New 2021 Lexus UX 300e electric SUV on sale now with 196-mile range
The Lexus UX 300e crossover is the brand's first all-electric car, and is available to order now priced from £43,900
The new, all-electric Lexus UX 300e is available to order in the UK now. Prices start from £43,900 for the base model, climbing to £53,500 for the flagship Takumi variant, and first deliveries will arrive during March 2021.
The UX 300e is Lexus’s first-ever pure-electric vehicle and is designed to rival the new Volvo XC40 Recharge P8 and forthcoming Tesla Model Y. It will also act as a more upmarket alternative for the likes of the Kia e-Niro, Hyundai Kona Electric and MG ZS EV.
Crucially, though, the UX 300e is the only premium SUV currently on sale in the UK which qualifies for the Government’s £3,000 plug-in car grant – albeit only on the company’s entry-level and mid-range models.
Standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlamps, front and rear parking sensors and automatic windscreen wipers. Inside, buyers get a reversing camera, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, an electronically adjustable steering wheel and a seven-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Lexus’s mid-range Premium Plus model is priced from £47,400 and adds leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry, heated outer rear seats and a ventilation system for the front seats. Buyers also get privacy glass, a wireless smartphone charger and puddle lighting.
Prices for the flagship Takumi variant start from £53,500. Additions over the Premium Plus model include 18-inch alloy wheels, a power-operated tailgate, adaptive LED headlamps and an arsenal of driver assistance technology, which includes a blind-spot monitoring system, rear cross traffic alert and an adaptive high-beam setting for the headlights.
Lexus also offers a few interior upgrades on the Takumi-grade UX 300e, with buyers getting an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a head-up display, an improved 10.3-inch infotainment system and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound system.
Behind the interior trim, Lexus has also fitted some additional sound dampening to help suppress external intrusions, such as wind noise, gravel impacts and tyre roar, which it says would be more noticeable with the absence of an internal combustion engine.
Exterior styling revisions are equally minimal, stretching to a subtly reworked radiator grille, new badges highlighting the electric powertrain and a more aerodynamic front bumper with smaller air intakes. Lexus has also fitted the UX 300e with an active sound generator, which produces an ambient noise at low speeds to warn pedestrians of the car’s presence.
New 2021 Lexus UX 300e: platform and powertrain
The Lexus UX 300e is based on an adapted version of Toyota’s TNGA GA-C platform, which is also found under the petrol hybrid UX and recently revised Toyota C-HR. Lexus has fitted a range of additional chassis bracing and a redesigned suspension system to support the extra weight of the electric powertrain.
It’s powered by a 54.3kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which feeds an electric motor mounted on the front axle. The system develops 201bhp and 300Nm of torque, which Lexus says is enough for a 0–62mph time of 7.5 seconds and a maximum range of 196 miles.
Lexus’s pure-electric powertrain also offers support for 50kW DC fast-charging, which the company says will allow the UX 300e’s battery pack to recover an 80 per cent charge in just 52 minutes. When plugged into a domestic wallbox charger, the crossover’s battery pack will fully recharge in around eight hours.
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