Motoring
Electric assistance helps this luxury wagon stand out from the compact SUV crowd, writes Toby Hagon.
Lexus’s new hybrid compact SUV is ahead of the game
Being late to the party isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the Lexus UX 250h proves. The brand’s first compact SUV blends urban style with an angular wagonette body and showcases a key Lexus proficiency: hybrid propulsion.
Teaming a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder with electric motors makes for decent initial pull and the enthusiasm is maintained as the revs rise. That the UX uses as little as 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres is testament to the fuelsaving electric system. An extra $4500 gets you all-wheel drive, adding another electric motor for the rear wheels. But even with the bonus traction, the UX is more Bondi than Broome; it can handle snow or gravel tracks at best.
For petrol-only power, there’s the more affordable UX 200 that’s equipped with a beefed-up version of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine first seen in the Corolla from parent company Toyota. While there’s some initial vibration when it accelerates from a standstill, the engine is otherwise punchy, its free-revving nature in keeping with the car’s playful demeanour. The innovative auto transmission uses a traditional first gear before handing over to a continuously variable transmission that adapts the speed to suit the driving style and conditions.
The line-up includes Luxury, Sports Luxury and F Sport variants, the latter with more adventurous styling touches. Even the base UX 200 Luxury, at $44,450, gets active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, road-sign recognition, heated front seats, digital radio and sat nav. The Sports Luxury and F Sport ranges also feature leather interiors, smart-key entry, heated front seats, wireless phone charging and more, with the top-shelf models creeping over $60,000.
The attention to detail is clear from the build quality to the surfaces that have been refined by artisan modellers to an accuracy of 0.01 millimetres. Bold exterior colours, such as Khaki Metal and Carnelian, can be paired with unique interior materials, such as a “washi” dash finish inspired by Japanese paper. But none of this solves the issues with the latest version of the Lexus Remote Touch controller, which makes navigating the 10.3-inch infotainment screen more difficult than it should be.
Fashionably late to the luxury SUV soirée? Maybe, although the UX’s arrival is well timed in some ways. With its hybrid drive train, it stands out from the predominantly German competition – and the generous fit-out is a bonus.