Lexus’s first pure-electric compact SUV revealed

The Japanese automaker, Lexus, has revealed the new UX300e, its first-ever compact SUV. Targeting the European and Chinese markets, Lexus will be launching the UX300e in Europe and China next year, followed by its launch in Japan in 2021. 

The UX300e compact SUV looks identical to its combustion variants except for the wheels and electric badging. The roof height has increased a bit, whereas the ground clearance has been reduced by 20 mm for equipping the battery pack, which also adds some extra weight. However, the company mentioned that the dampers had been re-tuned to handle the additional weight stating, "suspension has been thoroughly tuned to target the same high steering response and high-quality ride comfort as the UX250h".

The cabin remains unchanged, like the one you see on the regular UX. However, there will be new readouts in the instrument cluster and central-positioned touchscreen, providing details about the travel range, nearby charging stations and more. 

Featuring a 54.3 kWh lithium-ion battery, the UX300e will come with a travel range of 400 km, powered by an electric motor that pumps out a max power of 204 PS and a peak torque of 300 Nm. When charged via a fast charger, the UX300e will require 50 minutes to get fully charged, whereas, on a home wall connection, it will take around seven hours. The UX300e comes with four power regeneration modes allowing the driver to tailor settings for energy harvesting while decelerating. 

The chief executive at Lexus Australia said, "The UX300e is initially intended for sale next year in China and Europe and Japan the following year. No plans have been announced for other markets. Should it become available, we would love to be able to offer this vehicle in Australia once issues such as charging infrastructure are resolved," earlier this year when asked about the UX300e’s launch in Australia. 

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