Beneath the RX and the NX, Lexus now offers a compact crossover as well, called the UX. It stands for Urban Crossover,
Technologically speaking, it's heavily related to the Toyota C-HR but it's been done Lexus-style, so it's very upmarket.
To get an idea where to position this car, we've put it up against an Audi Q3. Audi's answer for the same target audience.
The second generation Q3 is a very spacious car on the inside. I'm 1,98 m. myself and I'm not cramped in any way.
That's very pleasant. Also, the car has a boot which fits 530 litres. Nothing wrong with that.
If we look at the rest of the interior, it all looks very good. However, when we touch the materials, we find there's a little too much hard plastic.
That feels a tad less premium than you'd might expect from Audi. It feels sturdy and decent however, and that's worth something.
The way the dashboard has been designed is completely Audi new style. That means you've got an instrument cluster which is one big screen.
Additionally, you get a multimedia screen in the middle of the dash. If you ask me, the screen is a little too low.
The menu structure and the speed of the system are very good though. However, you're not able to control it with a central controller anymore.
You now have to use your fingers for the touchscreen and I just don't like that very much. You need to reach out and devote your attention...
to the screen, so you can't pay full attention to the road. That's too bad.
This Q3 is powered by a 1.5-litre TFSI producing 150 horsepower. On paper, it's all good, but when you actually drive it... It seems a bit lifeless.
That feeling gets enhanced through the DSG-gearbox. It's available without an additional price, but this DSG is quite lazy.
It waits too long before changing back, so when it actually does shift down, the revs will be too low. That's when the engine is really lifeless.
You can solve that problem by putting the gear lever into Sport-mode, which turns the gearbox a lot more active.
However, that also means it'll hold on to the revs longer than usual, which compromises the comfort. Not a perfect solution either.
Speaking of comfort. It's not really in this car. That's because this particular car has the S-Line sports chassis.
It does make sure that this car has great handling, especially when combined with the 250 mm wide tires.
The stability just is very good in here. The chassis easily overpowers the drivetrain. The only downside to it is that it's a little bouncy. Too hard really.
If you don't get the sports chassis however, you've got that problem tackled.
For the UX, they've used Toyota's TNGA-platform, which is scaleable. Despite that, they've kept the UX very compact.
That means the seating is okay in the front, but when I move to the back, things get worse. Legroom, headroom, it's not a lot.
Especially if we compare it with the Audi Q3, which offered a lot of space. Too bad, but anyway. The drivers seat is spacious enough for me.
It's a very nice place to be in as well, because it looks and feels very good. It's a step up from the Audi really.
However, if we take a look at the way the interior has been designed, it's just a no from me. Lexus has clearly tried but they've thrown around...
buttons across the whole interior. Some of which I don't understand the logic behind.
There are a few buttons on the middle console, and they work perfectly if you're used to them. However, you also have a touchpad instead of...
a touchscreen and it just doesn't feel good. It requires too much attention and the cursor is flying everywhere which is annoying. Unfortunate.
It's not all bad though. A nice feature in the interior is the digital instrument cluster. It's not one big screen by itself. It also has...
a big ring in which the speed and most important information is shown. If I get out or if I change modes, the ring moves as well.
It looks very good. Hopefully it works in 20 years from now, but that's for a later time.
You can only see a rev counter when you're in Sport-mode, because what do you need a rev counter for? It's an automatic.
But when you do see the rev counter, it stands out that the hybrid drivetrain in this car doesn't rev as high as other Toyota hybrids did.
The petrol engine is quite a lot bigger than the engine in the CT, so it's able to produce power a little easier, which means it doesn't have to rev as much.
That immediately adds to the comfort.
The petrol engine now produces 150 horsepower, whilst the same engine only produces 99 horsepower in the CT. That's quite a gap.
Anyway, the 150 horsepower petrol engine is combined with a 109 horsepower electric motor. Because the engines have different power peaks,
it means we've got a system output of 184 horsepower. And that's enough for this car. It might not be the most powerful, but it's better than in the Audi.
What the hybrid drivetrain is meant to do, is reducing the fuel consumption. If we compare the Lexus and Audi, Lexus has clearly done a better job.
We're around 16 km per litre in this UX, whilst the Audi does 12 km per litre. Quite the gap again.
The chassis of the UX is based on the C-HR, and it's clear that Lexus has made a big step towards dynamic, without compromising comfort.
There's enough dynamics in this car. I like the steering better as well. A big leap forward for the Japanese.
As opposed to Audi, Lexus does work with different trim levels. We're driving one of the most luxurious versions, the F-Sport Premium.
That pretty much has all of the safety systems and comfort improvers. That also means that when you get the base version,
you have to pay extra for all safety features. That's the way the Japanese work.
The base versions of these two cars are at the dealers for around €44.000. Clearly, Audi and Lexus have kept an eye on each other.
It doesn't mean the cars are the same. There are clear differences. The Audi is a little more traditional.
It has a regular key which you have to put in the car. In the Lexus however, you get a card which you can carry on you.
That way you can open the doors and press the start button. The only drawback of that is that you can't lock the car at a distance, or open the doors.
Anyway, moving on. The base version of the Lexus has more safety systems than the Audi and it has a more comfortable drive.
On the other hand, the Audi is a lot more spacious. So, what are your priorities?