2022 Lexus UX vs 2023

What's the difference?

The Lexus UX 300e might seem like just another electrified premium small SUV but it's a lot more significant than that.

While all eyes are on Toyota's bZ4X as the Japanese giant's first production electric car, Lexus has snuck in with the UX 300e first.

And as it shares its platform with much more mainstream offerings, like the Corolla and C-HR, it's by far your best look at what Toyota's fully-electrified future could look like.

Perhaps, though, you've found your way to this review because you want a Lexus alternative to the other two notable premium small SUV EVs to launch in recent times, the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, and the Mercedes-Benz EQA 250.

And that's more than fair. This car is an interesting alternative to both and for this review we'll be taking a close look at what Lexus, and by extension Toyota, has to offer in this emerging electrified space.

Most cars get secretly cheapened as they travel through their model lifecycles.

Yes, while facelifts often usher in headline advances like updated electronics and more equipment to boost attention, in too many cases, engineers are forced to cut costs, especially where they cannot be very easily detected, such as with removed sound-deadening, inferior carpet quality and deleted minor items, like bonnet struts. Hello, latest Ford Ranger!

Every cent saved is extra profit made.

Now, we cannot tell at what level – if any – the penny-pinchers pilfered the Lexus UX for its Series II update last year, but the completely unexpected result is a small SUV/crossover that feels and drives noticeably better than before.

Keep reading to find out how and why.