Lexus UX300E vs Volkswagen Touareg

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. 

It’s big, it’s fast, it’s luxurious, Volkswagen’s Touareg has always been a stand-out large SUV.

This one, the full-fat R is the latest take on the halo Volkswagen model. It has big shoes to fill.

See, top-spec Touaregs in the past are hardly rivals to the Toyota LandCruisers and Hyundai Palisades of this world. They’re a different breed, with the first-generation Touareg powered by a variety of engines up to a 5.0-litre turbo-diesel V10, and the second-gen version packing petrol and diesel V8s in its upper levels.

They were the ultimate sleeper family SUV, ridiculous engines with rich VW Group lineage in a seemingly mainstream family-friendly package.

But this third-generation version can’t quite replicate the over-engined craziness of its predecessors. It has to think outside the box as emissions regulations crack down the world over.

This Touareg R is a plug-in hybrid. A performance-focused one at that. Can it hope to replicate the unhinged nature of its forebears and find an appropriate place atop the hierarchy of Volkswagen’s R models? Let’s find out.