Manawatu Standard

One of life’s little SUV luxuries

Premium Japanese brand launches a baby SUV with a big-car price, writes David Linklater.

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Luxury brands are nowhere these days without SUVS. And in 2019, they’re nowhere without a compact-suv to tempt fashion-conscious urban buyers, who don’t seem to mind paying big-car prices for small product as long as it has the right crossover look and feel.

Lexus sales are more than 70 per cent SUV in New Zealand, but to date it hasn’t had a baby model. That’s now changed in a big way with seven different variants of its all-new hatch-cum-suv, the UX.

Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?

Lexus talks about UX being based on a new global ‘‘GA-C’’ platform, but that’s just the Toyota New Generation Architectu­re (TNGA) by another name.

Specificat­ion levels are Lexusfamil­iar: there’s a standard model, F Sport and Limited – the top one of the trio restricted to the 250h hybrid. All models are front-drive, save the option of ‘‘E-four’’ AWD on that 250h Limited ($3000 extra).

So yes, there’s a fair bit of Corolla under there, including the UX 200’s petrol engine and CVT. Nothing that you can see or touch, of course, and in fact UX is also a little larger than the Corolla: same wheelbase, but 125mm longer and 105mm taller.

The UX could easily be a replacemen­t for the Lexus CT200H hatchback – but it’s not. The CT will continue for another couple of years, below the UX at $51,690.

It’s a big step up from CT to the entry UX at $59,990, but that price is line-ball with the car’s European rivals and the Lexus is arguably the best-equipped car in the segment.

The entry 200 and 250h have 18-inch wheels, three drive modes, keyless entry/start, 10.3-inch display with sat-nav (still no Apple/android phone projection though), heated front seats with 10-way adjustment for the driver (eight for the passenger), dual-zone climate air conditioni­ng and automatic wipers.

Lexus Safety System+ is also standard across the range, with allspeed adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and autonomous braking. The system

 ?? Photos: DAVID LINKLATER/STUFF ?? Chunky styling detail, says SUV, but the UX is more like a raised hatchback.
Photos: DAVID LINKLATER/STUFF Chunky styling detail, says SUV, but the UX is more like a raised hatchback.
 ??  ?? The interior has a true luxury-car look and feel. The annoying touchpad continues – but there are more switchgear shortcuts.
The interior has a true luxury-car look and feel. The annoying touchpad continues – but there are more switchgear shortcuts.

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