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Auto123 reviews the 2022 Lexus UX 250h.
It's amazing what a sharp design, wider wheel arches and the designation as an SUV can do to a compact car. Looked at from the opposite direction, it’s also amazing that as SUV segments multiply, including ones that comprise ever-smaller models, manufacturers are slowly returning to the compact-car universe... with that almost obligatory more “rugged” vibe of course.
The 2022 Lexus UX 250h is such a creature: a compact car dressed up as an SUV, and also a small SUV that comes close to replicating what you get from a compact car. In any event, the smallest of the Japanese luxury brand's vehicles is based on the same skeleton as the Toyota Corolla Hatchback. The wheelbase of the two models is identical, although the UX is taller, longer and wider. Although we can agree that with its 160-mm ground clearance, the UX is not exactly a direct rival to the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
For the new year, the model loses its basic UX 200 variant, cursed as it was by offering only two-wheel drive to customers. In 2022, then, only the UX 250h remains in the lineup, but when you take a look at the pocket crossover's stuttering sales, you have to wonder if just maybe the more popular and newly refreshed Lexus NX will force its little brother into retirement once and for all.
We'll see if that sad fate befalls the UX. Certainly, instead of burying it, Lexus could decide to graft a purely electric variant onto the range. Such a version already exists in Europe. As I said, we’ll see.
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Familiar looks
The UX 250h respects the brand's design philosophy in every way. Up front, the front fascia features the hourglass-shaped grille, as well as slimmed-down headlights that supplant those side openings on either side of the central grille. On the sides, it's really those muscular fender contours that get the attention, and they give the UX its crossover character. It's not a tough look, but it's a pretty good one, at least if you're the type who appreciates that kind of stretched-out silhouette.
In profile, the UX 250h has more in common with its Toyota colleague, the high beltline limiting the windows somewhat. The slope of the rear hatch is in sharp contrast to the central position light bookended by tiny fins at each extremity. With the 18-inch wheels, the UX almost looks like a rally car, minus the stickers and the safety cage.
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Inside
The UX 250h we were provided with for our winter road test came with the optional F Sport package, which, in addition to a few exterior bits of bling, adds a tasteful two-tone blue and black colour scheme, F Sport seats in NuLuxe, a three-spoke F Sport steering wheel and some blue stitching here and there throughout the cabin.
Unsurprisingly, the build quality is on point, and that also applies to the materials chosen. Since the UX is a close cousin to the Corolla, it's only natural that you feel you're sitting in a compact car. In fact, when you get in, you actually go down, in contrast with most crossovers that offer an easier straight horizontal entry direction, thanks to the seats sitting higher. The car feel is accentuated by the rather small door opening; if you’re wearing a bulky winter coat, getting in to the UX is just not a graceful action.
Once you're in, though, you’re in a familiar world... if, that is, you’re familiar with Toyota/Lexus products. For example, you’ll recognize the two cylinders on either side of the information screen; the one on the right allows the driver to select the desired drive mode, the one on the left turns traction control on or off. Thankfully, the designers thought better than to hide that function in one of the infotainment system's hidden menus.
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Beyond the usual controls like the gearshift lever, the climate controls and the display behind the steering wheel, there's the frankly infamous touchpad that serves as an access point via your fingers to the central screen - non-touch – the graphics quality of which has greatly improved in recent years.
The seats are comfortable and provide plenty of support when you push things a little. As you can imagine, the second row is fairly cramped, as is the trunk behind it. Again, think compact car. The good news with this hatchback is that you can lower the rear seat partially or completely to load slightly larger items.
On the road
Visually, the UX 250h is a neat-looking little vehicle. The problem is that on the road, it just doesn’t deliver the level of fun you know you'll get from the Germans in its segment.
Those would be the BMW X1 / X2, Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA / GLB, and the Lexus UX 250h doesn't offer the same driving experience focused primarily on driving pleasure as those models do. Of the Germans, the two BMW models clearly win in this regard. The UX 250h offers a more relaxed driving experience with its soft suspension and seats, because even in this pocket format, this is a Lexus, after all.
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Overall, the focus with the UX is to deliver exemplary fuel economy, overall quality and comfort – and it has to make do with a continuously variable transmission. Asking this crossover to deliver shots of adrenaline is like expecting throbbing club music from an elevator.
Yes, Lexus may offer a Sport driving mode thanks to that "stick" on the right side of the information screen cap, but aside from a livelier powertrain response and a slightly more nervous sound, the UX still won’t stir passions - although highway pickups are quite energetic thanks to the instant torque of the electric motor.
The all-wheel drive system is a nice safety bonus in the city, but know that Lexus' eAWD system deactivates above 70 km/h. Also, even with all the driver assistance systems turned off, the all-wheel drive system is slow to respond.
The last word
You'd think that sleek silhouette, F Sport interior and 18-inch wheels would all point to a sporty crossover, but that's not the case. The Lexus UX 250h prefers to play the peace-of-mind card, help you stay away from the gas pump as much as possible and deliver that famed Toyota/Lexus reliability.
But if you're looking for an urban pocket rocket, the UX 250h, despite all its qualities, is not for you.
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We like
Overall quality
Comfort
Fuel economy
We like less
The all-wheel drive system that is deactivated above 70 km/h
The lack of driving pleasure
Limited space in the back
The competition
Audi Q3
BMW X1 / X2
Buick Encore GX
Jaguar E-Pace
Mercedes-Benz GLA
Mini Countryman
Volvo XC40
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Road Tests and Reviews
