While most luxury automakers have released subcompact SUVs in the past few years, we hadn’t seen one from Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand. That will change later in 2018 with the release of the 2019 Lexus UX, an all-new model that shoots for the urban (U) crossover (X) buyer.
Today's first-generation NX was the first SUV Lexus created to sit beneath its pioneering RX, the hugely popular luxury crossover that created the luxury crossover segment back in 1999. October 8, 2020 The verdict: The 2020 Lexus UX 250h hybrid subcompact SUV drives like a small hatchback and has great gas mileage estimates, but a small cargo area limits its utility.
Lexus Suv
Though Toyota has a version on the market through its mainstream brand, there are several unique twists that make this crossover a Lexus (including a hybrid version). Here’s everything you need to know about the Lexus UX as the automaker preps its release for later this year.
1. The most affordable Lexus
As with most Lexus models, this addition to the lineup takes the platform of a Toyota (the C-HR) and shifts it up-market. The automaker said it is targeting a buyer who’s new to the Lexus brand and the luxury market as a whole. Since it slots in below the NX crossover, that sounds reasonable.
Practically speaking, it replaces the unpopular CT 200h and starts at $33,025 (including destination charges). The base model (200 UX) will run on a 2.0-liter engine (169 horsepower) and 10-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT). 200 models come with front-wheel drive only.
2. UX 250 hybrid
Maybe the biggest news with this Lexus debut is the hybrid model, which goes by UX 250h. It will use the same 2.0-liter gas engine and add two electric motors, bumping the total output to 175 horsepower. Lexus said it reduced the amount of friction found in earlier hybrids, and this one will keep the electric motors going up to 71 mph.
Lexus is debuting a system called Predictive Eco Drive Control on this model. Working with navigation, it will learn the owner’s driving habits, factor in traffic reports, and otherwise work toward optimizing efficiency as you drive.
Meanwhile, this model will be the only UX offering all-wheel drive. That will come as a $2,000 option. All things considered, Lexus managed to keep the hybrid premium low with a starting price of $35,025 ($37,025 with all-wheel drive).
3. Standard safety tech, interior options
As vehicles get safer across the industry — and it gets harder to land a Top Safety Pick+ award — Lexus is delivering a great deal of advanced crash-prevention tech standard.
Every UX will get pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, lane-tracing assist, lane-departure alert (with steering assist), road-sign assist (to monitor changing speed limits), and intelligent high beams. The available Parking Support Alert and Brake feature cameras and auditory sensors that spot danger and stop the car.
Lexus Subcompact Crossover
With its eye on a younger buyer, Lexus made the UX as tech-heavy as any model in its lineup. It starts with a standard 7-inch multimedia display, Apple CarPlay, a six-speaker premium sound system, and multiple USB ports. An available 10-inch display with navigation and head-up display (HUD) add convenience and safety.
Finally, every UX will come ready to listen to Google Assist, Alexa, or other smart device so you can lock and start the car remotely.
4. F Sport performance models
UX buyers will also get the option of the F Sport package in both the 200 and 250h. As in other Lexus models, a specially tuned suspension and 18-inch wheels improve the handling and responsiveness of the ride.
An F Sport grille, front bumper with large LED lamps, and a revised rear bumper add to the different look in this model. Inside the cabin, you’ll find an instrument panel inspired by the LFA, sport seats, a leather-trimmed wheel with paddle shifters, and aluminum finish on the pedals, footrest, and door scuff plate.
5. Fuel economy, release dates
Both versions of the UX will come with Drive Select, allowing drivers to opt for normal, ECO, or Sport mode. ECO settings will help buyers get the best economy, and in this model the projected numbers are impressive. While EPA estimates have not come in yet, Lexus is targeting 33 mpg combined in the base model and 38 mpg in the hybrid.
The UX 200 will begin arriving in dealerships by December. In January 2019, the hybrid will follow. Pricing on the F Sport package has not been released.
Over the past few years, the premium compact crossover/SUV class has grown to become one of the most crowded categories in the new vehicle marketplace—and many of the newest entries in the segment have been on the “extra-compact” side. This category is comprised of the smallest vehicles in the crossover/SUV lineups of their respective makers. And note that while we categorize them as subcompacts, most of the vehicles in this class are appreciably larger than most mainstream-brand subcompact crossovers. Furthermore, don’t think that “premium” and “subcompact” are incompatible terms—these vehicles come standard with genuinely upscale trim, and can be optioned up with a dizzying (and pricey) array of comfort, convenience, and technology features just like their larger linemates.
Except for the new pure-electric Volvo XC40 Recharge model, every vehicle in this category is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. Horsepower output ranges between 180-240 on most of them, and all of them are turbocharged save for the Lexus UX. The Audi Q3, Jaguar E-Pace, and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque come standard with all-wheel drive; the rest come standard with front-wheel drive and are available with AWD.
The majority of the class starts at less than $35,000; the Lexus UX is the most affordable, with a starting price of around $33,000. As is typical with luxury vehicles, adding optional equipment can really drive up the bottom-line price—sometimes startlingly so.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2021
The Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class is redesigned, gaining fresh styling, improved interior space, and the availability of Mercedes’s latest high-tech features. The GLA 250 is available with front- or all-wheel drive and is powered by a 221-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. The high-performance Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 and GLA 45 have tuned-up turbo 2.0-liter fours that are rated 302 and 382 horsepower, respectively. Both AMG models come standard with all-wheel drive and an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Volvo XC40 lineup now offers a pure-electric XC40 Recharge model with 408 horsepower and a claimed 249-mile driving range.
Other members of this class see modest revisions. The Audi Q3 is no longer sold in top-of-the-line Prestige trim, but most of its features are still available in option packages. BMW X1 and X2 get standard satellite radio. The Lexus UX 250h hybrid model gets an adjustable double-decker board for its rear cargo area. Jaguar is working on an updated version of the E-Pace, but as of this writing it’s unclear whether it will be a 2021 or 2022 model.
MODELS THAT OFFER SOMETHING UNUSUAL
Most premium subcompact crossovers are designed as chic urban runabouts that are more focused on street driving than serious rough-terrain capability. The exception is the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque; it offers off-road prowess well beyond the others, thanks in part to standard gear such as hill descent control and Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system.
In terms of acceleration, the BMW X2, Jaguar E-Pace, Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 and GLA 45, and Range Rover Evoque stand out from the pack—available on the X2 and standard on the AMG GLA 35 are high-output turbo fours with about 300 horsepower, and the E-Pace and Evoque’s step-up engine has 296 hp. But it’s the AMG GLA 45 with its 382 horsepower and the all-electric Volvo XC40 Recharge with 402 horsepower that are the brawniest of these cute utes. On the flipside, the Lexus UX offers the only “full” hybrid model in the class.