Lexus has followed the lead of its parent brand Toyota by dropping the petrol ratings of one of its most popular models.
The UX sub-SUV will now be offered with a petrol-electric hybrid and battery-only electric powertrains, with Lexus ditching the petrol-powered UX200. These versions are powered by a 2.0-litre petrol unit capable of producing 126kW/250Nm.
Lexus Australia said most buyers were opting for the hybrid anyway, so it’s likely to be a big loss.
Lexus already has a number of hybrid-only models in its lineup, including the ES sedan, the LM people mover and the LBX crossover which is expected to launch this month.
Another Toyota brand announced earlier this week that the Yaris light segment, the Yaris Cross subcompact SUV and the Corolla hatch (but not the sedan) would only be combined.
Other changes to the UX include tech upgrades, power boosts and name changes, and all come as part of the 2024 update. But that includes a price increase, too.
The UX250h has now been rebadged for the UX300h, which Lexus says is due to increased power. It gets an extra 11kW so it now delivers 146kW, which now matches the output of the Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid.
The electric motors also get a boost to 83kW (+3kW) for the front engine and the rear for all-wheel drive versions is up by 25kW/29Nm.
Fuel efficiency has also been improved and for the front-wheel drive UX300h class it is now at 4.2 liters per 100 km (down by 0.1L), and 4.4L (down by 0.2L) for the AWD grades.
Inside, the Luxury-grade UX300h swaps the smaller 7.0-inch multimedia screen for the larger 12.3-inch unit found on higher trims, and gets a color display. There’s also a shift-by-wire gear selector now.
Safety features are enhanced with a safety exit assist system and a new driver monitor, while the ‘Pre-Collision System’ now detects motorbikes during the day and cyclists at all hours, and gets junction assistance.
The UX300h AWD Sports Luxury and F Sport get new features including a sunroof and smart card, while the F-Sport also adds a heated steering wheel, a head-up monitor and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.
All these changes also come with a price increase. Each grade has gone up in price, with the new entry-level, UX300h FWD Luxury, starting at $55,370 before on-road costs, or $1050 more than the pre-update model.
The biggest price increase is for the UX300h AWD F Sport which gets new equipment – increasing by $6715 to $73,210.
The electric UX300e that was updated at the end of last year is also getting a small price increase. See the table below for the full range of new prices.
2024 Lexus UX price before on-road costs
A dialect |
Cost |
UX300h 2WD Luxury |
$55,370 (+$1050) |
UX300h Sports Luxury 2WD |
$62,320 (+$970) |
UX300h 2WD F Sport |
$63,110 (+$1115) |
UX300h AWD Sports Luxury |
$70,520 (+$4670) |
UX300h AWD F Sport |
$73,210 (+$6715) |
UX300e Luxury |
$80,720 (+$730) |
UX300e Sports Luxury |
$88,190 (+$525) |