Lexus UX 300e is an electric compact crossover launched in China and Europe last year. It is the first car to use Lexus’s newest compact vehicle platform called GA-C.

It offers 204 HP, 305 Nm torque, and a 54.3-kWh battery pack. UX 300e can take you from 0 to 100 km/h speed in 7.5 seconds and you can travel more than 300 kilometers on a single charge. Biggest downside is the slow DC charging speeds. It takes 50 minutes to charge UX 300e from 0 percent to 80 percent.

Lexus UX 300e is being built at the Toyota Motor Kyushu plant in Japan. It starts at around £41,000 in the UK. In China, you need to spend at least 362,000 yuan which is around €47,000 to purchase UX 300e. It is more expensive than better equipped Tesla Model 3 and the BMW iX3.

Performance

Lexus offers only one drivetrain option for the UX 300e and it’s not all-wheel drive. It has a single electric motor located at front axle which can produce 204 HP and 300 Nm torque. Top speed is 160 km/h (100 mph) and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration performance is 7.5 seconds.

UX 300e is a very comfortable crossover, handling is very light and driving position is not too high.

Design and Features

Lexus doesn’t bother with any aerodynamical stuff and leave UX 300e’s front grille open like a normal gasoline powered vehicle. It will probably affect its range, but front end of the UX 300e looks really impressive.

Electric crossover UX 300e has some black plastic parts around the wheel arches, aggressively designed rear side also helps it to create a sportier look. But ground clearance is not suitable for sports driving, because of the battery pack sitting very low.

Lexus UX 300e comes with a 7-inch infotainment display and it’s not a touchscreen, instead you get a touchpad like a laptop for navigation. It does give the feeling of an outdated car interior. Styling is really good though; leather seats are uniquely designed and materials around the dashboard and door trims slightly justify the high price tag.

Even though electric Lexus is not a cheap car, it doesn’t have navigation as standard. There are lots of extras to choose from though, such as wireless charging pad, head-up display, Mark Levinson sound system etc.

Range and Charging

Battery capacity of the Lexus UX 300e is 54.3-kWh. That is enough for a range of 305 kilometers when the vehicle is fully charged. Japanese carmaker only adds the 50 kW DC charging support to its first electric vehicle. 0% to 80% will take 50 minutes. In order to fully charge the UX 300e in your house with a 6.6 kW AC charger, you will need 6 to 7 hours.