Photo: Lexus
About a year ago, Lexus filed the “UX 300e" trademark with the European Intellectual Property Office. Now, at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China, and the real deal premiered as the first-ever EV from Lexus under the Lexus Electrified banner.
Before the subcompact crossover was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2018, everyone knew that Toyota’s luxury division has big plans for the UX. The Toyota New Global Architecture GA-C platform has also been developed with multiple levels of electrification in mind as well as ICE-only engines such as the Dynamic Force.
Scheduled to go on sale in the Middle Kingdom in 2020 and the United Kingdom by 2021, the UX 300e features an electrified front axle with 150 kW and 300 Nm of torque. That’s 204 PS or 201 horsepower along with 221 pound-feet, ratings that seem adequate for a vehicle in this segment. The lithium-ion battery sandwiched into the floor has a capacity of 54.3 kWh and circa 250 miles of range on the New European Driving Cycle.
“Wait, isn’t WLTP the standard right now?” While that may be true for the Old Continent, the People’s Republic of China still uses the NEDC because reasons. The Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure offers a more realistic outlook on efficiency, but we’ll have to wait until the first quarter of 2020 to find out the WLTP range.
Lexus claims the battery needs seven hours to charge from a 6.6-kW household socket or 50 minutes using a 50-kW fast charger. Tipping the scale at approximately 1,900 kilograms, the UX 300e also benefits from different suspension from the ICE and hybrid to handle the additional weight brought by the electric drivetrain and battery.
Active Sound Control comes standard, and this system’s purpose is “to communicate the driving conditions to the driver and passengers.” Moving on, the most surprising aspect of the UX 300e is how the all-electric sibling looks extremely similar to the UX 200 and UX 250h. Lexus Safety System+ is also featured, and the LexusLink app allows you to check the crossover’s stats with a simple tap on your phone’s touchscreen.
Scheduled to go on sale in the Middle Kingdom in 2020 and the United Kingdom by 2021, the UX 300e features an electrified front axle with 150 kW and 300 Nm of torque. That’s 204 PS or 201 horsepower along with 221 pound-feet, ratings that seem adequate for a vehicle in this segment. The lithium-ion battery sandwiched into the floor has a capacity of 54.3 kWh and circa 250 miles of range on the New European Driving Cycle.
“Wait, isn’t WLTP the standard right now?” While that may be true for the Old Continent, the People’s Republic of China still uses the NEDC because reasons. The Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure offers a more realistic outlook on efficiency, but we’ll have to wait until the first quarter of 2020 to find out the WLTP range.
Lexus claims the battery needs seven hours to charge from a 6.6-kW household socket or 50 minutes using a 50-kW fast charger. Tipping the scale at approximately 1,900 kilograms, the UX 300e also benefits from different suspension from the ICE and hybrid to handle the additional weight brought by the electric drivetrain and battery.
Active Sound Control comes standard, and this system’s purpose is “to communicate the driving conditions to the driver and passengers.” Moving on, the most surprising aspect of the UX 300e is how the all-electric sibling looks extremely similar to the UX 200 and UX 250h. Lexus Safety System+ is also featured, and the LexusLink app allows you to check the crossover’s stats with a simple tap on your phone’s touchscreen.
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