"100 Handle Samples... Carefully Refined Even the Smallest Details"

Lexus Minivan LM500h Launched in Korea
"Refined to Achieve Conversational Driving"

"The direction in which rear seat passengers use the door handles when getting in and out of the car is different. During the new car development process, we created over 100 samples with different shapes and materials to compare and apply them."

Manabu Ochihata, Senior Engineer at Lexus International, a luxury car brand, said this at a press conference held on the 24th to commemorate the launch of the multipurpose vehicle (MPV) LM500h in Korea. He emphasized that even seemingly trivial details were carefully considered in the design.

Manabu Ochihata, Senior Engineer at Lexus International (from left), Hiroya Kitazumi, Senior Designer of the Lexus Project, and Manabu Konyama, CEO of Toyota Motor Korea, are taking a commemorative photo at the LM500h domestic launch event on the 24th.
[Photo by Toyota Motor Korea]

He stated, "As the values of luxury car consumers have changed, we thoroughly re-evaluated the value of the 'Luxury Mover (LM).' The driving evaluation drivers, called Takumi (artisans), and the development team meticulously refined ride comfort and quietness to realize 'driving that allows communication.'"

MPVs, commonly referred to as minivans, were mainly used for commercial purposes in the past but have been utilized in various ways for several years. Their spacious interiors are used for camping such as car camping, as well as for business purposes like meetings and official ceremonies. They are also popular among celebrities and students who frequently travel and spend a lot of time inside the vehicle.

The Lexus LM500h is designed with a focus on rear seat passengers, prioritizing a chauffeur-driven experience and official use. Sedans, often used for official purposes, offer excellent ride comfort but have limitations in securing interior space. In contrast, minivans provide a large space as a basic feature. There is confidence that the relatively lacking ride comfort can be sufficiently overcome with technology.

Lexus LM500h interior rear seat
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The handle attached to the rear seat door of the Lexus LM500h. It may seem like a simple part, but during the development process, numerous candidates were considered and compared before finalizing its application.

Hiroya Kitazumi, Senior Designer of the Lexus project, said, "We repeatedly discussed with the development team whether we could realize a 'space where one can truly feel safe and comfortable' and a 'completely private space' rather than just a car." He added, "The development started from the idea that busy wealthy customers would spend comfortable travel time inside the car without being conscious of being in a vehicle."

Various new technologies were also applied for rear seat passengers. The seats were designed considering that when the pelvis is upright and the shoulders are loosely supported, the head shakes less. The rear doors, which usually use steel, are made of aluminum in this car. Although difficult to mold, aluminum is lighter and easier to open and close. The large rear seat displays can be operated separately on the left and right sides. The audio system is the high-end brand Mark Levinson.

The front seat partition can be raised or lowered, and its brightness is adjustable. Engineer Ochihata explained, "We aimed to reduce visual noise for passengers in every interior element to create a space where customers can rest comfortably," adding, "We emphasized unity to naturally express omotenashi (hospitality)."

Kitarazumi Hiroya, Lexus Chief Designer, is explaining the design of the LM50h.
[Photo by Korea Toyota Motor]

Initially sold mainly in the Japanese domestic market, from this second-generation new model, the market was expanded overseas including Korea, China, and Europe, as it was judged to have sufficient market potential. In Korea, pre-orders have been accepted since last month, with about 500 units ordered so far. About 60% of the orders are for the 4-seater model priced at 196 million KRW. Kang Dae-han, Vice President of Toyota Motor Korea, said, "In other markets, there is initially high demand for the 4-seater model, but gradually the trend shifts to the more versatile 6-seater model," and added, "We expect to deliver about 70 to 80 units to customers per month domestically."

He also predicted that there would be little sales interference with the Toyota minivan Alphard, the same model launched domestically last year. The Alphard was also introduced targeting official use by corporate CEOs and others. A company official said, "If the Alphard is business class, the Lexus LM is first class," adding, "They differ in driving performance, using a turbo engine and a better battery, and the finishing materials and interior configuration are more luxurious, so both models will have demand."

Lexus LM500h
Photo by Korea Toyota Motor Corporation

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.