Test drive Lexus UX
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Test drive Lexus UX

Several very important and difficult questions about the most affordable Lexus that you probably care about

If you can surprise prim Swedes with something, then certainly not the wooden floors in shopping centers, Italian cuisine in the subway or the obligatory Saturday clean-up for bankers. Nice cars are another matter. Average salaries in Sweden have long passed over $ 2, but Scandinavians still prefer gray diesel station wagons. Therefore, the line of bright Lexus UX in the center of Stockholm stopped life in the metropolis for a while.

The UX also distracted me a lot, but how else: Lexus has never produced such a compact model before. Yes, there was a hybrid CT, but the Japanese did not have small crossovers yet. Of course, UX does not pretend to be considered the main novelty of the season, but the show stopper has definitely turned out from it. Surely, there will be a lot of questions for the Lexus UX - we will answer the main ones:

How is the Lexus UX different from the Toyota C-HR?

Almost everyone. Yes, the machines are built on the same GA-C platform and, accordingly, are almost identical in size. Both brands are trying to flirt with a young audience with the help of compact crossovers. But this is on paper - in reality, everything is much more complicated.

Test drive Lexus UX

Comparing the Lexus UX to the Toyota C-HR is like looking for Volkswagen Tiguan knobs on a Lamborghini Urus. Both cars were produced by the same concern, and it is normal that classmate crossovers use similar technical solutions. The difference is in perception. The UX did not lose its charm from the older Lexus models, and Toyota initially did not try to bring the C-HR closer to its more advanced brother. If it is simpler, the difference between them is in trim levels and chassis settings. And it's colossal.

Live the Lexus UX as bright as the pictures?

Automotive photographers have an understandable habit of shooting small cars from underneath. In the case of UX, it only hurt. I understand the idea of ​​marketers, who probably set this task: they wanted the youngest Lexus to appear larger than it really is. But it is in the compact size of the UX that all its beauty lies.

Test drive Lexus UX

Surprisingly, the Lexus designers were able to retain all the stylistic elements of the older models - they simply changed the proportions. Remember their signature spindle grille? Here it is exactly like on the NX, only slightly smaller. The wheel arches on the UX are almost like the new RX, but slightly scaled up. There was not enough room only for the boomerangs of the head optics, so they were inserted directly into the headlights. But the most striking solution is the LED "crossbar" between the left and right lamps.

So what is it: a hatchback or is it a crossover?

The smallest Lexus steers well - it has an adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers and the lowest center of gravity in the class. The suspension can be customized: the AVS system will either make it look sporty in oak or relax it as much as possible. Of course, the difference between "Comfort" and "Sport +" is not as significant as in the case of pneuma, but you can definitely feel it.

Test drive Lexus UX

The electric booster is also well tuned: the UX is equally good both at city speeds in the range of 30-70 km / h, when the steering wheel gives off synthetics, and on the highway - here the steering wheel is filled with the necessary weight.

The 160mm ground clearance, all-wheel drive versions, and a protective plastic body kit are a clear nod to the UX's crossover pedigree. Of course, he does not have that margin of safety to knead dirt somewhere in a dacha in the Tula region, but a summer country road and winter curbs for UX will definitely not be a problem. So in today's market realities, the Lexus UX is an urban crossover.

Test drive Lexus UX
Should you pay extra for four-wheel drive?

First, let's take a look at the versions. In Russia, as in other markets, there will be two UX options: 200 and 250H. The first is front-wheel drive, with a two-liter gasoline aspirated 150 hp. and a variator. The second one is all-wheel drive, with the same two-liter engine, but which is assisted by an electric motor. In total, the hybrid produces 178 hp.

On paper, the all-wheel drive and more powerful UX is faster than gasoline - 8,5 s versus 9,2 s at 100 km / h. But on the road, the difference is almost not felt: both have enough dynamics for the city. Another thing is behavior on fast winding paths in the vicinity of Stockholm. Here the difference in weight was already affecting: the hybrid is 140 kg heavier than the UX200 version, so the excitement was slightly lost.

Test drive Lexus UX

I'd really like to see a slightly "warmed up" UX - with a 2,0-liter supercharged "four" at 238 hp. (as on the NX), all-wheel drive and dynamics at 6 s to 100 km / h. After the presentation on the sidelines, I even asked Japanese engineers for this. “Perhaps we are thinking, but we haven’t decided anything yet,” one of them reassured slightly.

There is a feeling that 200WD UX is definitely not needed in the city. The UX150 will also cope with the tasks that will be set before him. In addition, the question for many will disappear by itself when Lexus announces the price list: the difference in price between the XNUMX-horsepower version and the hybrid Lexus will definitely be significant.

Test drive Lexus UX
What's in his "base"?

European premium has not been shy about fabric salons and halogen lamps for a long time. Lexus decided not to make a revolution, so it went almost the same way, but with some reservations. Yes, the base UX200 does not have leather, cameras and even parking sensors, but the Eco package already includes LED headlights, foglights and flashlights. There are also 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate, tire pressure monitoring system, cruise control and good multimedia with a color screen.

The most advanced option is Luxury (for 250H). There will be, for example, all-round cameras, leather upholstery, electric seats, a projection screen, an electric fifth door, a huge multimedia display, as well as navigation and active safety systems (lane hold, automatic braking, and others).

Test drive Lexus UX
How much does UX cost and who is its competitor?

Lexus promises to roll out the full price list for UX in November. But now we can assume that the top-end UX will cost about the same as the base NX - that is, about $ 32-700. The starting price tag for front-wheel drive versions will be about $ 34-000.

The main competitor of the Lexus UX is the Mercedes GLA (from $ 29). Still, of course, the Japanese will argue with the BMW X700 (from $ 2), the Volvo XC26 (from $ 300) and the Jaguar E-Pace (from $ 40). In addition, the new Audi Q28 is coming soon.

The main trump card of UX is bright and very harmonious design. The Japanese did not try to paint it from scratch, as Europeans often do when entering a new segment for themselves, but simply reduced the older NX and RX. The experiment was definitely a success - the Swedes will confirm.

Lexus UX 200Lexus UX 250H
A typeCrossoverCrossover
dimensions

(length / width / height), mm
4495/1840/15404495/1840/1540
Wheelbase, mm26402640
Ground clearance, mm160160
Cargo space, l227227
Curb weight, kg1460 – 15401600 – 1680
Gross vehicle weight, kg19802110
engine's typeGasoline, atmosphericHybrid
Working volume, cubic meters cm19871987
Max. power,

hp (at rpm)
150 / 6600178 / 6700
Max. cool. moment,

Nm (at rpm)
202 / 4300205 / 4400
Drive type, transmissionFront, variatorFull, variator
Max. speed km / h190177
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s9,28,5
Price from, USDNot announcedNot announced

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