This may quickly be some of the rarest Lexus UX fashions ever introduced in Australia.

Previous this yr Lexus Australia introduced simply 250 examples of the Lexus UX 250 h F Recreation Design Particular Version are coming Down Underneath.

This limited-edition UX variant is in keeping with the entry-level Luxurious and springs with a variety of options that make it seem like an F Recreation. A few of these options come with a body-coloured wheel arches, F Recreation badging and 18-inch alloy wheels with run-flat tyres.

There’s additionally black roof rails, aspect replicate caps, in addition to a contrast-painted roof. The latter of those options is a primary for the UX.

The Lexus UX has been round for a couple of years now – it introduced in the neighborhood in 2018 – and pioneered series-parallel hybrid era within the top rate small SUV section.

A lot of Ecu opponents has since presented mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or all-electric powertrains.

Does the Lexus UX nonetheless shape as a good looking small SUV providing? Learn alongside to determine.

How does the Lexus UX fare vs its competition?

View an in depth breakdown of the Lexus UX towards in a similar way sized automobiles.

Lexus

UX

How a lot does the Lexus UX 250h value?

The 2024 Lexus UX vary begins from $46,085 ahead of on-road prices for the UX 200 Luxurious.

The UX 250h F Recreation Design Particular Version on check this is round $12,500 dearer than the entry-level variant at $58,620 ahead of on-road prices. Our tester used to be completed in Sonic Chrome steel which provides an additional $1750, bringing the whole to $60,370 ahead of on-roads.

When it comes to competition, the Lexus UX 250h F Recreation Design Particular Version is priced in a similar way to the next:

All costs are ahead of on-road prices.

2024 Lexus UX pricing:

• Lexus UX 200 Luxurious: $46,085
• Lexus UX 250h Luxurious + Enhancement Pack 2: $54,320
• Lexus UX 200 Sports activities Luxurious: $56,850
• Lexus UX 200 F Recreation: $57,495
• Lexus UX 250h F Recreation Design Particular Version: $58,620
• Lexus UX 250h Sports activities Luxurious: $61,350
• Lexus UX 250h F Recreation: $61,995
• Lexus UX 250h Sports activities Luxurious AWD: $65,850
• Lexus UX 250h F Recreation AWD: $66,495
• Lexus UX 300e Luxurious: $79,990
• Lexus UX 300e Sports activities Luxurious: $87,665

Costs are ahead of on-road prices

What’s the Lexus UX 250h like at the inside of?

Strolling as much as the Lexus UX 250h F Recreation Design Particular Version and unlocking it offers you a well-known sound that’s shared throughout quite a few Lexus and Toyota fashions. If you recognize, you recognize.

Thank you partially to the raised experience peak, ingress and egress within the UX is tremendous simple as you don’t want to step up or down.

The UX 250h F Recreation Design Particular Version comes as same old with NuLuxe upholstery which is basically Lexus-speak for synthetic leather-based. It’s actually cushy and feels divine, a minimum of to me. It may be had in both Black or White Ash, with our tester that includes the previous.

Along with the seats feeling cushy to touch, the motive force’s seat is tremendous happy with various aspect bolstering to carry you in position. I favored the volume of thigh adjustment there used to be as smartly.

Forward of the motive force is a thick, squidgy leather-wrapped guidance wheel that’s very similar to nearly each and every different Lexus style from the previous few years. The one distinction this guidance wheel has when in comparison to an ES, for instance, is it misses out at the wood accents.

The guidance wheel push buttons have a relatively spongey motion which when driven don’t really feel very actual. For instance, you must push the quantity buttons in a selected spot for it to in reality sign in, which is usually a little irritating.

At the back of the guidance wheel is the place you get started see this particular version is basically a dressed-up base style because it receives the elemental 7.0-inch virtual software cluster, as a substitute of the bigger and extra refined 8.0-inch unit.

This 7.0-inch virtual software cluster seems dated and just a little low-resolution. It additionally misses out at the cool shifting round part that right kind F Recreation variant receives.

All of the left-hand aspect of this virtual software cluster seems love it has been taken without delay from another low-end Toyota. This isn’t actually becoming in a Lexus that’s $60,000.

At the turn aspect, the brand new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment device is likely one of the up to date Lexus UX’s absolute best options.

This new unit could be very high-resolution and has tons of processing energy. This implies the infotainment device begins up temporarily while you get started the auto, and new content material so much snappily.

The brand new infotainment device now helps wi-fi Apple CarPlay, whilst Android Auto remains to be solely to be had in stressed out shape.

All the way through my time with the tester I completely used wi-fi Apple CarPlay, which labored flawlessly except one travel house the place it simply outright refused to recognize that my telephone used to be attached.

To maintain my telephone battery crowned up whilst the use of wi-fi CarPlay there’s fortunately a wi-fi telephone charger that I used to be shocked to look in reality rate my telephone. Numerous vehicles I pressure with wi-fi chargers typically rate my telephone correctly because the charging coils don’t align correctly.

If you want to rate your telephone extra reliably there also are two USB-C ports that positioned close to the wi-fi telephone charger.

The UX’s infotainment device comes same old with satellite tv for pc navigation which felt simply as simple to make use of as Google Maps on a telephone. On the lookout for sights used to be tremendous simple, in contrast to some automotive’s built in navigation techniques.

I admire the UX has a row of bodily buttons for the local weather controls. This makes it actually simple to temporarily alternate the temperature, or whether or not the air is coming from the outdoor or recirculating.

One thing that could be a little irritating, alternatively, is even though there’s a button for the place the air is pointing, for instance, the one solution to see what it’s set to is at the touchscreen. It additionally doesn’t show this data when you’re the use of smartphone mirroring.

Across the cabin there are many cushy plastics and fabrics. The door armrests, in addition to the centre console are wrapped in an excellent cushy and spongey subject material. You don’t have to appear too a ways despite the fact that to search out tougher plastics.

I actually like how there may be minimum glossy piano black across the cabin of this actual UX. What’s there as a substitute are matte darkish gray plastics that don’t display close to as many fingerprints, or get as noticeably scratched or grubby as temporarily.

But even so the software cluster, in a different way to inform this UX is a dressed up base style are the clean buttons. Subsequent to the equipment selector is a cluster of buttons which solely has the heated seats. There are clean buttons for the place the controls for the ventilated seats and heated guidance wheel would typically be.

Capping off the primary row is a small sunroof that Lexus calls a ‘moonroof’. It’s in a position to tilt and slide with buttons positioned at the headliner.

Transferring to the second one row there’s no actual noticeable step down with regards to high quality or atmosphere. The second one-row seats are simply as cushy because the entrance.

At a leggy 182cm tall I needed to splay my legs across the motive force’s seat as a way to get comfy. Head, shoulder, and toe room however are all utterly nice.

When it comes to second-row facilities, there are air vents at the again of the centre console, USB-C ports, in addition to a fold-down armrest with cupholders.

The boot of the Lexus UX is powered and will also be operated with a hands-free capability. This is useful if in case you have your arms complete and will’t contort your self right into a place that permits you to push the button.

As soon as the tailgate is open you could be just a little bit upset with the space for storing on be offering. With a claimed 368 litres of boot area, it’s actually disappointing I will’t take a seat my backpack upright with out hitting the flimsy load duvet.

What’s much more disappointing that is the loss of a spare wheel. There’s no longer even a tyre restore equipment as UX fashions with 18-inch alloy wheels have run-flat tyres. This setup actually doesn’t paintings for individuals who reside in rural or regional spaces that don’t all the time have in a position get right of entry to to tyre stores within the tournament of a puncture.

What’s underneath the bonnet?

The Lexus UX 250h is powered via a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with one electrical motor and a 216V nickel-metal hydride battery pack. It’s mated completely to an e-CVT.

The petrol engine within the hybrid powertrain produces 107kW and 188Nm, with the front-mounted electrical motor generating 80kW and 202Nm. General device output for the hybrid powertrain is 135kW of energy.

The Lexus UX vary may be to be had with a non-hybridised 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with 126kW and 205Nm.

Lexus claims the UX 250h has a blended economic system determine of 4.5 litres in line with 100km. All the way through our time with the tester which consisted of 660km of city, metropolitan, and regional using, it fed on a median of five.2 litres in line with 100km. That is just a bit bit upper than what I used to be anticipating.

It has a 43-litre gasoline tank and calls for no less than 91 RON common unleaded petrol.

How does the Lexus UX 250h pressure?

Beginning up the Lexus UX 250h F Recreation Design Particular Version is in large part a silent affair, with the one actual solution to inform you’ve became the auto on being a beep.

After this the engine can transfer on if it’s no longer already warmed up as a way to get the the entire fluids to working temperatures. In case you’re using slowly or decelerating as soon as the engine is heat it’ll transfer off, permitting you to pressure in EV mode.

Energy from the two.0-litre hybrid powertrain is good enough, despite the fact that it’s by no means actually breathtaking. There’s an preliminary surge as the entire torque the electrical motor can give is to be had from standstill, despite the fact that it’s just a little gentle.

Simply as you get shifting, or if you happen to press the accelerator just a little tougher, the engine will kick into lifestyles which takes you out of the appearance of EV-only using lovely temporarily.

The real switch over from electrical to petrol energy is actually seamless, which is one thing I will’t say for quite a few different hybrids. There’s no noticeable lurching or unbalanced feeling.

In case you actually punch the accelerator, the UX 250h the engine will hearth in an instant and also you’ll get the place you want to move, however you gained’t be profitable any races. You’ll inform it doesn’t need to be pushed temporarily, and as a substitute economically.

At low speeds the UX 250h is in a position to energy itself on electrical energy on my own for almost all of time, and when it’s in EV mode it’s silent. It is going to transfer at the petrol engine each time it will probably, alternatively, to rate the battery or supply help in getting to hurry.

I wasn’t anticipating the electrical a part of the UX 250h’s hybrid powertrain to be so vulnerable. I’m no longer positive if that is because of the older and no more refined nickel-metal hydride battery pack, the electrical motor itself, or a mix of the 2.

I take into account once I drove the up to date Corolla Hybrid previous this yr it will hang in its EV mode for longer and used to be in a position to offer extra energy from the electrical motor. This style is now supplied with a lithium-ion battery pack for reference.

Because of the loss of EV energy I discovered myself taking part in a recreation to take a look at and maintain the petrol engine from switching on up to imaginable. It used to be in those moments I longed for a possibility to make use of regenerative braking, which on this automotive has a unbroken transition to friction braking.

The UX 250h has a actually tight turning circle and light-weight guidance which supplies to make parking an absolute breeze. This actual UX variant is fitted with rear and entrance nook parking sensors, in addition to a reversing digicam. A surround-view digicam is to be had on up-spec variants.

Round the town and on town streets the Lexus UX feels unusually dynamic to pressure. This can be a not unusual trait that I’ve spotted in Toyota and Lexus automobiles which can be in keeping with the TNGA platform.

The low-speed experience is actually comfy, with it in a position to take pimply city roads and pace bumps all in its stride. Increase the rate alternatively is the place the UX begins to get out of its convenience zone.

At freeway speeds the two.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine remains on virtually always. This isn’t world-ending, despite the fact that it actually has to rev as a way to rise up to raised speeds.

The hybrid powertrain is mated with an digital incessantly variable transmission (e-CVT) which is understood for its loss of engine braking. Due to the regenerative braking alternatively, this is in a position to negate the rate that’s received whilst touring downhill.

Regardless of the engine having to paintings to take care of freeway speeds, the crossover feels planted and is a comfy cruiser. There’s numerous avenue noise, alternatively, which makes you succeed in for quantity dial.

At the protection entrance, the Lexus UX 250h’s adaptive cruise regulate device is okay, despite the fact that it infrequently detects a automotive that’s ages away and begins to decelerate for it – even does this when the gap regulate is ready to the nearest environment.

The adaptive cruise regulate device defaults to the furthest distance each and every unmarried time it’s activated, which is a vintage Toyota and Lexus function. You recover from this gorgeous temporarily, despite the fact that it’s just a little stressful to press the gap regulate button quite a few instances to get it on your desired place.

The blind-spot tracking device is a brilliant and infrequently crucial function to have in a brand new automotive, despite the fact that I discovered the device on this UX used to be just a little delicate and would infrequently discover a automotive two lanes over. While you would move to modify lanes on this eventualities the auto would freak out, which doesn’t actually encourage self belief.

Finally, the lane-keep help works smartly for essentially the most section. The lane centring serve as however will get misplaced lovely simply. I didn’t actually like how the latter of those purposes jerked on the guidance wheel and didn’t finally end up the use of it as I felt I may steer extra naturally.

What do you get?

UX 250h F Recreation Design Particular Version highlights:

External

• 18-inch darkish top rate steel alloy wheels
• “Bespoke” grille
• “Bespoke” entrance and rear bumpers
• Black roof rails
• Black aspect replicate caps
• Two-tone roof
• Panoramic sunroof
• Energy tailgate

Inside

• 7.0-inch virtual software cluster
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment device
• Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
• Stressed out Android Auto
• DAB+ virtual radio
• 10-speaker sound device
• Head-up show
• Wi-fi telephone charger
• Good key card
• Washi paper ornamentation
• Black or White Ash NuLuxe leather-accented upholstery
• Heated entrance seats
• 8-way energy motive force’s seat

Is the Lexus UX 250h secure?

The Lexus UX has a five-star ANCAP protection score in keeping with trying out performed in 2019.

All fashions gained an grownup occupant coverage ranking of 96 in line with cent, kid occupant coverage ranking of 88 in line with cent, susceptible avenue consumer coverage ranking of 82 in line with cent and a security help ranking of 83 in line with cent.

Usual security features come with:

• AEB incl. Pedestrian, Bike owner (day) detection
• Lane departure caution
• Lane Tracing Help
• Visitors signal popularity
• Adaptive cruise regulate with prevent/move
• Computerized high-beam
• Parking help observe
• 8 airbags

All bar the bottom UX 200 additionally function blind-spot tracking and rear cross-traffic alert.

All Lexus UX fashions obtain a three-year complimentary Lexus Hooked up Products and services subscription

Key security features come with:

• Computerized collision notification
• SOS emergency calling
• Stolen automobile monitoring
• Ultimate recognized automobile location
• Fresh travel knowledge
• Diagnostics information
• Door lock standing
• Doorways, home windows, bonnet, boot standing
• Tyre pressures
• Danger gentle standing

The UX additionally has Lexus Faraway Attach which permits house owners to remotely get started the engine, release or lock the boot, and turn on the danger lighting and a buzzer.

How a lot does the Lexus UX 250h value to run?

The Lexus UX is roofed via a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guaranty, like several new Lexus fashions.

Servicing is needed each and every three hundred and sixty five days or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and the primary 3 services and products are capped at $495.

CarExpert’s Take at the Lexus UX 250h

It’s most probably all native examples of the Lexus UX 250h F Recreation Design Particular Version are already spoken for, however you could possibly to find one in broker inventory if you happen to’re fortunate.

Even if it is going to seem this limited-edition style is a full-blown F Recreation in the beginning look, when you spend somewhat of time and go searching there are glaring indicators pointing towards it being in keeping with an entry-level Luxurious.

Those come with the clean buttons, and no more refined virtual software cluster, amongst others.

Regardless of this, I’m an enormous fan of the way cushy and lush the entry-level Luxurious’s NuLuxe seat upholstery is. I don’t thoughts in any respect that it’s no longer right kind leather-based.

The UX 250h with its series-parallel hybrid powertrain continues to end up itself as a unswerving, fuel-efficient, and unusually dynamic top rate small SUV providing that feels maximum at house within the city surrounds.

The inner now additionally receives a infotainment device that’s correctly high-resolution and has snappy processing energy. It’s additionally at hand that wi-fi Apple CarPlay has been presented as you don’t want to concern a few cable.

Issues do begin to come undone alternatively when you’re taking the UX 250h out at the open avenue, because the hybrid powertrain runs out of puff and there’s a good bit of avenue noise. It’s additionally actually disappointing there’s no spare wheel or perhaps a tyre restore equipment, as run-flat tyres aren’t a viable choice for everybody.

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