Motoring
The new Lexus UX is another of the car's revolutionary reinvention, as James Deakin finds out at its launch in Stockholm
James Deakin heads to Sweden, the home of innovation, to get a first look at the new Lexus-UX
Stockholm, Sweden: home of the Nobel Peace Prize, birthplace of IKEA, Abba, Spotify, Skype, Minecraft, the Coca-Cola bottle, the propeller, the zipper, the pacemaker, and hundreds—if not thousands—of incredibly handy things you use every day or simply admire from afar, like the first space camera, the bicycle airbag, and dynamite. It is a progressive and dynamic country that seems to be operating in a different time zone to the rest of the world—and I don’t mean GMT, either. It really does feel like they are decades ahead of everyone else, not only in technology but as a society as well.
From almost cashless cities to unisex public bathrooms, Sweden is always pushing an envelope somewhere. It may have only nine million people, but pound for pound, it has produced more inventions, number one hits, and just general wowery than any other place on the planet; and it’s absolutely no coincidence that Lexus chose this exact spot to launch the latest addition to its family: the all-new Lexus UX.
As far as Lexus is concerned, the future is all about breaking moulds and being everything that you thought they weren’t. “The reason we selected Stockholm is because the energy and creativity that this city has is world-class,” said Lexus Asia Pacific vice-president David Nordstrom. “It’s often referred to as the world’s biggest small town. It’s a lot smaller in size when compared to other European cities like London, Paris, Berlin, and Rome. It gives you a small-town feel with world-class amenities.”
That, in a nutshell, is Lexus. Old World values, First World technology; a quiet achiever that is constantly evolving and reinventing itself during its relentless pursuit of perfection.
Take the UX. There may be nothing new about a luxury automaker developing a crossover to fill a gap in their line-up, but their approach to it is. While it would have been quite easy to stick with the tried and proven Russian doll formula, they instead shattered the template and went with a female Japanese designer to ensure they bring something new and fresh to the table. Not because there was anything wrong with the previous approach, but how will you know that there’s not something better out there until you take that risk?
From the moment you lay eyes on the UX, with its striking signature spindle grille, triple LED headlights,
and sharp creases, you know you’re looking at something different. Which is good, but my job here is to answer a more pressing question: is it better?
Visually, I think so. In a segment filled with safe spaces, it is refreshing to see an entry-level model that isn’t scared to stand out in a crowd. But what has me more intrigued is not the design, but the lack of compromises in materials and workmanship. This is where you normally feel the cost-cutting, yet Lexus has managed to maintain the same premium feel and even introduced some new textures like Japanese paper, that cranks the premium knob up a notch. Attention to detail is still as OC as ever, and if you opt in for the premium Mark Levinson sound system, you will be transported to another level of luxury that is not normally associated with this price bracket.
As impressive as all that is, I half expected most of it. My biggest concern was performance. On paper, the UX is about as exciting as a dial tone—168hp, hybrid motor, CVT. Yawn. But what you don’t see or feel is the new mechanical first gear in the CVT that allows more torque to be fired through the transmission on take-off and mimics a regular (dare I say, sporty) automatic transmission, that dispenses with the annoying “droning” feeling that’s the curse of most CVTs. This gives you a real mechanical (or natural) feel on take-off before switching to full CVT mode when you don’t need it. It is the first time I’ve tried something like this and I have a feeling we will be seeing many other manufacturers following suit.
Knowing that the vast majority (if not all) UX owners will be doing the driving themselves, steering has also been dramatically improved to provide more feel; while the ride, although still built up from Toyota’s GA-C (Global Architecture Compact) modular platform and closely related to the affordable C-HR, offers a far more plush feel due to extra laser welding in the chassis and structural adhesives to increase rigidity. The doors, hood, and front fenders are also made from aluminium and the liftgate from polymers, which saves weight and improves handling, not to mention the gains in fuel efficiency.
The argument is, and always will be, but do we really need another crossover? The simple answer to that is, if the auto industry built cars around people’s needs, they would be all one shape and one colour. This is an industry driven by wants. Thank heavens for that, because I couldn’t ever convince my wife that I need one, but at least I can build up the courage to say I want one.
From the moment you lay eyes on the UX, you know you’re looking at something different