Yahoo Autos Lexus UX
Hasn’t every car maker launched a compact SUV by now? Almost. It’s true – Lexus is late to the game with its new UX when you consider rivals such as the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 have been on sale for years.
But Lexus hasn’t missed the boat. The compact SUV segment remains the fastest-growing in Europe with premium versions the most in demand.
And so, it’s not surprising the UX is a fundamental part of Lexus’s strategy to sell 100,000 cars in Europe from 2020. Last year, it sold 76,000 units, which gives you a clue as to how far there is to go and how much is riding on the UX, which sits alongside the Lexus ageing CT200h as the entry-level models in the Lexus range. It also completes the now three-strong Lexus SUV range next to its mid-size Lexus NX and large Lexus RX siblings.
Such is the UX’s predicted impact, its maker reckons 70% of UX buyers will not only be new to Lexus but new to premium brands altogether.
How does the UX stand out from every other compact SUV?
Despite having many rivals – not least our favourite, the Volvo XC40 – the UX brings something new to the table. It’s a hybrid-only model, plus its many cuts and creases make it distinctly distinctive versus the pack.
It also has some of the more unusual dimensions among premium compact SUVs, with proportions making it the most car-like of the lot. It’s longer than any rival, in the mid-range for width (the Audi Q3 is wider, the BMW X1 is narrower) and lower than almost everything in its segment. So low that it’s only 68mm taller than a Volkswagen Golf.
The UX is the first Lexus to be built on its new global architecture, GA-C. This is the brand’s equivalent of parent company Toyota’s TGNA platform on which the Toyota RAV4 sits. Lexus says it promises a “lightweight yet super-rigid structure, extremely low centre of gravity and refined suspension tuning endowing it with exemplary handling agility and ride comfort, and a distinctive driving character”. Let’s see…
We’re behind the wheel of an F-Sport model, the middle of three trims and the sportiest of them all. That’s thanks to Adaptive Variable Suspension, which is part of a £1800 ‘Tech and safety’ pack, only available on the F-Sport. AVS made its debut on the flagship Lexus LC Coupe and can vary damping through 650 levels, all of which is meant to improve ride comfort.
Indeed, on the smooth roads of Barcelona, it’s an option worth ticking, ironing out road lumps and bumps nicely. As we often comment, the system’s worth will be more telling when we get the UX on UK roads in the near future.
Another promising outcome of the adaptive suspension was minimal body roll through corners, which exceeded expectations for a comfortable, compact SUV not built for high performance. Don’t expect the poise going into corners that you get from a BMX X1 but, nonetheless, the UX handles with an effortless ‘I’m not trying that hard but cope fine anyway’ kind of charm.
