusted accordingly. These include new neck heaters integrated in the rear-seat head rests. Vents in the centre partition have motorised registers that will direct air flow specifically to warm cold hands or feet.
The system's cleverness extends to enabling different temperature controls to be set for different parts of the body - the head, chest, thighs and feet. For ease of use, there are five selectable Climate Concierge modes: Relax, Dream, Focus, Energise and, for fully personalised settings, My Original.
There's an overhead console in the back that incorporates door controls, storage for small items and temperature-monitoring sensors and rear-seat passengers get their own dedicated voice control system.
Active noise cancelling
For extra refinement, there's an active noise cancelling system that has been designed around a particular kind of quietness, one with a natural feel rather than the absolute, sometimes oppressive, "dead" quiet experienced in a soundproofed room or recording studio. Lexus likens the quality to walking through a silent wood in the open air - an environment that pleases all the senses.
Other refinement tweaks include sealing measures that have improved the airtightness and clearances have been reduced between the doors and sheet metal parts. Noise-reducing wheels and tyres are used to cancel tyre noise at source.
Need to work, rather than relax in the back? Lexus has you covered - there are fold-out tables, wireless device chargers, storage points for small items, connectivity ports, reading lights and vanity mirrors. There are also individual left and right gloveboxes in the centre partition, either side of a refrigerator. There's also a handy umbrella holder next to the sliding doors.
When the LM comes to Europe, it will be sold in a single version, the LM 350h hybrid, which will have a 2.5-litre hybrid powertrain familiar from the Lexus NX and RX. Maximum power is 250hp with peak torque of 239Nm. As standard, the LM comes with four-wheel drive, thanks to an electric motor that powers the rear axle.
There's also adaptive suspension that includes a 'pitch control' system that helps to keep the ride and body control as smooth as possible.
In safety terms, the LM dips deep into Toyota's and Lexus' revised electronic driver aids list, including expanded functions for the Pre-Collision System, emergency Steering Assist and the adaptive cruise control, together with Proactive Driving Assist for safer driving in slower, urban traffic. A Driver Monitor keeps a constant check on the driver's alertness and will bring the car gently to a halt and trigger the eCall system to summon help if there is no response to warning alerts. The doors - including the sliding rear doors - are fitted with Lexus' e-latch electronic opening system, with Safe Exit Assist to warn of approaching traffic from the rear and prevent inadvertent opening that might cause an accident.
You notice we've said 'Europe' not 'Ireland' where sales are concerned. Lexus Ireland hasn't yet confirmed if the LM will come here, although it is being considered, despite a likely starting price in the same region of the Lexus LS luxury saloon...