LEXUS Australia will advance its leadership in electrification, with the announcement its popular self charging hybrid electric models will be joined by the first all-electric Lexus, the luxury compact UX 300e, in November 2021.
The Lexus UX 300e harnesses more than 15 years of unrivalled Lexus expertise in electric motor, battery and energy management development, producing a flagship UX that combines peerless quality with energetic performance and agile dynamics.
Self charging hybrid electric models have been embraced and trusted by 29,000 Australian Lexus customers since the brand’s first electrified vehicle arrived in 2006, and this year, 33 per cent of Australian Lexus customers have chosen a hybrid electric Lexus.
The car maker will introduce the UX 300e alongside a commitment to delivering unrivalled customer care, with ‘Lexus solutions’ in areas such as recharging to be integrated within the industry-leading Lexus Encore owner benefits program.
Confirmation that the UX 300e will arrive in late 2021 complements the stunning local debut at the 2020 Lexus Melbourne Cup of the one of a kind Lexus LF-30 Electrified concept, which envisions a fully electric Lexus flagship of 2030.
The UX 300e and LF-30 Electrified respectively represent the first and most futuristic iterations of the ‘Lexus Electrified’ vision, which targets a fundamental leap in vehicle performance, handling, control and driver enjoyment.
Its aim is to evoke the original fun of driving by using an integrated approach to electric motor control and other electrification technologies.
The Lexus UX 300e will become the flagship UX and build on the successful luxury compact UX 200 petrol and UX 250h self charging hybrid electric variants that have been on sale in Australia since December 2018.
The all electric UX 300e offers maximum power of 150kW and torque of 300Nm, incorporating a high output motor and high capacity lithium-ion battery that can deliver a 400km driving range in certain driving conditions.
The UX 300e takes about 50 minutes for quick charging and about seven hours for household AC charging, from empty. Maximum efficiency for the motor, inverter, gears and battery has been advanced from the development of the popular UX 250h hybrid.
The UX 300e also benefits from the high body rigidity and low centre of gravity provided by the luxury compact SUV’s GA-C platform, in order to maintain excellent handling stability.
The UX 300e suspension has been thoroughly tuned to target the same high steering response and high-quality ride comfort as the UX 250h. Shock-absorber damping force has been optimised to match the additional battery capacity.
A drive mode select function is designed to assist the management of smooth acceleration and deceleration. Paddle shifters can be used in a similar manner to engine braking, providing four levels of deceleration regeneration.
Lexus engineers kept the distinctive design and the utility characteristics of the UX SUV intact, while the aerodynamic performance of the UX 300e benefits from the application of special wheels and an underbody cover.
At the same time, the UX 300e has one of the quietest cabins in its class, befitting the sound management heritage of the Lexus DNA. Further information and pricing will be announced closer to the UX300e’s launch later next year.
