The Lexus UX launched in 2018 as a small SUV that went big on luxury. With city-friendly size and the choice of a number of variants – all packed with lengthy standard equipment lists – it has been a hit for the Japanese luxury brand on a global scale.
Part of the appeal is the fact it comes with the choice of petrol or petrol-electric hybrid variants across the range. The desire for hybrid models across SUVs and cars of all shapes and sizes has been gathering momentum over the years, and Lexus has remained at the forefront.
It’s one of the brand’s most affordable vehicles, too, with the UX300E Luxury starting at $80,720, while the fully kitted-out UX300E Sports Luxury costs $88,190.
The interior of the UX showcases an understated aesthetic with soft touchpoints and synthetic leather trims spread liberally across the front dashboard and door panels. Some harder plastics remain in hard-wearing areas but a premium look is still achieved.
The dashboard is headlined by dual 12.3-inch displays and a pared back control panel for climate. There are a couple of different interior colourways to choose from to customise to your liking.
The UX is available in ten colours including Caliente, Khaki Metal, Celestial Blue, Sonic Chrome, Onyx, Sonic Quartz, Sonic Copper, Titanium, Sonic Iridium, Graphite Black.
The boot space is on the smaller side at 364L but the floor has two level positions and offers a flat loading space when it's in its top-most position. There are luggage hooks and an underfloor compartment for the tyre repair kit, warning triangle and First Aid kit. A powered tailgate with kick function comes standard.
The world of hybrids is moving very fast, Hannah, and the rule of thumb is that newer is better purely because the technology is improving all the time. You’re obviously concerned with running costs and your carbon-footprint, so the latest hybrid technology with a full factory warranty would seem to be an obvious way to go.
That puts the new Corolla Hybrid firmly in the frame as both a car with the latest planet-saving and life-saving tech as well as Toyota’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty as well as a ten-year warranty on the hybrid’s batteries. For some reason, Lexus hasn’t budged on its four-year warranty, meaning that a 2017 CT200h might only have a few months of factory cover to run if your bought it now. You’ll also potentially pay more for the second-hand Lexus than you will for the brand-new Corolla.
The only real drawback with the Corolla Hybrid is that its luggage space – because of the battery-packs – is quite shallow. But beyond that it’s a great car with the hybrid driveline thrown in for just a couple of grand extra. That’s a bargain and it’s one of the reasons the new Corolla will be a lot of Australian families’ first hybrid.
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Standard accessories include keyless entry and start, dusk-sensing LED headlights, daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, powered tailgate with kick function, tyre repair kit, powered front seats with heat function, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather-wrapped electric steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, front/rear parking sensors, reversing camera, Bluetooth, digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, satellite navigation, and a 10-speaker sound system.
The UX is a hybrid and utilises a 2.0L four cylinder petrol engine with two small electric motors (one on each axle) to produce up to 146kW of power and 202Nm of torque (up to 290Nm for AWD variants).
Year | Body Type | Braked Capacity from | Braked Capacity to |
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2025
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Body Type: SUV | Braked Capacity from: 0kg |
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0kg
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2024
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Body Type: SUV | Braked Capacity from: 0kg |
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0kg
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2023
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Body Type: SUV | Braked Capacity from: 0kg |
Braked Capacity to:
750kg
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2022
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Body Type: SUV | Braked Capacity from: 0kg |
Braked Capacity to:
750kg
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The UX is offered with five seats in a 2/3 configuration. Front seats are powered (10-way for driver/ 8-way for passenger) and include heat function. Higher grades enjoy ventilation function as well.
Lexus' synthetic leather NuLux is the standard upholstery but leather is available for higher grades.
The rear row has a 40/60 split fold and a fold-down armrest with two cupholders.
There is no official sprint time for the updated UX but previous entries saw the model be able to achieve a 0-100km/h sprint in under 8.0 seconds. Top speed is around 180km/h.
The official combined fuel cycle usage for the 2WD variants is 4.2L/100km and 4.4L/100km for AWD variants. Combined with the 43L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range between 977 and 1023km.