The Lexus UX is more Merc GLA than BMW X1. But there are some good reasons to like about its pumped-up hatch attitude.
Small SUVs, usually classified as B-segment or subcompact in size, are now important tools in helping expand customer base of various makers taking part in the luxury car market.
But it isn’t that straightforward for some players, especially in a country riddled with high import duty and complex excise taxation.
Take a look at Audi, for one. By having no assembly facility in Thailand, it really didn’t shift much sales of the Q3 (whose all-new model has yet to come here) or the smaller Q2 due to their thin margins.
Models like the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Mini Countryman and Volvo XC40 are all finished in either Malaysia or Thailand to escape the 80% tax imposed on completely built-up cars coming from outside Asean.
So where does that leave Lexus, the other luxury nameplate that has no production line here, with its all-new UX? Well, Toyota’s upscale brand simply had to hold on tight and fight on.
So rather than having prices starting at just over two million baht to match its competition, the cheapest UX250h costs 2.49 million baht in Luxury trim and an additional 200k or Grand Luxury.
At least, its uncontested hybrid system can attract just 8% excise tax rather than the 25% rate its opponents need to settle for.
While this particular SUV segment can already sell sufficiently well with two-wheel drive (let’s face it: they’re mostly used for the daily grind), Lexus is offering an all-wheel drive version of the UX250h at 3.62 million baht.
Yes, that’s a million baht more than the front-drive model in Grand Luxury spec. As well, Lexus fans can have the NX from a class above for that money in basic trim (but to be fair, an all-wheel drive NX costs 4.45 million baht).
The reason for that high price is due to excise taxation (again). The front-drive UX250h emits 99g/km and can attract the 8% levy; four-wheel drive spits out more than 100g/km and needs to face a higher 16%.
To compensate for this premium, Lexus has stacked this range-topping UX250h (as tested here) with features.
There’s not only the F Sport cosmetic treatment on the exterior but also in the cabin, where there are sportier instrument panel and front seats with cool-air ventilation.
Yeah, such soothing chairs usually come from classes above, which is to say that the UX is the only SUV in its class to feature them.
Since the XC40 is currently being sold with a raft of driving aids, Lexus has given this so-called UX250h F Sport AWD a similar amount of items which also includes a fancy head-up display.
Yes, this particular UX is thoroughly equipped and could be considered the irrational choice for enthusiasts needing sporty looks and a good drive (adaptive dampers are standard here along with all-wheel drive). Which is probably why the front-drive model will matter more for most buyers.
While we’re on things mechanical, it must be noted that the all-wheel drive system is not like most others, where a shaft usually connects the front and rear axles. Instead, Lexus employs a dedicated electric motor on the rear; the front is driven by the petrol-electric hybrid.
As well, the adaptive suspension isn’t like those air sus found in luxury limos. Rather, there are sensors on the dampers to make the ride as smooth and stable as possible when driven over uneven roads.
Despite not being exactly sophisticated, these two systems effectively delivers in real-world driving.
Step hard on the throttle when turning out of a corner or backstreet and there’s virtually no wheel spin, understeer or intervention of the chassis electronics.
The ride is equally commendable by being well-controlled at most times, even when travelling at high speeds.
However, those 18-inch wheels and low-profiled tyres can be felt and heard occasionally on broken road surfaces.
We haven’t got the chance to sample the front-drive UX with 17-inch wheels. But based on this account, and for the fact that the UX uses Toyota’s fine TNGA platform, it’s safe to assume that it’s really what most buyers need.
In fact, the overall driving manners feel very car-like in this class of SUVs. This could also be attributed to the UX’s relatively lower ride height and hatch-like handling. Yes, this Lexus is more GLA than X1, whose SUV proportions are also echoed in the XC40.
But due to its pumped-up hatch attitude, the UX isn’t as practical as its competitors. Six-footers can sit in the rear but will find legroom tight. The boot is flat in extended form but has a shallow floor.
The UX’s more of an urban SUV for two or young families. And if treated like that, you’ll find the driving cockpit a great place to be in, thanks to tidy ergonomics, effective infotainment and a truly upmarket ambience when trimmed with F Sport.
The driver should also find the hybrid drivetrain reasonably spirited.
The UX250h has the same electrified principle of the Toyota C-HR but sports a bigger 2.0-litre combustion engine producing a combined 184hp of power; the C-HR’s 1.8-litre combo makes 122hp.
You can feel the performance advantage in the UX250h over the similarly packaged C-HR (it’s a B-segment SUV, after all, but for the mass-market stage).
Engine and transmission is decently responsive, as well. But what beckons more is the UX250h’s ability to blend ample oomph and circa-20kpl economy.
As Lexus wants to add a dose of fun in the UX250h, there’s a switch to turn on artificial acoustics of the engine and transmission gearshifts. It sounds eerie and doesn’t sync with the tach needle, so it’s best left off.
Is the UX250h really worth considering? If you don’t like the excess of an SUV, this Lexus can nicely do it with reasonably dynamic driving experience coming very close to that of a hatchback. And there’s a highly relevant hybrid that has been made better than in other similarly powered Lexuses.
But whether the tight package will be a deterrent to buyers in Thailand remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure, though.
The UX250h is certainly in a better position of chasing more sales than the aging, unloved CT200h hatchback. The UX should indirectly replace the CT, although Lexus hasn't confirmed this yet.
