Lexus has announced the details of the updated version of its UX 300e electric SUV. This time around it comes with more range than its predecessor and is expected to arrive in showrooms by June this year.
First introduced in the Australian market in November 2021, the model has seen steady sales over the last 18 months. It was the first Lexus to be offered in Australia with a fully electric powertrain.
Now the update is expected to arrive with 560 km of NEDC range and comes in two variants:
- Luxury variant, starting at $79,990 before on-road costs
- Sports Luxury variant, starting at $88,490 before on-road costs
Lexus has bumped the battery size from 54.3 kWh to 72.8 kWh, effectively adding more range over the current electric model.
For context, the current generation of the Lexus UX offers 400 km of NEDC range. According to ev-database the 54.3 kWh battery can be fast-charged at speeds of up to 35 kW.
Fast charging speeds for the new battery are not provided at this stage. The battery is placed low on the floor to reduce the centre of gravity while providing improved handling and making the drive more comfortable. The new larger battery powers the motor to produce 150 kW of power and 300 Nm of torque.
The Luxury variant of the UX 300e comes with a suite of hardware and software features which includes:
- 12.3-inch touchscreen display
- Wireless Apple CarPlay
- Wired Android Auto
- DAB+ digital radio11
- Satellite navigation
- Wireless phone charger
- 13-speaker Mark Levinson hi-fi audio system
The top-of-the-range Sports Luxury variant adds:
- Leather accented seats
- Moonroof
- Head up display
- Panoramic view monitor
- Adaptive high beam system
- High-grade three projector LED head lamps with dynamic auto levelling
- Acoustic front side glass
- 18-inch wheels
Dimension-wise, the new UX 300e is shorter in length than Australia’s best-selling electric SUV, the Tesla Model Y. It comes in at:
- 4495 mm in length
- 1840 mm in width
- 1545 mm in height
At the launch of the updated UX 300e, Lexus Chief Executive, John Pappas mentioned who they feel the vehicle is aimed towards:
“The UX 300e is a great urban vehicle for younger buyers wanting a car that is fun to drive and also refined and sophisticated, It plays a major role as the entry battery electric vehicle in the Lexus range as we continue our move towards a diverse lineup of luxury vehicles that is either fully or partially electrified.”
He continued by touching on the brand’s local low-emission powertrain availability for customers in the upcoming models:
“The important thing for Lexus is to offer our customers a choice of low and zero tailpipe emission vehicles that suit their mobility needs.”
For Lexus battery-electric vehicle customers, the company offers complimentary home charging (already offered to UX300e BEV customers) to all Lexus electric buyers through Lexus Encore Electrified Platinum benefits.
Complimentary charging at Chargefox stations forms part of these benefits along with complimentary Valet Parking.
The new UX 300e is expected to arrive in showrooms later this quarter in June. More details on the charging speeds and times are expected to be announced before the model’s arrival.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.