Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury 2023 Review

The bordering-on-edgy Lexus UX arrived in 2019 to take on premium small SUVs such as the Volvo XC40, Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. The baby Lexus tends to be more a 2+2 than a true five-seater, part fashion statement and part handy runabout, yet it accurately represents core brand values. As the entry point to the Japanese luxury brand until the even-smaller LBX arrives, the UX challenges its rivals with captivating style, high-class amenities, numerous driveline options and competitive pricing.

The 2023 Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury reviewed here is a high-spec, hybrid-powered, front-wheel drive model priced at $60,850 plus on-road costs.

There's a scarcity of non-plug-in series/parallel hybrid rivals for the UX in this premium small SUV segment, where conventional engines are often combined with mild-hybrid systems, and where plug-in hybrids and, increasingly, full-electric powertrains are gathering steam.

Rivals include the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Volvo XC40 and the new Alfa Romeo Tonale.

For an extra $4500, the Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury is also available in electrically-enabled E-Four all-wheel drive form where an extra 53kW electric motor is sited at the rear axle to supplement, when required, the front-mounted hybrid driveline.

The Lexus UX range opens at $46,085 plus on-road costs for the 2.0-litre petrol UX 200 Luxury and tops out at $80,691 plus ORCs for the battery-electric UX 300e Sports Luxury.

The 2023 Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury is positioned towards the top end of the range and is about as plush as you are likely to get in a small SUV.

It brings to the table niceties such as leather-look seat trim, electric adjustment for the steering wheel, a kick-sensor powered tailgate, power front seats with heating and cooling (plus memory settings on the driver's side), two-zone climate control, embedded sat-nav, a phone charging pad, wireless Apple CarPlay (Android devices are cable-connected) and a deep-chested 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.

A head-up display, sunroof and a smart key card are available as part of a $3500 Enhancement Pack, which is the only option listed for the UX 250h Sports Luxury.

All Lexus UX models have a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty (including the hybrid battery) and, for the UX 250h, three years of capped-price servicing at $495 per annum.

There are two levels of optional three-year ‘Encore’ after-care packages: regular and Platinum. The base Encore package includes roadside assist and a provided loan car when your UX is being serviced, while upgrading to Platinum level factors in some of the privileges, such as valet parking, that have been a familiar part of the Lexus ethos from the outset.

The 2023 Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted in 2019.

It comes with a familiar array of technology that includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) operating at low speeds only but in forward and reverse and including pedestrian avoidance.

There's also lane departure warning with lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear-only cross-traffic alert, speed sign recognition and an array of rear, front and side cameras to inform its 360-degree surround-view parking display.

The one obvious omission is driver attention detection to warn of fatigue at the wheel.

There are eight airbags fitted: the usual front, side and front/rear head-protecting airbags, plus knee airbags for both driver and front seat passenger – but no front centre airbag to help prevent head-strike between front occupants in a collision.

Lexus seems finally to be cottoning on to the uselessness of employing mouse-style controls for various systems regularly accessed by the driver.

The 2023 Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury suffers none of that nonsense and relies instead on proven, effective systems using tactile buttons to control most functions.

Unlike some, but in concert with many others, Lexus uses touch controls on its 12.3-inch centre display screen to manipulate many functions – although the radio volume is thankfully adjusted by a tactile rotating button on the driver's side.

The dash offers instrument views that can be varied according to driver preferences: Sport (inexplicably including a tachometer which has no logical place in a hybrid), Normal and Eco.

There are three USB ports – two USB-C on the dash below the climate controls, and one USB-A in the centre console.

Three years of complimentary Lexus Connected Services includes access to cloud-based information on traffic, weather, parking and location searching, as well as enabling such things as remote engine start-up and door locking/unlocking.

The 2023 Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury is closely related to the Toyota C-HR.

However, where the hybrid version of the Toyota has a 1.8-litre-based driveline, the petrol-electric Lexus uses a 107kW/188Nm Atkinson-cycle version of the normally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder employed in non-hybrid variants.

The engine produces 126kW of power and 205Nm of torque, which is supplemented here by an 80kW electric motor to produce a combined output of 131kW.

Lexus doesn't quote a combined petrol-electric torque figure, but the 202Nm electric motor contributes significantly to the UX 250h's road performance and general sense of refinement.

The driveline is managed by Toyota's clever planetary-geared continuously variable transmission (CVT) which manipulates the power flow between the battery, petrol engine and electric motor.

The hybrid powertrain in the 2023 Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury promises, and delivers, a solid mix of performance and fuel economy.

The combined-cycle consumption claim of 4.5L/100km significantly undercuts most of its rivals, and reflects pretty well on real-world expectations.

Our review car averaged 5.5L/100km over a mixed week of driving in urban and freeway conditions – and, unlike its competitors which require 95 RON premium fuel, did it on regular 91 RON.

The 2023 Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury is not where you go if you want extra verve in your UX Lexus.

That is the province of the F Sport variant, which gains a retuned version of the adaptive, variable-rate suspension with upgraded rear dampers and an extra couple of selectable drive modes over the regular three-mode (Sport, Normal, Eco) UX models.

That said, the Sports Luxury 250h doesn't fare badly. Like the Toyota C-HR, it is more squat and hunkered-down than the larger RAV4 it's based on; with its much lower roofline, a shorter wheelbase, less ground clearance (160mm) and narrower track dimensions, the UX feels compact and manoeuvrable.

The pliant ride is a pleasant adjunct to the cosseting seats, while the steering, though not exactly fast at 2.7 turns from lock to lock with a turning circle of 10.4 metres, feels connected and responsive.

The road grip is helped by 18-inch alloy wheels shod with low-profile 225/50 tyres (conservative by comparison with the 19-inch wheels used by most competitors).

The hybrid driveline is empowering. Not only does it contribute to a certain degree of EV-like accelerative surge, it also adds a smoothness that is very compatible with the UX's persona as a high-end, high-riding crossover.

The UX 250h Sports Luxury's calculated power-weight ratio exceeds those of the bulk of its competitors except for the 145kW/300Nm Ultimate B4 Volvo XC40 (and then, there's not much in it).

Indicative of what Lexus expects of the UX 250h Sports Luxury, in terms of how it will be used by owners, no towing capacity is quoted.

The only design foible with the 2023 Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury is the small cabin that's accentuated by the high side window line and doesn't do a lot to encourage travelling in the rear seat.

Though all the amenities are there, there's not much oxygen for those up back who, despite ingress/egress being relatively easy via the rear doors, are unlikely to savour the cramped, dark space.

No problems in any way up front, where just about every luxury you could reasonably expect is in place and the seemingly small seats are no reflection of the comfort and support they provide, even over long distances.

Across the cabin, Lexus designers have employed tasteful trim materials, finely crafted details and an abundancy of soft-touch finishes.

The Sports Luxury's 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, with its sonorous bass responses and crisp upper registers, will be savoured by audiophiles.

The UX's boot, with its high floor and minimalist dimensions, isn't of much use for anything but a weekend away for two.

This can be partly blamed on the need to provide space for the hybrid's nickel-metal hydride battery pack – the Toyota group has yet to fully embrace lithium-ion technology – and has necessitated the elimination of a spare wheel, relying instead on run-flat tyres.

Lexus quotes a maximum boot capacity of just 368 litres, which is okay for the aforementioned weekend away for two, but not very helpful for just about anyone else.

Until the all-new Lexus LBX arrives next year, the 2023 Lexus UX stands as the smallest and most affordable model from the Japanese luxury car-maker, but it doesn't compromise the brand one bit.

From its garish spindle grille to its plush and cosy interior, to its safety technology and its on-road refinement, the Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury is a worthy contender in an overwhelmingly European-dominated segment.

There's genuine value in its pricing and positioning, with perhaps the only factor generating a question mark being its size – or lack thereof.

Lexus undoubtedly designed the UX in the first place for a maximum of four, rather than five, adult occupants – and in the real world even that proves to be a challenge.

This is a case where form is definitely favoured over function, and where prospective buyers are perhaps thinking not so much about larger SUV alternatives but the advantages the UX brings compared to small European hatchbacks or sedans.

With more than 30 years in the Australian car market, Lexus clearly understands the UX's target market, and what its priorities are.

2023 Lexus UX 250h Sports Luxury 2WD at a glance: Price: $60,850 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowPowertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol-electricOutput: 107kW/188Nm (electric motor: 80kW/202Nm)Combined output: 131kWTransmission: Continuously variable automaticFuel: 4.5L/100km (ADR Combined)CO2: 103g/km (ADR Combined)Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)

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