Lexus UX300e review
It’s been a long time coming, but Lexus finally has an electric car in its lineup with the UX300e.
The brand that dominated the conversation on luxury hybrids has joined its prestige rivals with a car that can be recharged.
Sharing its body with the regular UX compact SUV – the main visual changes are “Electric” badges down each side – the UX300e arrives in a segment that includes the Mercedes-Benz EQA and Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric. On price it can also compete with the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2.
READ MORE: Lexus NX450h+ review
It’s shaping up to be a niche offering to start with as Lexus settles into life with an EV, but it’s a precursor to more hybrids and battery electric models for the brand over the next few years.
Value
The UX300e is priced from $74,000 plus on-road costs for the Luxury model, which gets 17-inch alloy wheels, smart key entry, wireless phone charging, parking sensors front and rear, 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system and a 10.3-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel.
That makes it the most expensive in the UX family, which also includes fuel-mising hybrid options.
There’s also a Sports Luxury ($81,000 plus costs) with 18-inch wheels, leather, sunroof, head-up display, full LED headlights and a classier ”washi” finish for the doors and dashboard.
Lexus recently upped its warranty to five years without a limit on kilometres and the high voltage battery pack gets the best backup going for an EV: coverage for 10 years and 160,000km with a guarantee of at least 70 percent of the original capacity.
The UX300e also comes with unrivalled after-sales support at this price. As well as a three-year Chargefox subscription that provides public DC fast charging across a broad network, the UX300e has access to the Encore Platinum program. It’s usually reserved for the most expensive models in the Lexus portfolio and includes things such as valet parking at various places.
But the most appealing part to many will be the access it provides to Lexus on Demand, which has a nation-wide fleet of cars that cost a lot more than the UX300e. Want an LS limousine? You can have one for up to eight days. Or you can choose an LX off-roader or RC coupe. You can have four eight-day loans during the first three years of ownership, which is quite the perk.
Inside
It’s almost identical inside to a regular UX SUV.
That means the usual Lexus meticulous attention to detail and classy finishes, something that mimics the exterior, right down to its lustrous paint. Even in the Luxury with its fake leather it’s a very convincing rendition of the real thing. The washi trim on the top of the dash of the Sports Luxury is a nice touch.
Nicely sculpted seats set the scene for a good driving position that also tilts the centre display towards the driver.
Those in the rear aren’t as generously accommodated, mainly with legroom that’s adequate by small SUV standards. At least there’s the same thoughtfulness with finishes and the way everything fits together.
Compared with the hybrid model (which locates its batteries under the boot floor, whereas for the EV they’re under the floor of the centre of the car) the boot floor has been lowered. That means 414 litres of space, which is decent without being cavernous.
A 10.3-inch screen looks after infotainment functions, although there’s the Lexus Remote Touch system to navigate the various menus, something that requires more concentration than it should as you try to aim for the appropriate virtual button.
Performance and efficiency
There’s a single electric motor powering the front wheels of the UX300e. All up there’s 150kW and 300Nm to play with, which is perky by compact SUV standards.
It’s also carrying around more weight than a regular UX, although the torque helps overcome that. The claimed 0-100km/h time is 7.5 seconds, which translates to stout acceleration.
There’s the occasional scrabble for traction if you’re enthusiastic with the throttle, although the electronics soon sort it out and the swift acceleration continues.
A dial on the side of the instrument binnacle selects between various drive modes, including Sport that sharpens throttle response.
Paddle shifters allow easy selection between four levels of regenerative braking, although not all are available until you select the B mode (for braking).
Electricity use is claimed at 15kWh per 100km and while we saw slightly higher than that, our drive included some higher speed running on country roads, which is never kind to electric vehicles.
Charging
There’s a 54.3kWh battery that provides up to 315km of WLTP range.
That’s towards the lower end of the modern EV expectations. Our drive wasn’t enough to give an independent assessment of the real world range. But when we first started driving the range predictor was suggesting around 270km.
Charging is done at up to 6.6kW using an AC outlet, which should allow a full charge in about nine hours.
Faster DC charging can only be done at up to 50kW, so a 10-80 percent charge is claimed to take 59 minutes, or another 21 minutes if you wanted it topped right up.
While AC charging is done with a Type 2 plug the DC charging uses a less common CHAdeMO plug.
The battery pack uses an air cooling system that Lexus says is more reliable than the more common liquid cooling systems on modern EVs.
Ride and handling
The UX300e is a couple of hundred kilos heavier than a petrol-powered UX. However much of the weight is down quite low, helping lower the overall centre of gravity by 63mm.
That helps define the core of the character, which is athletic and energetic. Faithful steering makes for predictable manners and it sits flat and composed through corners.
The UX also deals with bumps adeptly, swiftly settling and coping with big imperfections.
There’s an emphasis on everyday comfort over overt sportiness, although the trade off is an easy to live with demeanour.
Riding on 17-inch wheels, the Luxury is well sorted over bumps although not as grippy as the 18-inch tyres of the Sports Luxury.
Party tricks
The UX300e has a mode called My Room that allows you to relax while the car is charging and have some music and air-conditioning on.
It’s a thoughtful extra for when you’re waiting for a charge.
Safety
There are eight airbags to protect occupants in the event of an impact.
But the UX300e also works to avoid a crash in the first place. There’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB), active cruise control, speed sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert and blind spot warning.
Verdict
An impeccable cabin that’s plumped full of gear are highlights in the UX300e, which otherwise doesn’t reset any EV boundaries, with modest electric driving range and the inevitable compromises that come in shoehorning electric bits into a platform designed to take things powered by petrol.
The first EV for Lexus is fun to drive, albeit without the engagement of some in the EV space.
But it mounts a far more convincing case once you consider the after-sales extras, such as Lexus on Demand that gives access to a fleet of loan cars. It’s those extras that help the UX300e stand out.
Lexus UX300e specifications
Price: From $74,000 plus on-road costs
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, compact SUV, FWD
Range: 315km (WLTP)
Battery capacity: 54.3kWh
Battery warranty: 10 years/160,000km
Energy consumption: 15kWh/100km
Motors: 1 front 150kW/300Nm
AC charging: 6.6kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: 50kW, CHAdeMO plug
0-100km/h: 7.5 seconds
