Lexus is about to launch its first small crossover, the UX, and to show how one could be customized and be made more aggressive; it’s brought a striking UX 250h study to the 2018 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

2019 Lexus UX 250h Custom

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2019 Lexus UX 250h Custom
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

What makes the Lexus UX Custom special

This particular car actually debuted earlier in the year, back in August, at Monterey Car Week, but it’s still worth pointing out its unique traits. Firstly, the vehicle’s color, which comes courtesy of an Oracal wrap, really makes the little UX pop.

It goes really well with the black Vossen VFS-1 rims wrapped in Nitto Invo tires, and its stance is improved greatly over the standard UX thanks to a new Apexi N1 EXV Damper Suspension system, which lowers the ride height so much that the car looks more like a hot hatch than a crossover.

There’s also a custom roof rack specifically designed to carry a Lexus F SPORT Carbon Fiber Road Bicycle which was created to mark the end of the Lexus LFA supercar production run.

The standard UX is Lexus’ first foray into the small premium high-rider segment where it will do battle with the BMW X1 and X2, as well as the Audi Q3 and Q4, the Mercedes GLA, and the Jaguar E-Pace. Engine options are either the UX200, which is a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 168 horsepower and 151 pound-feet / 205 Nm of torque, or the 250h (the one on which the SEMA concept is based) which mates an Atkinson-cycle engine with an electric motor for a total of 176 horsepower - the latter is also all-wheel drive.

It’s about as striking as the larger NX, but it looks completely different compared to its bigger brother - it is, however, just as polarizing; you’ll either love it or hate it.

The same cannot be said of its interior, which is nowhere near as crazy or flamboyant as the exterior. There’s nothing particularly special, except for the seats which I found surprisingly comfortable when I sat in a UX at its Geneva motor show debut. I did, however, notice that finish quality was not as good as on the larger NX, although the build was impeccable.

The UX will debut in North America in December of this year, but European buyers and other markets will have to wait until sometime early next year for it to become available for purchase. In the States, the UX200 will cost from $32,000 and the UX250h from $34,000; Euro pricing has not been announced yet.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Lexus UX.