2025 Lexus UX 300h

The Lexus UX urban crossover, one of the brand’s best-selling models in Europe, will bring a substantial powertrain upgrade and other refinements in 2024. These changes further enhance the on-road dynamics of a vehicle designed and developed to combine the secure feeling and practical flexibility of a crossover with the enjoyable driving characteristics of a hatchback. The UX is available as a self-charging hybrid model and a battery-electric model, and as such plays an important role in the brand’s global electrification strategy.

The new UX 300h also produces greater total power to 146 kW (199 hp), an 8% increase over the UX 250h’s 135 kW (184 hp). This gain is made possible by a fifth-generation hybrid system which replaces the previous 180-cell, 216-volt nickel-metal hydride battery with a more efficient, 60-cell, 222-volt lithium-ion battery. As a result, 0-100 km/h acceleration is reduced in the front-wheel drive model from 8.5 to 8.1 seconds, and in the all-wheel drive model from 8.7 to 7.9 seconds. Fuel consumption has also improved, thanks to a more efficient powertrain and weight reduction, to 5.0 – 5.2 l/100km in the combined WLTP cycle for the front-wheel drive model and to 5.3 – 5.7 l/100km for the all-wheel drive model.

In the most significant development, the self-charging hybrid UX 250h is replaced by the new UX 300h. Like the UX 250h, the UX 300h is powered by a 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine coupled to two electric motors – but the rear electric motor for the new model’s e-Four all-wheel-drive system is 5.6 times more powerful than its predecessor. In place of the UX 250h’s 5.3 kW (7 hp) induction motor, there is now a 30 kW (41 hp) permanent magnet motor. This sharpens throttle response and makes the car even more satisfying to drive.

Faster acceleration is complemented in the all-wheel drive UX 300h by more composed driving dynamics. Body roll is better-damped during hard cornering; the car’s posture is even more stable under heavy braking; and when the road surface is more slippery on one side of the vehicle than the other, the car can accelerate more strongly, and brake hard and turn sharply with greater controllability.