A luxury SUV with sportscar handling
THE SMALLEST LEXUS IS SURE TO BE A BIG HIT WITH STYLE CONSCIOUS FAMILIES, WRITES
ALL good things come in small packages, the saying goes, and never was that more accurate than with the Lexus UX.
Not that this luxury hybrid is small. It’s a good five-seater family car, but it is the smallest model that Lexus makes and therefore most people’s introduction to the prestige range.
But while its dimensions might be slightly less than those of its larger siblings the quality is very definitely not.
And with its dramatic, angular sports styling, imposing deep grille, vertical air ducts and flared headlights it’s not your average SUV.
And in many ways that’s the point. For while the UX is classed as an SUV it doesn’t look like one from either the outside or inside.
In fact Lexus has gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that while it does have the higher seating position and flexibility of an SUV – the style that’s so popular today – the cabin has the ambience and feel of a traditional
luxury saloon.
When you first open the door it’s hard not to be impressed with the upmarket interior of the top-of-therange Takumi E-Four version driven here; from the top quality, electrically adjustable, leather, heated and cooled front seats and heated steering wheel to the easy-to-use laptopstyle touch pad near the gearshift for operating the numerous functions displayed on the 10.3-inch central display screen.
The traditional clocks displayed in front of the driver sit in a seveninch TFT display screen and are dominated by a digital speedometer with a three-dimensional effect. If you change the UX’s driving mode from Normal to Sport a rev counter appears wrapped around the speedometer for those looking for more sporty driving.
In addition to all that there’s a head-up display projected into the windscreen showing your speed as well as the speed limit of the area you’re in, not to mention a compass.
And audio enthusiasts will be impressed by the 13-speaker Mark Levinson premium sound system with full surround sound.
Power for the UX comes from a clever hybrid system which uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor. A second electric motor is built into the rear differential on four-wheel-drive models like the one driven here to ensure surefooted grip on slippery surfaces as well as improving general performance and stability.
The engine and two motors combine with a cvt gearbox to give super smooth, responsive performance and almost silent motoring, not to mention fuel consumption of a very respectable 47 miles per gallon. And the nice thing about this SU V is its almost sportscar-like handling, thanks in part to its low centre of gravity. In fact it has the lowest centre of gravity of any car in its class and that translates into enjoyable driving with the ability to corner at speed with confidence and hardly any body roll.
It’s one of those cars that feels relaxed whether you are cruising at speed on the motorway or powering on with urgency along winding country roads. And it’s all so well put together, the doors closing with the gentlest of pushes.
If the UX falls down in any aspect it’s in its lack of space for luggage. With the batteries tucked under the boot floor you’re still left with plenty of room for the weekly shop but potential problems for large suitcases. Just 283 litres of luggage space is available, just slightly more than with a 5-door MINI, although if you drop the rear seatbacks it does increase to 1,194 litres.
Other features include a front and rear view camera – combined with a 360 degree view – for easy parking, a glass sunroof, a powered tailgate and a raft of safety features. It may be Lexus’s entry model but it’s certainly one that crams a lot into a small package and is hard not to be impressed with it.
While the UX is classed as an SUV it doesn’t look like one outside or inside
RULES AND
MAKE THIS
TREAT
CASTLE KONG (PEGI 3) Switch HHHHH
THERE was a time in the dim and distant past when gaming was about one thing – the high score. There were no trophies to collect, no achievements to unlock, and no loot you had to spend half your life grinding through meaningless tasks for.
It was purely about the quest for points – and getting your name in glowing lights at the top of that leaderboard.
Cue Castle Kong, developer Drowning Monkeys’ homage to one of the greatest platformers ever made – Donkey Kong.
But this is not for the faint of heart, for not only are the graphics and the gameplay kicking it old school, so are the rules.
One ‘coin’ gets you three lives, after which you’re dead and you have to start all over again – something the gaming masochist in me just loves.
There are 22 levels to tackle over four stages – each more fiendish than the last – with the ultimate goal of reaching the kill screen, and freeing PrincessGirl from the clutches of BaronMan.
The opening chiptune music made my heart soar, less so the three goes it took for me to get PauperBoy through the first level, as the dastardly archer kept picking me off.
While Castle Kong has been lovingly made to capture the essence of all that made Donkey Kong great, Drowning Monkeys has also been sure to include some 21st century improvements. You get a choice of visual modes – arcade or widescreen (which I kept kidding myself would make the game easier), and PauperBoy can scale the ladders with his trusty picthfork.
For a ‘simple’ platformer, each stage has been richly designed. From beautiful roses climbing the
Castle walls, to stained glass windows and tapestries in the Throne Room, to the terrifying looking accessories hanging in the Kitchen – attention to detail has been paid. The deceptively basic gameplay sees PauperBoy climbing ladders, leaping over gaps and wielding his pitchfork – which acts much like Mario’s hammer – to defend against oncoming obstacles. But beware, every time you strike an object you lose your weapon, so choose your battles wisely.
He’s pretty responsive too, with none of the frustrating lag you’d expect in older games – the many, many times I found myself getting killed was through user error. PauperBoy faces off with some adorable villains, from the arrow and cannonball firing archers, to trusty knights, a pie-throwing chef, and cute-but-deadly ‘flame ghosts’ which are spewed from a magical chandelier in the Baron’s Throne Room.
For those who like a serious challenge, there’s a contest running until May 25, which sees cash prizes for the 10 players with the highest scores (for more details, visit drowningmonkeys.com/tournament).
Castle Kong feels comfortingly familiar, like buying the supermarket brand of your favourite chocolate bar. And while its challenging gameplay and retro feel will appeal to a certain type of gamer, frustration can quickly set in causing others to walk away.
■ Buy it: £5.99 from nintendo.co.uk/
ONE of the beautiful things about modern smartphones and tablets is that the installation of an app can turn them into a totally new device… like an e-book reader. Of course, you could always buy a dedicated e-reader and take advantage of the easy-on-the-eye nature of e-ink… but the screens on phones and tablets are so good these days that you might not have to.
There are a lot of reading apps available for both iOS and Android that go way beyond the simple reading of books. We’ll leave that to the Kindles and Apple Books of the world. Here are four apps that take reading on your device to the next level and beyond.
BOOKMATE
They say: With a Bookmate subscription you’ll have access to a huge collection of ebooks and audiobooks – bestsellers, classics, business books and more. Experts and other book lovers create themed bookshelves. Browse them, subscribe and receive regular updates. Bookmate also makes recommendations based on your preferences. The more you read or listen, the more accurate our recommendations!
We say: Bookmate is best thought of as an alternative to the big-hitters of Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Books.
It turns your phone or tablet into a huge library of books in some 12 languages. You can pay for access to all of them, but even the free level of membership offers access to some 50,000 classics. There’s a fully-featured e-book reader app included, which offers all the same kinds of customisation you can find elsewhere – you can easily adjust font-size and colours. Handy features include usercurated bookshelves – you can create your own lists of recommendations that other readers can browse, and you can browse theirs. You can also upload ebooks you purchase elsewhere – as long as they’re in EPUB or FB2 format.
■ Cost: £9.99/month
LIBBY
They say: Local libraries offer millions of ebooks and audiobooks. You can borrow them – for free, instantly – with a library card and Libby: the award-winning, much-loved app for libraries.
We say: Libby is a fantastic idea – basically bringing your local library to your device.
The library system has a huge collection of ebooks available to borrow, as well as audiobooks and magazines.
Of course, if you are a member of your local library you can borrow them for free.
Libby is a client app to make the relationship between you and your library work that much better.
Now, some of you will be unlucky enough to find that your local library doesn’t support the Libby system, but many across the UK do. All you need to do is hook up the app to your library membership, and you are ready to go. The e-reader section offers all the customisation you need, with some great features, like being able to add bookmarks and notes.
■ Cost: Free
WATTPAD
They say: Have your own story to tell? Get it discovered through the power of community and technology on Wattpad. Share an original story on Wattpad and share it with our community who are there to cheer you on throughout your writing journey.
We say: The beauty of Wattpad is that it isn’t just about reading, it’s very much about writing, too. It calls itself a social storytelling platform – you can connect with millions of other readers and writers across the globe, share your stories, and read those of others. The variety of stories on offer is huge and the social nature of the service means you can actually connect with the writers you love the most. When sharing the stories you have to tell, you have within the app a potential global audience of some 90m readers. Another exciting feature is that the people at Wattpad are also on the lookout for the best stories to turn into TV shows, films, or books. Some stories first featured on Wattpad have been developed into shows that have been produced for Sony’s TV channels and streaming services like Hulu.
It’s free to join Wattpad, but subscription offers an ad-free experience and the option to try out new features first.
£5.99/month, £59.99/year
SHIELDED below a canopy of leafy boughs and protected by an army of solid trunks, forest cabins are reassuringly cosseting. Surrounded by all the sounds, smells and sensations of nature, homes hidden within woodlands also present lots of opportunities for having fun.
Whether you opt for a fantasy treehouse or an elegant timber suite, these forest-bathed getaways are ideal for a refreshing post-lockdown treat.
WOOD SHACK Brecon Beacons, Wales
So many objects we use are made from wood, but cutting down a tree is a big responsibility, demanding we make use of this valuable natural resource.
When forester Robert Penn felled an ash, he set himself a challenge for making as many things as possible from the grand tree.
He came up with 44 items, some of which decorate this wooden onebedroom cabin, where he also wrote a book about his mission, The Man Who Made Things Out Of Trees.
Set in a valley, surrounded by private native woodland, the cabin features an environmentally friendly compost toilet, kitchen, woodburner (with logs) and plenty of board games.
■ How: Sugar & Loaf (sugarandloaf. com; 01873 776 238) offers a threenight stay from £156pp
OLD MILL TREEHOUSE, Bath, Somerset
Elevated on stilts and tucked into the trees, this woodland retreat blends perfectly into its natural surroundings, and looks like a setting for a Brothers Grimm fairy-tale. Sleeping two, the one-bedroom wooden property is deceptively comfortable inside, with enough amenities to please every Goldilocks in the forest.
Find crisp white linen on beds, soft rug carpets underfoot and decorative works of art hanging from the walls. Outside, a hammock and dining table are set in a small garden, for a post-lunch laze.
Although secluded, the treehouse is only a five-minute walk from one of
England’s oldest public houses, The George Inn.
■ How: One Off Places (oneoffplaces. co.uk; 01865 600 425) offers stays from £160 per night, minimum stay two nights
THE LAKE CABIN AT LIME WOOD
New Forest, Hampshire Wake up on your own private island, gazing out to rippling water from a chandelier-lit double bed. Surrounded by one of England’s oldest woodlands, where some trees are almost 500 years old, this magical hideaway is located on the grounds of Lime Wood Hotel.
Cantilevered above a miniature lake, it appears to float on water, and has a balcony with a bath for watching ducks while neck-deep in bubbles.
A shower and mini kitchen make the space self-contained, but there’s an option to make use of the facilities at the hotel.
■ How: The Lake Cabin (limewoodhotel.co.uk; 023 8028 7177) costs from £1,250 per night (excluding breakfast). For general information visit thenewforest.co.uk
WOODSIDE BAY LODGE RETREAT Isle of Wight
Combine the best of both worlds – forest and beach – with a stay in this palatial two-person seaside shack on the UK’s finest holiday island. Sandwiched between The Solent and an area of woodland with numerous nature trails, this timber rondavel features a kitchen, bathroom, woodburner and outdoor hot tub, along with a TV for those feeling a bit too cut off from the outside world.
The treehouse is part of a bigger resort with restaurants and a gym, although its discreet position makes it easy to forget about everyone else.
Spend summer days strolling along the shingle beach, or look for red squirrels in treetops during autumn months.
■ How: Hoseasons (hoseasons.co.uk; 0345 498 6130) offers a three-night weekend break in August for £1,035
BY THE WYE TREETOP GLAMPING, Hay On Wye, Wales
Bringing an African safari experience to the River Wye, a collection of canvas tents are elevated above the forest floor, providing guests with an opportunity to sleep in the tree canopy.
Set in four acres of managed land, where a large area has been declared a site of Special Scientific