2023 Lexus UX vs 2022

What's the difference?

Most cars get worse as they age as their makers try and save pennies by scrimping on quality and features. But the reverse seems to be true for the Lexus UX.

The 250h Luxury 2WD we tested is the car that the brand should have launched with back in 2018, with an appealing balance of performance and economy, comfort and sporty handling, as well as refinement and features. The UX has finally come of age.

The UX 300e is easily the best, most luxurious feeling variant in the small SUV's line-up. It nails the luxury ambiance, provides smooth and ample power, and is surprisingly fun to drive while scoring well on safety and efficiency.

It would be nice to see better charging capabilities and a bit more range next time around to better compete with some of its key EV rivals. But for now, this is a welcome addition to the EV landscape, confirming Lexus is ready for what comes next.

A hefty portion of the UX’s engineering underneath is shared with the popular Toyota C-HR. Not that you would necessarily know that by glancing at it.

Even five years on from launch, the current model looks slick and contemporary, and it seems to have informed the styling of newer, larger Lexus SUVs like the latest NX.

Not that you’d call the UX an SUV – it’s very much a higher-riding hatchback, with a ho-hum 160mm of ground clearance.

To put that in perspective, other crossovers are taller: the GLA has 213mm, while Subaru’s new Crosstrek boasts 220mm. At least the UX’s is loftier than the C-HR and its pitiful 137mm.

That said, the angular wheel arches and wide-track stance serves the Lexus well.

You wouldn't know the UX 300e is a purely electric model just by looking at it. Lexus has gone 100 per cent on the subtlety here, aside from the electric typeface on the lower quadrant of the rear doors, even sporting the same (seemingly unnecessary) grille as the regular hybrid and combustion versions.

With its zany Japanese design and squared-off coupe-like rear, though, the UX is still an acquired taste, perhaps for those who are already fans of Lexus' aesthetic.

Aside from the grille, which always dominates a Lexus face, the spidery LED headlights and matching 3D-effect rear lights add an element of intrigue.

Plastic claddings remind you this is an SUV first, regardless of what drives the wheels. While around the rear, stylish LED light fittings run into a bar across the back for a contemporary look.

Inside is much the same, with almost nothing to alert occupants to the fact that this SUV is driven by electricity. The big screen dominates the dash, complete with a quaint analogue clock fitting, and it's nice to see it matched by a vibrant digital dash which references the original Lexus IS in the layout of its central-dial cluster.

Apple CarPlay, which wasn't available on the UX at its launch, is a welcome addition, and looks nice and crisp on the big screen.

The main issue here, however, is its operation. Despite being constantly criticised for it, Lexus is hell-bent on maintaining its 'Remote Touch' touchpad controller, which is clumsy, inaccurate, and generally a nightmare to use while you're driving.

The angular dash design also closes in the space significantly, but I will give the brand props for cladding everything in nice soft materials. It might look a little weird, but at least the cabin feels luxurious.

The UX’s compact crossover-esque hatchback proportions have implications inside. Inevitably, this is no larger than the (related) Toyota Corolla, despite having the higher seating position.

Beyond that, though, the 2023 model highlights how Lexus has made its so-called ‘gateway’ model better than before.

For starters, despite being the base grade, this UX has a properly premium ambience, backed up by exceptional fit and finish.

From a sensory perspective, the UX looks, smells, feels and sounds like a Lexus should. And by the latter, we mean the cabin is pleasingly isolated from the outside world.

The overhauled touchscreen and multimedia system is a huge step forward for the series. The larger new display looks great and works well – what a monumental improvement over the infuriatingly fiddly old set-up. It’s difficult to see how they’ll improve it. Dependable and glitch-free. Are you listening, all European manufacturers?

Meanwhile, the carryover parts that worked well enough before continue to impress.

The UX’s front seats are sumptuous in their cushy softness and comfort, yet provide sufficient support over longer driving distances.

There’s also the excellent driving position, with most switchgear within grasp. There’s just enough space for taller people to settle in nicely up front. And the basics like ventilation and storage are thoughtfully executed. The climate in the UX is always fine.

Negatives? Don’t worry, we’ve identified several.

As mentioned earlier, the now-better-equipped Luxury does have all the essentials. But for a car that’s approaching $60K-drive-away, we’d expect kerb-side mirrors that dip down when reversing to avoid damaging alloys against gutters; we couldn’t get ours to auto-fold when locking up, either.

Driver vision out isn’t great. Thick pillars and that rising shoulder line make changing lanes and reversing a technology-reliant affair, as it’s difficult to see objects that are too-easily obscured. For the same reasons, a front camera would be useful in this grade.

Others might expect a sunroof, or cooled seats that massage, or a head-up display for the instrumentation, but we’d argue that they’re hardly necessities. Lexus has to upsell buyers to something.

Moving on to the back-seat area betrays the UX’s compactness most.

The back doors have small apertures. Entry/egress is challenging for folk with long legs. Legroom is tight, and three adults abreast would be a struggle, so it’s best to treat the littlest Lexus crossover as a four-seater.

Yet headroom is fine, the appearance and finish remain first class as it is up front, and the basics are all present – air vents, grab handles, coat hooks, overhead lighting, one map pocket, centre armrest with cupholders, two USB outlets, and windows that wind all the way down. Narrow front seats aid with light, vision and ambience, too.

Further back, the luggage area is pretty petite for an SUV, though the boot is (slightly) larger than the Corolla and Mazda3’s. That powered tailgate is useful if your arms are full, but the loading lip is high.

Normal boot floor depth is shallow but most of that flooring can be removed to reveal a hidden compartment underneath.

Small side pockets are also useful. You’ll find a 240V outlet. Bag hooks and floor tie-down hooks are fitted.

And – being a hybrid – there’s no spare wheel, just a tyre inflation kit. And the flimsy cargo cover is there only to keep prying eyes out.

Not big on utility, then, but the UX is true to its role as a Lexus in concentrate form.

Owing to its unconventional shape, the UX isn't exactly the most practical small SUV, even in the premium market. The front seats offer plenty of room and storage, but the cabin feels closed in.

The dash juts out into the passenger compartment, and the low roof and large A-pillars combine to create a claustrophobic feel.

Power adjustable seats are welcome, as are the large bottle holders in the door and set of two up front. The wireless charger which sits under the climate unit is easy to access, and the addition of a large soft-clad centre console box with a trick hinge that can open both ways is a thing of brilliance.

Again, the biggest downside for the driver and front passenger is the touchpad operation of that otherwise lovely multimedia screen.

Rear seats in the UX are nowhere near as good as the front ones. Behind my own driving position, my knees are hard up against the seat, and the overall closed-in feeling is exacerbated by the low roofline, high windowline, and heavily tinted rear windows.

At least the seats remain clad in that lovely leather, and amenities are decent, with two bottle holders in the drop-down armrest, dual adjustable centre air vents, heated outboard rear seats, and a pair of USB power outlets. That's unusually well equipped, especially for the small SUV segment.

The rear row also features dual ISOFIX and three top-tether child seat mounting points.

The boot is not huge, but surprisingly, at 414-litres still larger than combustion variants. Still couldn't swallow the three-piece CarsGuide luggage set, though. There's also no spare under the floor, the UX coming with a repair kit.

A polite touch, Lexus includes a Type2-to-Type2 public AC charging cable, as well as the expected wall socket to Type 2 slow-charger.

The Lexus UX 300e in Sports Luxury grade as tested here wears a before-on-road cost of $81,000 and while it serves as the top-spec in the electric range for now, that's still a lot of cash on the table.

There's an argument that no EV with this much range is cheap. But when you look at the fact that the front-wheel drive 300e costs $21,900 more than the equivalent front-drive 250h hybrid model, and that it's more expensive than all-wheel drive versions of the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure EV and its Polestar 2 equivalent, whilst also offering less range, you start to see that the UX 300e is a bit of a tall order.

That's not to say the UX 300e isn't well equipped. Quite the opposite. But there are other factors, which we'll look at later which may also detract from it compared to rivals.

Standard equipment at the Sports Luxury grade includes 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.3-inch multimedia screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, built-in sat-nav, premium audio, a 7.0-inch digital dash cluster, a wireless phone charging bay, adaptive LED headlights, a 'moonroof', eight-way power adjustable front seats with heating and cooling functions, heated rear seats, full leather interior trim, keyless entry with push-start ignition, a power tailgate, and '3D' ambient interior lighting.

Not a bad set of gear, and the safety suite is impressive, too. The driving range, however, which comes in around 100km lower than most rivals, could be a problem.

The UX’s Corolla/C-HR connection continues with its 2.0-litre (1987cc) twin-cam four-cylinder petrol engine, delivering 107kW of power at 6000rpm and 188Nm of torque between 4400 and 5200rpm.

The 250h Luxury pairs that with an 80kW/202Nm permanent magnet motor and 1.4kWh Ni-MH battery, for a combined power output of 135kW. A second, rear-mounted motor is available in higher grades, providing all-wheel drive. But not in this Luxury guise.

As with most Toyota and Lexus hybrids, charging is only via the petrol engine and recuperated energy from braking. Electric-only drive is only offered during brief spells of low-speed light-throttle driving, or off-throttle coasting where conditions allow.

Drive is sent to the front wheels via an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT). Three modes are offered – 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport'.

Tipping the scales at 1625kg (kerb), the 250h Luxury offers a power-to-weight ratio of nearly 83.1kW per tonne. That’s a hefty output for a hybrid. Top speed is 177km/h, with 0-100km/h needing 8.5 seconds.

Underpinning that performance is a MacPherson-style strut-front and a multi-link rear suspension set-up.

The UX 300e has a single electric motor mounted on the front axle, which produces 150kW/300Nm. It's by far the most powerful UX model but falls way short of the Volvo XC40 which offers not one 150kW/330Nm motor, but two (one on each axle)!

This leaves the UX 300e competing more closely with its Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 rival which offers a front-mounted motor producing slightly less power but slightly more torque (140kW/375Nm).

Like its rivals, the UX 300e has a single-speed reduction gear transmission.

Officially, the 250h averages an impressive 4.5 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, which is just 103 grams per kilometre of carbon-dioxide emissions.

Now, out in the real world, with plenty of inner-city and urban driving as well as a spell of fast highway runs punctuated by some very heavy-footed acceleration, we managed just under 7.4L/100km pump-to-pump.

That’s not too bad given how hard our UX was caned. The trip meter showed 5.6L/100km over the same distance (nearly 400km).

This is one Lexus hybrid that will happily sip from the standard 91 RON unleaded petrol pump. With a fuel tank capacity of a smallish 43 litres, expect a range of between 930km and 1000km.

For a luxury small crossover, these are economical figures.

Power for the UX 300e is sourced from a 54.3kWh lithium-ion battery pack, good for a WLTP-approved 305km. This is significantly less than its closest rivals, the Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 (426km) and Volvo XC40 Recharge pure electric (418km – even though it's all-wheel drive!).

When it comes to charging, there are a few issues to consider. Firstly, the UX 300e has two charging ports, the slower AC charging input on the driver's side which uses the European-standard Type 2 connection, and the DC port on the passenger side which uses the Japanese-standard CHAdeMO connector, also seen on the Nissan Leaf.

Sadly, the UX is not as fast to charge as some of its rivals. Charging on the CHAdeMO standard is limited to 50kW, meaning a charge time of around 80 minutes, while the AC inverter is limited to 6.6kW.

This means you can't take full advantage of the more common 11kW or 22kW AC charging locations, for an AC charging duration of "approximately 6.5 hours," according to Lexus.

It is notable that the XC40, Polestar 2, and Tesla Model 3 are all capable of 11kW charging at AC locations.

In a positive move for the luxury brand, Lexus will organise a JetCharge wallbox to be installed at your home.

The UX 300e also makes some ground back on the energy consumption front. Official consumption for this model comes in at 15kWh/100km, but on my week-long test (with the regen mostly maxed out) my test car produced 17.5kWh/100km.

It just misses its official claim, but still performed better than its Volvo, Polestar, and Mercedes rivals, all of which landed above 20kWh/100km on-test.

Before driving the 2023 UX250h hybrid, there was some trepidation.

All versions of the original series from 2018 were tested previously, and in every one bar the base 200 on small wheels and tyres, none lived up to the promise of a premium Lexus crossover. A harsh ride, excessive noise intrusion and dull handling made this model a disappointment.

That’s all in the past, thankfully, thanks to a sustained program to save the UX from mediocrity. The company really got the basics wrong the first time around with the horrid CT200h predecessor back in 2011, so we imagine that it would be damned if this was going down the same sorry path again.

In the 250h Luxury, as reviewed here, it is difficult to objectively fault the way everything works and drives.

Let’s start with performance. Even in Normal or Eco mode, the UX steps off the line briskly, and initially at least, it’s the electric motor and battery that silently whooshes the car forward.

If you’re gentle, you can reach speeds of up to about 40km/h before the petrol engine chimes in unobtrusively.

Beyond that, there’s a stream of electric power you can feel, keeping the acceleration coming on strong, even as speeds rise above 100km/h.

This is also true for Sport mode, except that it all happens a bit quicker and earlier, and with extra urge.

And the welcome news here is that the CVT doesn’t really make the engine sound too droney, unless the driver is mashing the pedal to the metal.

Travelling along at normal urban speeds, there’s a seamless transition from electric-enhanced petrol propulsion back to electric-only if the conditions are right – such as when coasting off-throttle.

This is most common in heavier traffic, and the resulting smoothness and quietness adds to a refined and relaxed experience.

About our only objection is when you apply the brakes. In our test car, they felt a little on/off, like a switch. At times, they seemed too grabby for smooth stopping.

That said, the driver can downshift using the gear lever to provide powertrain braking, to help minimise snatchiness.

Road noise seems to be more muted than before, supporting Lexus’ claims that retuning the suspension and beefing up the structure/chassis has helped with refinement.

We wouldn’t say the UX is at the top of the class for quietness, especially on Australia’s coarse-bitumen highways, but now things have hushed sufficiently enough for a crossover purporting to be a premium.

Where the suspension changes really transform the UX, at least on the 215/60R17 tyres the Luxury wears, is how much softer and comfier the ride is.

Where before there was suddenness there’s now suppleness, substantially improving the experience. We wonder whether the bigger-wheeled rubber the richer grades receive are as well-resolved.

As the 250h Luxury is not trying to be a hot hatch, the resulting body lean through fast corners is a happy trade-off, though it’s not so roly-poly that handling composure is adversely affected.

Plus, the steering – while light and easy at parking speeds – still offers enough response and feedback for most drivers to enjoy taking the UX for a cross-country blast once in a while.

To that end, the steering’s weighting does increase in Sport mode… though you won’t be selling your Peugeot 205 GTi for one just yet, but that previous dullness is history. In fact, whether behind the wheel or ensconced in one of the inviting outboard seats, the UX250h as a whole is a much sunnier experience all-round than before.

The combustion and hybrid versions of the UX are competent, pleasant, but a little underwhelming behind the wheel.

The 'luxury' appointments of this model are also tarnished by noisy old engines used elsewhere by Toyota. The UX 300e though, well and truly addresses these problems.

The serenity and seamless power delivery of this electric motor finally provides motivation to match the cabin ambiance and ride quality the UX had all along.

I'm a big fan of how coherent this car is as an EV and a small luxury  SUV, something it achieves better than its Merc EQA rival.

Aside from the peaceful character the UX takes on, this electric version is surprisingly engaging.

The steering is light and smooth, but still manages a decent amount of feedback, and the suspension handles the weight of the batteries reasonably well, too.

This car feels sturdy, and filters out bumps in its stride, not wallowing with the weight of the batteries like some EV versions of combustion vehicles do.

It's nice to see Toyota's TNGA-C platform (which the UX shares with the Corolla and C-HR) is so ready to handle the tribulations of the electric era.

But it's this car's Sport mode that caught me off guard. Flicking the switch across absolutely transforms it from a peaceful rolling lounge into something quite unhinged.

The silky power delivery is replaced by instantaneous thrust, which easily overwhelms the front tyres and throws the UX's chunky body around on the road.

What got into the engineers at Lexus HQ when coming up with this surprisingly uncouth solution for an otherwise sedate vehicle? Who knows, but they weren't kidding when they said the UX 300e will out-sprint its "nearest German BEV rival" to 100km/h by 1.9 seconds!

One irk I have with the UX 300e is its regen braking. It's fiddly to extract the most out of, and doesn't have the bite of rival systems, leaving room for improvement when it comes to energy consumption.

To maximise the amount of regen on offer, you need to switch the car to 'B' driving mode, then flick down through the levels using the paddle shifters until it reaches the max.

Simply driving it in the standard 'D' mode won't max it out, making it a bit fiddly if you want to use it every time you drive.

Other than that, the only thing that takes away from the UX's luxurious ambiance is road noise, which is nearly non-existent at commuter speeds but feels a little too loud at freeway speeds (still miles better in terms of refinement than the EQA though).

The UX has a lot of positive driving attributes, which bodes well for the brand, with just a few areas where some tweaks would make it something special.

The UX 300e comes with the full gamut of active safety gear. Dubbed 'LSS+' the new suite offers radar-based auto emergency braking at freeway speeds with day and night pedestrian detection, and detection for cyclists during the day.

There is also lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, dynamic auto high beams with cornering function, and traffic sign recognition.

This is a comprehensive safety suite with all the right ingredients on the market right now. There is also the standard array of electronic stability, brake, and traction controls, as well as eight airbags.

The entire UX range, including the 300e, is covered by a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to the 2018 standard. It scored remarkably highly across all categories for a car in the small SUV segment.

Lexus offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assistance.

Service intervals are at 12 months or 15,000km.

The first three scheduled services are capped at $495 each, with the work carried out detailed online.

Lexus offers a five year and unlimited kilometre warranty, which is rapidly becoming the norm in the premium market. BMW notably lags behind the field with three-year cover.

To go further, the UX 300e is offered with a 10-year/160,000km battery warranty, up from the industry standard eight. Not bad.

The UX is also notably cheap to service at this premium end of the market, at just $295 per 12 month/15,000km interval.

That's nearly on par with Toyota, although the price of that yearly visits still seems excessive for an EV with so few moving parts.

Included is a ChargeFox membership which gives you complimentary access to a the most comprehensive non-Tesla DC charging network in Australia.

There is also three years of Lexus' premium lifestyle benefits program, dubbed 'Encore Platinum' which includes dining experiences and the like.

The 'Platinum' grade also includes something called 'Lexus on Demand' which allows you to borrow a different Lexus model up to four times for up to eight days at a time over the duration of your membership.

Lexus has upped the game in the ownership department – perhaps under threat from Korean newcomer Genesis – but the established European players should take note: This is how you do a premium ownership program.