Online reservations open for first all-electric Lexus UX 300e SUV
The first production battery-electric model to come from Lexus, the UX 300e, is now available for online pre-order reservation.
Lexus UX 300e indicative pricing starts from £43,900
Indicative pricing starts from £43,900, putting the Lexus firmly into the starting-price territory of the Tesla Model 3, although offering a SUV silhouette. Official pricing will be confirmed in October later this year along with customer orders. It is, however, cheaper than the comparable Volvo XC40 Recharge full-electric model, which starts at nearly £10k more over the Lexus.
The Lexus UX 300e also qualifies for the current £3,000 Plug-in Vehicle Grant.
In terms of trim, the new model will be launched in a single UX grade, with optional Premium Plus (£47,400 indicative pricing) and Takumi (£53,500 indicative pricing) equipment packs.
Trim highlights include Lexus Safety System+ which consists of: Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Pre-Collision System (PCS) Day & Night, Lane Tracing Assist (LTA), Road Sign Assist (RSA), Automatic High Beam (AHB), a 7.0-inch touchscreen display featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a reversing camera and 17-inch alloys.
Premium Plus adds niceties such as leather trim with heated/ventilated front seats, keyless entry and a wireless smartphone charger, while Takumi adds 18-inch alloys, Lexus navigation with a larger 10.3-inch display, head-up display and a few extra safety features.
The car’s 53.4kWh battery is capable of offering zero emission driving of up to 196 miles, while its 204hp electric motor can push the UX 300e from 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds, onto a top speed of 100mph.
Bucking the trend, the Lexus is equipped with CHAdeMO rapid charging at up to 150kW, rather than the more common European CCS standard. Charging should take around 53 minutes to charge the car from 0-80% using a more common 50kW CHAdeMO charger.
Of course, being electric the car attracts £0 vehicle excise duty (VED) and 0% Benefit-in-Kind for the coming financial year and 1% the year after.
Customer deliveries are expected to begin from March 2021.
Jonathan Musk
Jonathan turned to motoring journalism in 2013 having founded, edited and produced Autovolt - one of the UK's leading electric car publications. He has also written and produced books on both Ferrari and Hispano-Suiza, while working as an international graphic designer for the past 15 years. As the automotive industry moves towards electrification, Jonathan brings a near-unrivalled knowledge of EVs and hybrids to Fleet World Group.
