Sunday, April 28, 2024

2023 Lexus UX 250h F Sport Review: Affordable Hybrid Luxury Fit for the City

2023 lexus ux 250h f sport design

Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay — These smartphone connectivity features make it easy to put your maps and music onto the UX’s infotainment screen. The standard infotainment system is an 8-inch touchscreen loaded with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. That means you can bring the apps from your phone onto the screen in your car without needing a cable. Improvements to the 2023 Lexus UX include measures to further increase body rigidity with additional spot welds on the bottom edge of the side member opening and the lower back panel opening and a more rigid steel back door reinforcement.

Lexus UX Features, Options, and Competition

Inside, Grecian Water can be paired with Black, Birch and Birch with Lapis interior options. Across the lineup, UX brings unique color combinations to reflect each driver’s taste. Lexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries.

Lexus UX: new multimedia systems

LED fog lights — LED fog lights improve the visibility of the UX, plus you get cornering lamps for a safer drive. The Pre-Collision System uses an integrated forward-facing camera and grille-mounted radar system designed to help mitigate or avoid a frontal collision. Lexus Safety System+ 2.0 enhances this system with the addition of low-light detection for pedestrians, plus daytime detection of bicycles. Available Lexus Destination Assist acts as an in-vehicle personal concierge, providing directions and destinations delivered by a live agent. The Lexus Multimedia System is coupled with the upgraded 10.3-inch display, adding numerous features to support customers’ digital lifestyles.

Driving the Lexus UX 250h F Sport

It was no dual-clutch, but Lexus did a good job tuning it to be more dual-clutch-like than any other wretched, pulley-filled box that I'd ever driven before. When it came to taking advantage of the UX's hybrid qualities, it proved to be quite economical while coursing through Southern California surface streets and highways. I made the mistake of opting to take all surface streets from Santa Ana to Long Beach on a weekday during rush hour, and the UX barely sipped any fuel at all. In spite of doing my best to wring it out as much as possible earlier in the day, I still got an estimated 37.2 mpg, which is less than Lexus' published 39 combined mpg, but still respectable after an awful lot of heavy-right-footed driving. I'd call its acceleration adequate, especially for getting out of the way on faster city streets as well as dumping one's right foot at 50 mph on an on-ramp.

Lexus UX 250h F Sport Handling includes:

Lexus UX small crossover now comes only as hybrid - mySA

Lexus UX small crossover now comes only as hybrid.

Posted: Wed, 10 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury guests in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 243 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury guests. Guests can express themselves with the addition of exterior colors like Grecian Water and Cloudburst Gray and extend the paint all the way to the wheel well with color-keyed overfenders included on all packages.

REFRESHED 2023 LEXUS UXH ADDS PERFORMANCE, MULTIMEDIA, SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS

Enhancements to the hybrid crossover deliver on what guests have been looking for with the addition of Lexus Interface, a larger touchscreen and Lexus Safety System+ 2.5. Dynamic Radar Cruise Control uses a front grille-mounted radar and a forward-facing camera to detect vehicles ahead and automatically adjust the vehicle’s speed to help maintain a pre-set distance. The standard Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is designed to help drivers change lanes with confidence. The standard Blind Spot Monitor is designed to detect and warn the driver of vehicles approaching or positioned in the adjacent lanes. For added peace of mind, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert can help when backing out of a parking space. Predictive State of Charge (SOC) control for the hybrid battery functions on both downhill roads and in congested traffic.

Lexus has sought to provide the new 2023 UXh a more refined driving performance through updates to steering response, handling stability and refined ride quality. Structural rigidity was improved by adding 20 spot welding points on the body, and the electronic power steering and shock absorbers were re-calibrated accordingly. Conversely, in stop-and-go traffic or low-speed driving, the electric motor is used more, reducing the hybrid battery’s charge. In this scenario, Congestion SOC control uses traffic information from the navigation system to determine if there is any congestion on the planned route. If so, it actively charges the hybrid battery before reaching the congested area, reducing the need of forced engine start to charge the battery in those conditions. Also operational with navigation, Predictive Deceleration Support technology uses accumulated knowledge about a driver’s behavior to predict when and where the vehicle is likely to slow down or stop.

Lexus UX: Choosing the Right Trim

The 2022 Lexus UX models offer the latest in the brand’s multimedia and navigation technology. A 7-inch Lexus Multimedia System display is standard, and a 10.3-inch screen is used with the available Lexus Navigation system. The available Lexus Navigation system features the brand’s graphical user interface for high ease of use and access to features. In the U.S., Dynamic Navigation adds a cloud-based service to ensure trip details are up-to-date and routes are selected with accuracy. The F Sport Handling model lives up to its name with an Active Variable Suspension system with performance dampers that do a superb job of absorbing imperfections in the road.

2023 lexus ux 250h f sport design

Other Model Years

The UX carries the Lexus brand’s reputation for safety, with the Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 as standard equipment. It bundles automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, road sign assist, and lane tracing assist. This F Sport Handling is the UX's top-most trim and adds nearly $10,000 to the invoice.

The new displays have been moved forward on the instrument panel, bringing them closer to the driver for comfortable operation. Significantly increased computing power means command responses are quicker, while “always connected” cloud-based navigation is provided as standard, giving access to real-time road and traffic information for easier journey planning. The 12.3-inch system has embedded navigation, so operation is available in areas where cloud connection is unavailable. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but, if you ask me, the UX is still an overall good-looking package that follows the brand's design language well, especially in the grille and headlights. Inside the F SPORT Handling, the UXh also receives an aluminum footrest and scuff plate in addition to F SPORT-exclusive sports seats, steering wheel, shift knob, meters and aluminum sports pedals. Both driver and passenger can enjoy memory F SPORT seats with heated and ventilated options.

I was pleasantly surprised and hope this is a trend that more automakers hop on as they try to differentiate in a field that's largely been dominated by anonymous appliances with incredibly lackluster (albeit thrifty) powertrains. Options include a hands-free power liftgate, a head-up display, a wireless charger, parking sensors, and a heated steering wheel. The F Sport Handling is the only UX trim in which the 12.3-inch infotainment system with navigation and 10-speaker audio comes standard.

These appear like brows above the standard bi-LED headlights or the optional ultra-small 3-projector LED units. In the cabin, there is a new Hazel colour option available for all the upholstery options – fabric and synthetic and genuine leather – for all UX versions apart from the F Sport. The perforated leather upholstery has a fresh look with a new kagome stitchwork pattern, inspired by a traditional Japanese basket weave. Upgrading to the Premium trim adds some nice creature comforts to the UX while keeping the starting price below $40,000.

Essential vehicle functions are grouped around the driver’s side of the cabin, and the seatback shape allows the driver to operate them while maintaining a comfortable, natural posture. Fold-down grocery bag hooks remain flush with the side panel surface when not in use. An available hands-free, foot-activated power rear door makes loading the UX more convenient, and standard solid aluminum roof rails allow installation of a variety of accessory carriers.

In addition, with the responding damping force adjustment, the AVS simultaneously maintains a flat posture and absorbs excess shock, even on road surfaces with a combination of large undulations and minor bumps. In the U.S., the UX will only be available with a hybrid powertrain to further align with the brand’s work towards the realization of a carbon-neutral society. With an exhilarating drive and diverse options for luxury buyers, Lexus is broadening its portfolio of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The UX 250h model all-wheel drive (AWDe) system uses a separate, dedicated electric motor-generator with 7 hp output integrated into the rear differential. Power distribution between the front and rear axles is automatically optimized by the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when accelerating, cornering or driving on slippery surfaces.

Efficient hybrid powertrain — The fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain under the hood of the UX returns up to 42 combined mpg, helping keep ownership costs low. Both the UX 200 and UX 250h Hybrid are equipped with Lexus Drive Mode Select, which allows the driver to tailor the driving experience by selecting from three different drive modes on the UX 200 and four modes on the UX 250h. The standard 6-speaker system and available 8-speaker upgrade system use bamboo charcoal speaker diaphragms to reduce mass and deliver natural-sounding voices and improved mid-range sound. Both systems create a more lifelike soundstage by using tweeters mounted at the sides of the instrument panel reflecting sound off the windshield.

It was also more fun to drive than I was expecting, albeit I'm certain this high-trim tester's adaptive dampers had a big hand in this. If you're in the market for something that's more sprightly than most other small, entry-level luxury hybrids, the well-spec'd UX would serve well for daily and road trip duty, plus any kind of driving in between that involves a twisty road. Safety Connect includes an Emergency Assistance Button (SOS), 24/7 Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Locator and Collision Assistance. Service Connect offers drivers the capability of receiving Vehicle Health Reports, Maintenance Alerts and reminders. The 2023 UX 250h features the new state-of-the-art Lexus Interface multimedia system, with a larger, higher-resolution touchscreen display.

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REFRESHED 2023 LEXUS UXH ADDS PERFORMANCE, MULTIMEDIA, SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS Lexus USA Newsroom

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