2020 Lexus LM upgrades Toyota Alphard from Business to First class

If you’re looking for a large minivan to carry the family, then the Toyota Alphard is one of the best options you can choose. If you find the Alphard (still) too basic for your taste and want something more luxurious, then Lexus has just the vehicle for you.

Welcome the latest addition to the Lexus lineup, the LM.

Looks familiar, doesn’t it? That’s because the brand’s all-new flagship MPV is essentially an Alphard but fitted with all the posh goodness you'd expect from a Lexus.

In typical Lexus fashion, the LM gets a flashier appearance featuring a huge spindle grill and headlights styled similarly to the ES and LS sedans. At the rear, combined with the bumper is a uniquely designed full width LED taillight reminiscent of other Lexus models. New wheels and chrome trimming on the van’s side complete the transformation from Toyota to Lexus.

While exterior changes are already drastic, it is on the inside where Lexus went all out in giving the LM the luxury treatment. The first thing you’ll notice is the partition separating the front and rear of the cabin for the full chauffeured limousine experience. The partition features a built-in 26-inch display, a refrigerator, clock, and umbrella storage. The presence of just two rear seats provides optimum comfort to occupants who can control most functions of the cabin and seats through the touch panel on the center console.

The Lexus LM shown at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show is the four-seat variant with the fancier rear seats capable of almost folding flat. However, the luxury brand adds that a seven-seat variant with three rows of seating is also available for ‘business professionals who also intend to use the vehicle for family transportation’.

The Lexus LM will be made available in China and select Asian markets soon. It will be available in two variants – LM 350 and LM 300h – as well as in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. It is very likely that the drivetrain and engine options have simply been carried over from the Alphard, along with the 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle powertrain for the hybrid.

Considering how bad traffic has been in Metro Manila lately, the Lexus LM will likely be a big hit should it debut locally. We certainly wouldn’t mind getting stuck in traffic if we were in the LM.