The Lexus UX 250h 2020 makes a very strong first impression. The elegant external design is especially in the cadmium orange paint of my example, and the hybrid’s beneficial fuel economy statements are valuable. Still, it’s hard to fall in love with the smaller Lexus model.
Although efficient, the powertrain is a little breathless at speed, and strangely there is little space for cargo, passengers or car seats in the narrow UX cabin. And even with 2020-style year generation updates, Lexus’ smaller cab generation can be a little confusing to use.
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Beautiful and angular, the UX is the most productive execution of Lexus’ SUV design language and, in my opinion, one of the best cars in its class. The highly pleated blade plays better with the subcompact proportions of UX than those of larger RX and NX models. I especially appreciate the thick wheel arches and RAV4-esque and the three-dimensional design of the taillights, which pass a little beyond the frame as small aerodynamic diffusers.
Measuring 177 inches from the nose to the tail and measuring only 60.6 inches in height, the UX is not much larger than the CT 200h, which it technically replaces as an access point to the American Lexus line. The slightly raised frame height and all-wheel drive are necessarily the only features of its design that describe the UX as a small SUV than a tailgate. To be fair, it’s the same old thing in this class.
That said, even among its Lilliputian peers, the UX cabin is claustrophobic. There is plenty of legroom in the narrow row of moments and a valuable small volume to carry. Between the highly sloping roof and the hybrid battery, which lifts the floor from the back door, the UX 250h offers only 17.1 cubic feet of shipping area, approximately 4.6 cubes less than the non-hybrid. This is the general shipping area with the seats folded. This puts the UX hybrid among the worst in its class, with an even lower shipping capability than the Hyundai Ioniq recoil.
In addition, the high-load terrain and small opening of the hatches make it difficult to load giant objects. Squeezing a non-giant 8.25 cubic foot box on the back is even a challenge.
Fortunately, the front row is quite comfortable with a moderate amount of head and legroom, as well as seats. The UX board features high quality fabrics that are as pleasing to the eye as they are at hand. Despite some possible confusing design options for technology, I actually like the Lexus cab aesthetically and ergonomically.
The dashboard comprises the only genuine settings for the 2020-style year. The UX now has Android Auto USB smartphone connectivity. Of course, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa support is also retained compared to last year. Like the larger Lexus RX, Android Auto makes full use of the UX’s optional 10.25-inch ultra-wide ux display, filling the screen with a split-screen interface that presents navigation and audio knowledge at the same time.
Beyond third-party technology, Lexus’ Enform infotainance formula with touch remote control is not … Not excellent. The touchpad fixed on the console is quite simple to understand, but can be vague and annoying for elections or driving. This could be one of the reasons why Lexus blocks all fundamental interactions of maximum information and entertainment when the car is on the move, but it also means you can’t ask a passenger to enter a destination for you.
The UX also has what will have to be the worst-placed volume dial I’ve ever seen. It will place it, after some studies, inserted into the appearance of a palm rest on the back of the remote touch panel with shortcut buttons for variety of audio source and radio settings. The small button requires multiple scans for quick volume changes and can be difficult for passengers to succeed without contortion.
It is ironic that a vehicle called UX has such a poor design for the user (UX).
Fortunately, the complex driving assistance generation of the UX is a more powerful demonstration with Lexus Safety Suite 2.0, popular for all models. This means a popular forward collision precaution, emergency automatic braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise with traffic assistance, lane departure caution and very decent lane tracking assistance, through checking all the boxes. The UX also includes popular automatic traffic lighting accessories and traffic signal detection, which shows the speed limits displayed on the navigation screens and on the tool headset.
My example also includes optional parking assistance with automatic rear cross-traffic braking ($595), three-beam LED headlights ($1660) and a high-color headlight demonstration ($500). Other amenities are added to the rear line: a heated wheel, all-weather mats and some additional adjustments.
The Lexus UX 250h features an edition of Toyota’s synergistic hybrid formula with popular all-wheel drive. The combination of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor sends a total of 181 horsepower (and undetermined torque) to the front wheels of the crossover. Meanwhile, a 7-horsepower electric motor-generator compromised on the rear axle distributes 40 lb/ft of torque between the rear wheels at speeds of up to forty-five mph. This is necessarily the same low drag AWD-e configuration found in the updated Prius.
The UX features Normal, Sport and Eco driving modes, available via truncated rods on the board and a limited EV driving mode button on the center console. Although the hybrid can technically switch to EV mode up to 71 mph, such speeds can only be achieved downhill. In practice, EV mode is for entering and exiting vehicle entrances or around car parks.
In the city, the UX 250h feels pretty smart with a decent thrust and a subsidized sensitive throttle through an electrified torque. The UX’s suspension and guidance stretch, making the giant hatchback sedan agile around urban obstacles. You’ll want this agility to avoid potholes; a little too much, the suspension of the UX company can penalize on uneven terrain.
Unfortunately, at higher speeds, the UX’s hybrid powertrain runs out of juice. Highway junctions and fusions don’t have the dynamism you feel in the city, while the busy journey, where you’d like to take credit for responsive guidance and suspension, meets slow, whistling acceleration. The optional F Sport end can be more fun with its game suspension and gearshift paddles, but, without additional power, I doubt it. It’s not a gaming car; It is an eco-friendly car with game trends.
The UX hybrid is smart enough to be an eco-friendly car, sending an estimated EPA at 39 miles consistent with combined gallons, 38 mpg on the road and up to 41 mpg in the city. Not bad for a hybrid all-wheel drive SUV, which necessarily matches Toyota’s Ford Escape AWD Hybrid and RAV4 Hybrid AWD. However, expand your network to come with front-wheel drive models, and the 49 Kia Niro phones and 51 urban mpgs hit almost the rest of this elegance before accessories register for the fray.
The Lexus UX 250h 2020 is available in fundamental versions ($34,500), F Sport ($36,500) and Luxury ($39,700). The core genre gives you the most of Lexus Safety Suite 2.0 amenities and technologies; With some additional options, there is no genuine desire to move on. The F Sport genres feature suspension and chassis modifications, a more competitive taste and gear palettes. Finally, premium luxury molding provides the convenience of creatures such as reminiscences, guide wheel and mirrors, an electric sunroof and forward sound. As tested, my luxury genre with high-end paint, three-beam LED headlights, HUD, parking aids and other features costs $44700, adding a $1025 destination fee.
The UX is a little bird. Its precarious balance of style, sumptuous quotes and power is at the expense of any genuine usefulness. Toyota’s RAV4 hybrid is more powerful, more spacious and just as much cash for much less money. Honda’s CR-V hybrid, despite its peculiarities, is a more attractive journey. The Kia Niro with an unpleasant look is by far the most effective SUV I can think of without grip. And yet they are not “luxury SUV” like the UX; None gives the convenience of the high-end creature or the quality of the fabrics lexus offers.
Some other people with a little extra money for a sublime urban tour that stands out from the crowd would possibly find that the UX 250h is precisely what they are for. For the most part, I think, the technological drawbacks, the commitments of the shipping area and the luxury tax would possibly not be the prices they are willing to pay.
This was originally published in Roadshow.
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