Lexus Previews UX Crossover Ahead of Geneva

TopSpeed

By Mark McNabb

Published Feb 28, 2018

Familiar design is shrinkwrapped into urban crawler

Lexus has finally given an unobstructed view of its upcoming 2019 UX crossover ahead of its official debut on March 6 at the 2018 Geneva International Motor show. A single photo and a short teaser video are all Lexus gave out, yet we’ve now got a solid idea of the UX’s aesthetics.

The compact crossover will be Lexus’ smallest and least expensive model, undercutting the already small NX crossover. The UX, which stands for Urban Crossover, shares its architecture with the Toyota C-HR and its design language with the NX and popular RX crossovers. Oddly enough, Lexus calls the UX the “first urban crossover,” which is about as baseless as a statement about crossovers can get. Still, the automaker promises the platform is “exceptionally rigid with a low center of gravity for exceptional handling.”

The interior is barely seen in the teaser video, but we can see several important details. The UX borrows from the Lexus LC500’s interior with the trapezoidal binnacle with drive mode knobs protruding from the sides. Digital gauges fill the cluster. The Enform infotainment system takes on a wide, landscape design similar to the RX. Push-button starting and toggle switches for the HVAC controls are present, too. Missing is the flashy satin chrome that Lexus loves using in its interiors. The UX has a more muted tone with what looks like a leather-wrapped portion of the dash.

Engine specs are still out, but we know the UX will be offered as a 250h, meaning a hybrid powertrain is happening. We’re guessing the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder borrowed from the NX will be standard. In the NX, the engine makes 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque while backed by a six-speed automatic transmission. We’d bet Lexus will add more gears, if not a Continuously Variable Transmission. Front-wheel drive will be standard, and AWD will likely be an option.

As we reasoned in our 2019 Lexus UX speculative review, the 250h will probably come with Lexus’ 2.5-liter four-cylinder mated to a hybrid system and CVT.

Thankfully, speculation will come to an end on March 6 at 10 a.m. local time at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. We’ll update our review with all the nitty-gritty details then, so stick around to TopSpeed.com.

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