Article content

The Lexus UX F Sport Hybrid 250h is a mouthful of a name for a buffet of a vehicle. It has a little something for everybody. Since it’s a Lexus, you can imagine it’s got luxury in the bag, but a buffet has more than just crab legs and quiche, and the UX does as well.

Article content

And since this is the F Sport Series 2 model, you’ve got paddle shifters, an exclusive three-spoke steering wheel, and 18-inch alloy wheels — that’s like putting a piece of cake on top of your roast beef.

But UX doesn’t stop at F Sport. That’s because this is also the hybrid model, which is the sensible side of broccoli to an otherwise hedonistic plate. It’s also a rarity in this segment. These days, it’s tough to tell what a crossover is actually crossing over, and the Lexus UX seems to be trying to cross just about everything: SUV, hatchback, sports car, hyper-miler. The only thing that’s missing is pickup truck.

The UX already rides the line between subcompact crossover and hatchback, but when you add the F Sport upgrades, this is the luxury hot hatch you didn’t know existed.

Article content

The Luxury

Inside the Lexus you are presented with accessories right to the brim. A suite of safety features is also included, as are driver assistance systems. Eight-way power-adjustable heated/vented seats, heated steering wheel, heads-up display, dual-zone climate control, and a handsome two-tone interior are just the appetizer, while the real meat is in the quality of construction. The switches on the dash for the climate control have a unique look, and remind me of something you might find in an airplane.

Because it’s a hybrid, the first thing you feel when you press the accelerator is the torque of the electric motor. This aids with wafting away gently from a stop, and effectively eliminating rubber-band effect from the CVT.

Article content

Being a luxury car I do find that nobody wants to let you merge, but that’s not a problem that’s exclusive to the Lexus. However, a vehicle that combines luxury, sports, and hybrid, is merging poison. The turn signals sound like the ticking of a grandfather clock, which matches the analog clock in the infotainment. Little touches like that are why you buy a Lexus.

Article content

The F Sport

Lexus doesn’t want to say, but zero-to-100-km/h happens in a little more than 8.0 seconds. That’s more than a second-and-a-half slower than a Golf GTI, but we are talking about a luxury CUV here. Its 2.0-litre four-cylinder produces 181 horsepower, 13 of those coming from an electric motor mounted in the rear, which also provides all-wheel-drive. What seems on the surface a luxury feature is quickly realized as a performance addition.

Ride quality is a little bit firm for a luxury car, but for a sports car you might call it soft, so the UX is once again riding the line. The weighty progressive steering feels good: it’s more powered at low speeds, but firms up at higher speeds.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t make a nice noise really, but that’s just Lexus not letting the gravy touch the peas. Above all, a Lexus has to be comfortable, and quiet.

Article content

The Hybrid

When it all boils down to it, this is really just Prius technology in a filet mignon package. It’s not a plug-in, so you can’t drive it fully electrically, but the UX is smart enough to know when you need to use the ICE engine and when you don’t.
On the highway, you can expect 6.2 litres per 100 km, while in the city it’ll be more like 5.7 litres. Yes, it gets better mileage in the city, because the electric motor kicks in to do the work instead of the internal-combustion engine.

What can be improved?

The rear-seat legroom isn’t good enough in this segment. I was also really disappointed in the cargo space; there’s a two-tiered floor system, but it’s still much less space than competitors.

When’s the last time you saw a CD player and an aux cord? It’s nice to know you can drive around your friends who still carry around an iPod, I guess. The infotainment is actually okay, but the interface to access it is complete garbage — the goofy touchpad is terrible. Even if you were to get used to it, it requires way too much concentration to operate while driving.

Article content

It also took me on some wacky routes that I would never logically use, and almost made me turn the wrong way down a one-way street a few times. Luckily, Lexus finally introduced a new infotainment system on another model, so we’ll be seeing this disappear soon.

Yeah, the outside doesn’t look the best, but Lexus is sticking with its spindle grille for the foreseeable future. This is a vibrant colour, though, and I’ve gotta give Lexus props for offering this vehicle in something other than grey and white, although the hue does cost extra.

Much like a buffet, however, you’ve gotta pay to get a seat, and since the Lexus UX F Sport Hybrid is a black-tie affair, that seat is gonna cost you $51,921.70 when you add in all the cocktails.

So just like the buffet, the Lexus UX F Sport Hybrid has a little something for everybody. If you’ve got pockets deep enough for the entry fee, and a few extra cupcakes, the UX has plenty to offer.