What's the difference?
Lexus has released a revamped version of its smallest electric SUV, the UX300e and I’ve been driving the Sports Luxury grade this week with my little family of three.
This model sees a few key upgrades to its battery performance, driving range and technology.
These improvements should see it continue to be a solid competitor for its rivals, the BMW iX1 XDrive 30 M Sport, Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 and Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric.
This version of Tesla’s Model Y is the new frontier for enthusiasts. How do you make an electric performance car?
It should be easy, right? Just up the power of the motors - no need to fit a larger, more complex engine, and make sure you’ve got a battery with the appropriate outputs.
There’s far more than meets the eye. The big question is, is it worth the significant additional spend over the base Model Y?
We grabbed one of the earliest examples of the Performance to hit Australian shores to find out.
The Lexus UX300e Sports Luxury nails the luxury and standard features list! It certainly feels like a premium SUV inside and the updated technology and driving range were sorely needed to keep this competitive, but once you start looking at its rivals, which all offer similar specs and better driving ranges, the price point starts to feel a smidge high. However, the ongoing costs and the complimentary bonuses that Lexus throws in, are great.
One thing is for sure, it’s definitely a performance car, but not as we know it.
This version of the Tesla Model Y is the ultimate tech gadget on four wheels. It’s incredibly fast, has unbelievable, unnerving handling, and importantly what seems to be the best software in the business. Coming in significantly cheaper than its European performance EV rivals, it doesn’t even seem like bad value.
But. Enthusiasts be warned. There is an element of drama missing here, the Model Y is almost too good at attacking the road, there’s no roaring feedback or imperfections for you to correct, and for this reason alone, even if it’s the future, I don’t think it’s going to be for everyone.