Lexus did not conceive its first all-electric model to be an exclusive flagship developed for the most affluent of buyers. Given the strong connection the UX crossover has already forged with young, urban customers, Lexus felt this model provided the most appropriate design foundation for the new UX 300e.
The development team wanted to retain the distinctive design and utility characteristics of the UX, now the best-selling Lexus in Europe, and focus on the opportunity to build on the performance advantages that are unique to battery electric vehicles. The UX 300e therefore shares the muscular presence, sculpted character lines and athletic, coupé-like roofline of the standard UX.
Closer inspection reveals distinctive Electric emblems and discreet charging ports on both rear quarter panels. But that’s not all, as you will discover in the four subheadings below…
Lexus UX 300e: bespoke wheel design
The UX 300e is equipped with unique alloy wheel designs offering either 17- or 18-inch diameters and an attractive medium grey finish. The latter size has been developed with innovative aero-ventilating flaps either side of the spokes. These are similar in shape to the Gurney flap found on the rear wing of F1 race cars and work to provide stable braking performance, increased cooling efficiency and reduced turbulence along the sides of the car.
Lexus UX 300e: enhanced aerodynamics
Aerodynamic shutters in the front grille are programmed to open and close automatically depending on the needs of the battery. For example, when the airflow generated through driving exceeds what is required for cooling, the shutters will close to optimise airflow around the front of the car.
Similarly, Lexus engineers have made sure that the bottom surface of the battery is flat and smooth, and that other areas of the chassis that would normally be exposed have been covered in order to create an aerodynamic underbody structure. An additional measure carried over from other UX models is the inclusion of aero-stabilising rear combination lights.
Lexus UX 300e: interior design
The cockpit offers the driver a feeling of spaciousness and a class-leading field of vision. All controls are positioned intuitively in order to fall naturally to hand, such as locating buttons for the audio system under the leading edge of the arm rest on the centre console.
Also within that vicinity, you’ll notice that a finely crafted drive selector replaces the conventional gearshift, and in the instrument cluster, the digital speedometer is flanked by a driving range indicator and a four-level deceleration guide.
In the back, the rear seats are mounted 16mm higher than other UX models and are specially angled to deliver the best balance between passenger comfort and space for the battery stored beneath.
Lexus UX 300e: intelligent battery packaging
The compact lithium-ion battery is installed beneath the rear seats and extends under the cabin floor. This intelligent packaging means the UX 300e offers 367 litres of boot space from deck to luggage cover, which is 47 litres more capacity than the UX 250h hybrid. Loading access is convenient too, thanks to a powered rear tailgate.
The new Lexus UX 300e is available to pre-order.
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