Lexus UX review - MPG, CO2 and Running Costs

The UX 250h is based on the platform shared by the Toyota Prius and C-HR but uses a more powerful 2.0-litre engine mated to a pair of electric motors. It’s what Lexus calls a ‘self-charging’ hybrid, which means you never need to connect the UX to a charging point.

The flip-side is that you shouldn’t expect the same high levels of fuel-efficiency, while the realistic all-electric range is limited to just a couple of miles. The official fuel economy figures haven’t been confirmed, but Lexus is targeting between 65.7mpg and 68.9mpg for the two-wheel drive version and 58.9mpg and 62.8mpg for the four-wheel drive variant.

Our experience of similarly-powered Toyota and Lexus models – along with our drive in an early pre-production UX – would suggest that anything north of 50mpg is possible. You can even crawl through town consuming no petrol by using ‘EV Mode’.

Early reports suggest the UX will emit between 96g/km and 114g/km CO2, depending on the variant, meaning it will cost £115 to £155 to tax in the first year and the standard £130 a year from year two.

16

All models are on the pricey side, but be careful when adding optional extras to the range-topping UX Takumi, as the £39,000 list price is perilously close to the £310-a-year VED tax surcharge on cars costing over £40,000.

Insurance groups

Lexus hasn’t confirmed the insurance groups  for the UX yet, but it’s likely to cost more to insure than the cheaper but mechanically similar Toyota C-HR (groups 14-16). However, the ageing Lexus CT premium hatchback was surprisingly cheap to insure, slotting into groups 17-21.

The fact that the UX is packed with active and passive safety features, along with a more mature audience profile, should ensure that it costs less to insure than rivals from BMW and Audi.

Depreciation

It’s too early to predict how quickly the Lexus UX will depreciate, but the combination of SUV practicality, impressive fuel economy and a reputation for reliability means that it’s likely to hold its value well. Perhaps not as well as the BMW X1/X2, Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40, but better than some of the compact SUVs from the volume manufacturers.