Lexus Australia says its first all-electric model the luxury compact UX300e will arrive in Australia in November 2021.
It will introduce the UX 300e alongside a commitment to delivering customer care, with ‘Lexus solutions’ in areas such as recharging to be integrated within the Lexus Encore owner benefits program.
A dedicated team will draw upon the principles of the Japanese hospitality art of omotenashi to anticipate the needs of Lexus UX 300e customers, to appreciate their requirements and then maintain authentic relationships with them.
Confirmation that the UX 300e will arrive in late 2021 complements the local debut at the 2020 Lexus Melbourne Cup of the Lexus LF-30 Electrified concept, which envisions a fully electric Lexus flagship of 2030.
The UX 300e and LF-30 Electrified respectively represent the first and most futuristic iterations of the ‘Lexus Electrified’ vision – which targets a leap in vehicle performance, handling, control and driver enjoyment, evoking the fun of driving by using an integrated approach to electric motor control and other electrification technologies. The LF-30 Electrified also previews an advanced new cockpit concept – ‘Tazuna’ – that will inspire future Lexus models.
Globally, the first Lexus PHEV and a new dedicated BEV (all-electric) platform will be launched early this decade – vehicles that Lexus will strongly consider for the Australian market as a natural portfolio expansion of the ‘Lexus Electrified’ vision.
Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson says the time is right to expand the electrified Lexus portfolio in Australia and ensure customers have the luxury of choice when selecting from an Lexus powertrain.
The Lexus UX 300e will become the flagship UX and build on the successful luxury compact UX 200 petrol and UX 250h self-charging hybrid electric variants that have been on sale in Australia since December 2018.
It offers maximum power of 150kW and torque of 300Nm, incorporating a high-output motor and high-capacity lithium-ion battery that can deliver a 400km1 driving range in certain driving conditions.
The UX 300e takes about 50 minutes for quick charging and about seven hours for household AC charging, from empty. Maximum efficiency for the motor, inverter, gears and battery has been advanced from the development of the popular UX 250h hybrid-electric variant.
The UX 300e also benefits from the high body rigidity and low centre of gravity provided by the luxury compact SUV’s GA-C platform, in order to maintain excellent handling stability. The suspension has been thoroughly tuned to target the same high steering response and high-quality ride comfort as the UX 250h. Shock-absorber damping force has been optimised to match the additional battery capacity.
A Drive Mode Select function is designed to assist the management of smooth acceleration and deceleration. Paddle shifters can be used in a similar manner to engine braking, providing four levels of deceleration regeneration.
Lexus engineers kept the distinctive design and the utility characteristics of the UX SUV intact, while the aerodynamic performance of the UX 300e benefits from the application of special wheels and an underbody cover.
1 Based on New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) mode.
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