The Lexus LM 300 Luxury Minivan is a Lot to Look at

• The LM 300 is a luxury vehicle designed for chauffering affluent owners in comfort and technology.
• The minivan doesn't suffer the same stigma in China as it does here, and that paves the way for increased sales. 
• The LM is based on the successful Toyota Alphard minivan already sold in China. 

This is the kind of ugliness that happens when you slap chrome on the already bad Alphard.

There are four minivans available in the United States: the Honda Odyssey, the Toyota Sienna, the Chrysler Pacifica, and the Kia Sedona. None of them are cool, and they earned their reputation thanks to soccer moms everywhere. In China, however, the segment is doing well and will continue to grow thanks to those who want to be chauffeured in comfort and space.

Now, Lexus wants in on the game by introducing the bold, almost offensive-looking LM 300 that's based on the Toyota Alphard. There's a lot of overstyling going on here, and the luxury minivan looks like it's the answer question nobody asked. The spindle grille up front is easily the brand's largest, coming across like a massive cheese grater. It also gets the more angular headlights from the rest of the Lexus lineup, as well as more chrome for that upscale look. 

Nope, we were wrong. The Alphard actually looks worse. 

But instead of just being a conventional minivan, the LM 300 is more of a luxury flagship MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) that ferries executives in comfort, room, and a lot of premium tech. Inside, there are four big captains chairs, a big 26-inch screen, as well as tablet controls for the rear occupants, a power-operated glass partition between the second and third row passengers, a 14-liter fridge, umbrella storage, and a premium 19-speaker sound system. And unlike the Alphard, the LM 300 gets double layered glass all around for serene commuting.

So why the LM 300 now after the Alphard has been on the market for years? Well, the focus of the LM 300 is on providing a luxury transport that caters to business people with ample funds. The Chinese consumer market gobbles up vehicles that provide the luxury chauffeuring experience. Privacy, comfort, space, and top-notch tech are what these customers provide, and the LM 300 should prove to deliver. Apparently, the same customers don't care all that much about looks because this thing is just nasty.

Maybe the massive grille was installed to offset the even larger windshield? 

In terms of comfort, the LM provides a cushy ride thanks to innovative swing valve shock absorbers, the same ones that are in the new LS 500 sedan. You can even upgrade engines from the 2.5-liter four to a 3.5-liter V6 and even add all-wheel drive to the normally FWD setup. 

On the bright side, we won't get it here. It's only for the Asian market, thankfully. Though we're all for new minivan candidates coming to the American market, we'd prefer something that actually looked good. We could see a more rugged version of the current Toyota Sienna minivan gaining some market traction here, but that probably will never happen. We're sure Chinese buyers of the LM 300 will love it, they can keep it there. 

Check out Lexus's video of the new LM 300 below: