Why is the Lexus UX the mythical creature within the booming crossover segment?

At this point, Toyota and Lexus have been playing the hybrid game so long that they're starting to lap the competition. The pair has hybrid offerings across nearly their entire lineup, and the hybrid drivetrains themselves have gone through multiple iterations. The latest Toyota hybrid setup, which the company calls its fifth-generation system, has now made it into one of the rarest seen Lexus, the UX. It is a car that, obviously hasen't lapped its competitors depending the sales numbers. But why?

What is it all about?

The UX's powertrain can be also found in the Toyota Prius and Corolla Cross, and the main upgrade is its more powerful electric motor-generators. In the UX, the hybrid drivetrain produces a total of 196 horsepower from the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and either two or three electric motors. The number of motors depends on whether you choose front- or all-wheel drive (the AWD version adds a third motor to the rear axle).

With an extra 15 horsepower onboard compared with last year's model, Lexus saw fit to adjust the car's badge from UX250h to UX300h. Additionally, the facelifted UX receives a more revised noise insulation, new suspension and more options to choose from. The exterior has been untouched and stays the same since its debut in 2019.

First impressions

The UX300h model we are looking at has the F Sport Handling trim level, which is distinct from the F Sport Appearance trim level in that it includes actual handling-oriented upgrades — speaking of adaptive dampers. It also incorporates fake engine noises which I found to be silly, as the engine sounds and simulated "shifts" don't correspond to what's actually going on under the hood. In addition, these pumped in noises are not quite equivalent to Lexus’s brand characteristics. The F Sport package doesn't include any changes to the wheel and tire package, though, so the performance uptick isn't noticeable over the standard model. At least for a layman.

The shown car is painted in dual-color scheme in cobalt blue combined with a black roof (CHF 2’500.- extra). The painted wheel arches are only available with the Lexus UX Excellence and F-Sport trim levels, which are recognizably more expensive compared to the other trim levels with visible black plastic wheel arches. The 18-inch wheels come as standard with run flat tires and have no extra cost. The electric sunroof will charge you an extra CHF 1’300.- and CHF 300.- for the white F-Sport leather interior leading to a final price of CHF 69’000.-.

Let’s have a seat

This Lexus is specced to the max. Almost every comfort feature is on board. Phone connectivity (which worked flawlessly and quick every time with Apple Carplay), various driving assists, front seats can be heated and cooled, heated steering wheel and some additional stuff make this a luxurious compact SUV for sure.

Mentionable are the good-looking and comfortable white leather seats (which of course, are pretty sensible getting dirty) as well as the infotainment system’s intuitive operation and knobs to set you climate control underneath the big center screen. That’s definitely a huge plus compared to the bigger Lexus models where the climate control can only be set through the touch display. Premium feelings provide even the electric windows as they close pretty quick and slow down shortly before they’re closed completely to reduce noises. This is luxury. Listen up, Germans!

The boot space speaking of 320L has disappointed me. The high loading edge and small space haven’t convinced me to the fullest. Additionally, the rear seat bench does only fold down in a 60-to-40 ratio and hasn’t hidden a pass-through for skis or similar items. The UX doesn’t seem that practical I honestly hoped it would be. In comparison: A 2024 Toyota Corolla hot hatch is 10cm shorter but has a boot space of 360 liters.

Driving Experience:

Toyota/ Lexus constantely revises its Hybrid drivetrain technology. It’s recognizable that the fifth-generation conventional self-charging hybrid technology works enormously smooth, so you really need to activate all your butt sensors to feel the combustion engine turning on or off. Hats off, the drivetrain works flawlessly. And thanks to the increased electric power, the UX can be driven fully electric in urban environments (as long as you have a very sensible foot and driving style). 

New to the UX300h are plenty of driving assists like the city assist, lane assist and many others which are tuned conservatively. It made me feel like I’m getting monitored constantly. This leads to getting annoyed or starting to ignore the constant beeping unless you’re not willing to drive around like your grandparents (As long their family names aren’t Mouton or Röhrl).

Leaving the assists aside, notable is that the UX is a very firm and smooth ride. It handles bumpy and uneven surfaces with ease. Nothing shakes, nothing rattles. Additional isolating material provide an even more quiet travelling. Except when you need a lot of power, the CVT lets the engine rev up sonorously. BUT, if you want power, the UX serves power. You simply have to let the engine work, even if it sounds rather strained.

The Lexus UX300h consumes 1.5L/100km more petrol compared to the tested Toyota Prius (4.5 L/100km) reaching an average consumption of 6.1L/100km mixed driving distance. These figures aren’t overwhelming for me. But, compared to its competitors, the Lexus UX seals a unique selling point with its full hybrid drive system. The fact that you don't have to run after a charging station is an absolute selling point for the compact Japanese car.

What should I buy?

If you are on the search for a rather fuel economic, reliable (10-year warranty by Lexus speaks for itself) city carver that has a posh and more refined interior compared to a Toyota Prius and a slightly bigger road clearance with higher seating position, then the UX might be something worth to check out. This Lexus proves its daily usability with its comfortable features, a small turning radius and compact size.

The Lexus UX300h does many things well. But not perfectly. In my opinion, the subcompact SUV is not quite as outstanding as the Corolla and Prius compared to its sister company Toyota. A price premium of around 50% on the basic UX version with the same powertrain is somewhat frightening. This may also be reflected in the sales of the boldly designed crossover, which is almost as rare on the roads as a unicorn in a fairy tale forest. And to finish it off: For almost CHF 70’000.- you could get the UX’s bigger, more comfortable and practical sibling, a Lexus NX 350h with the Business trim and the upgraded infotainment system, too. Although the UX300h is a great car for what it is, I would still take the current Toyota Prius or Corolla as these are more fuel economic and cheaper to buy. Or as mentioned, a Lexus NX with some carefully chosen options for the same price.

To end this review, I wanted to thank Lexus Switzerland for lending me their incredibly well specced Lexus UX300h F-Sport I had the opportunity to properly test drive for two weeks.

Review & Photos by RPM | Robin P.M.