The Lexus UX 300e is what an EV should feel like | Car Review

When thinking of buying a fully-electric luxury vehicle, most buyers would instantly have BMW in mind. It makes sense as the German automaker has the widest lineup of EVs from any luxury automotive brand in the country. And while not as popular, Lexus has their own too.

I got to spend a weekend with the Lexus UX 300e. Wait, isn’t the UX a hybrid? Well, yes, but Lexus was able to tweak it to turn it into a full EV. In fact, the UX 300e is actually their first-ever attempt at offering a vehicle that runs on full electricity.

There’s no telling that this is an EV at first look and if you’re like me, that’s a good thing. It’s very much the same as the standard hybrid-powered UX 300h from the tri-beam LED headlights, signature Lexus spindle grille, full-width LED rear light bar, and 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels, down to its color choices.

This particular unit I had was painted in Sonic Copper, which is certainly a stand-out especially when lit by the sun.

So how can you tell that this is an EV? The charging doors on both sides. One is for Type 2 AC charging while the other is for the rather outdated CHAdeMO DC charging. More on that later but yes, that’s the only sign that this is a zero-emissions vehicle. Oh, and there’s the “e” in the UX 300e badge.

Stepping inside, the UX 300e welcomes you to an all-black interior which (for the lack of better comparison) reminds me of some Daihatsu-based Toyota products. Is that a bad thing? Maybe. But thankfully, materials and fit all feel like a Lexus should.

The seats are very supportive and are wrapped in what Lexus calls smooth leather, at least on their spec sheet. The front seats are heated and ventilated, and also come with eight-way power adjustments. The rear, on the other hand, is equally comfortable, but could probably offer more space as I found it a bit tight despite my average height of just five feet and seven inches.

A large 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system dominates the upper center part of the dashboard and is one of the best in the business. Lexus has gone away with their old Remote Touch Interface and has instead went for the full touchscreen route. 

Using their latest interface, it’s very easy to navigate and understand, graphics are very crisp. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also equipped, along with a 13-speaker Mark Levinson premium audio system which sounds amazing.

Other stuff you’ll find in the cabin are a very well-designed 12.3-inch fully-digital instrument cluster, a wireless phone charger, and multiple USB-C ports. It’s really hard to find fault here as Lexus really focused on ergonomics and it shows with how easy it is to do things.

As for cargo carrying, the Lexus UX 300e will spare you from trouble. Space is unaffected by this being an EV. Capacity is rated at 367L which is pretty standard for a subcompact crossover. Just look how well our Toyota Tamaraw FX fits inside.

So how does it drive? Well, all EVs feel the same don’t they?

Thankfully, that’s not the case with the UX 300e which feels a lot like your regular ICE or hybrid-powered vehicle. Its single electric motor is capable of producing 204 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque, and is paired to a 72.82kWh lithium-ion battery.

Understandably, power and torque delivery is instant being all electric. No, I did not push this hard because most buyers in this segment won’t be doing that, but you know that it is capable of doing so much more as it has more than you’ll ever need.

Acceleration is exceptionally smooth and responsive, and just feels so normal that you won’t be getting any of your occupants nauseous or scared. Match that with the excellent handling thanks to great steering response and feel which just give a perfect balance compared to any other EV I’ve driven. It also remains very planted thanks to the very low center of gravity.

Ride quality and NVH insulation is what you would expect from a Lexus. It evens out every imperfection you’ll find on the road and is very composed. Despite the lack of a combustion engine to drown out some unwanted noises, you won’t find any of those here. Road noise is almost non-existent, wind noise is no issue, and vibrations, none.

As for how far it can drive, Lexus estimates its range at up to 560km on a single charge. We did not drive that much and we actually returned the car with about 60% of charge left without any recharging done in the three days it was with me.

The exact reason is charging options are limited. I visited the Lexus Manila dealership on a Sunday morning only to find out that their outdoor fast chargers were incompatible. Their AC chargers were unavailable, and other charging stations I visited were either closed or fully-occupied. Sadly, living in a condominium doesn’t allow for home charging either.

That was probably a problem for that day only and won’t be the case everyday or everyone, and obviously not the car itself. All-in-all, I drove for about a total of 200km in heavy Friday rush hour traffic, plus highways and plenty of uphill and downhill roads.

At its price of Php 3,898,000, the Lexus UX 300e is a steal. It’s right in line with the BMW iX1 (Php 3.990-million), and even other mainstream models such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Php 3.068-million). Take note that at this price point, most buyers will not mind the price differences.

While most EVs offer fun through loads of power and torque from the get-go, the Lexus UX300e offers it whenever and wherever you want it, while balancing the comfort and prestige that every Lexus vehicle is known for. We can even go as far as saying it feels like an F Sport even if it isn’t one.

Sure, it does have its limitations, but the Lexus UX 300e has its target market and it will definitely fit the bill for those people, and probably surprise those who make sure to include it in their shopping list.

_{Photos by Julian Panlilio}