Lexus UX 300e, the brand's first electric car

As promised, Lexus has unveiled its first electric car in its history at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China, except that instead of a purpose-built model, it is a battery-electric version of its UX SUV called UX 300e.

Despite being at the forefront of hybrid technology, both Lexus and its parent company Toyota have avoided battery electric vehicles. This has now changed, as the two companies have embraced electrification, along with the rest of the industry, and the Lexus UX 300e is the first step in the Japanese luxury initiative “Lexus Electrified“.

Based on the subcompact SUV launched last year, the new electric car features a 204 CV electric motor mounted at the front and a 54.3 kWh lithium-ion battery that provides a maximum range of 400 km under the NEDC standard cycle, which should be enough to ease range anxiety for potential owners.

In addition, the placement of the battery under the floor helps lower the centre of gravity and, together with additional braces and optimised damping force of the dampers for this specific model, further enhances handling characteristics.

What is Lexus’s first pure electric car like?

Apart from model-specific wheels, which together with a flat body improve aerodynamic efficiency, and an “electric” badge, nothing distinguishes the UX 300e from the ICE or hybrid versions. Lexus has not yet revealed any figures, but promises that the UX 300e will be “fast”, while the driver can use the Drive Mode Select system to adapt performance to their liking, and the gear lever for no fewer than four levels of regenerative braking. While engineers have worked on acoustic insulation, they have also added an Active Sound Control (ASC) system, which transmits ambient sounds to give the driver and occupants a natural sense of driving conditions.

Furthermore, through a dedicated app, drivers can monitor their car’s battery charge status and driving range via their smartphone. Lexus’s new app for its electric cars also features a timer function to show when the vehicle will be fully charged, allowing the owner to schedule charging according to their needs, and it also lets them remotely control various functions, such as climate control, seat heaters and window defrosters.

The new and freshly unveiled Lexus UX 300e will go on sale in China and Europe next year, 2020, while it will arrive in Japan in early 2021. Will the Lexus UX 300e be the first member of the brand’s electric family belonging to Toyota? We will have to wait a few months to see it. For now, we will wait until 2020 to learn more closely all the details surrounding the eagerly awaited Lexus UX 300e SUV.

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverLexus UX4 versions · from 40,250 €