Review: 2019 Lexus UX 250h F Sport

Erm, yes. Family-sized premium SUVs are the new black as far as market growth in Europe and the UK are concerned, and Lexus UX fits nicely into this segment, which also contains last year's Car of the Year, Volvo's XC40, BMW's X1, Audi's Q3, the Mercedes-Benz GLA, and Jaguar's E-Pace.

The UX joins the NX and even bigger seven-seat RX in the Lexus SUV line up, and will also replace the fairly ancient CT200h hatchback as the most popular Lexus model, although UK sales targets are modest at no more than 6,000 a year, which is about 6.5 per cent of the market. 

It looks weird, which is normal for a Lexus, but toned-down weird, closer to 'interesting'. Although it's also within shouting distance of 'quite ugly', with bizarre patched wheel arches and side panels. Lexus says they all serve the interest of better aerodynamics, but at 0.33Cd, the UX is far from the most wind-cheating SUV.

The drivetrain mixes bits from various Lexus and Toyota models, with MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear. The optional 4x4 system is similar to that of the new Toyota RAV4 with a small electric motor in the rear axle, which should help you get off an icy car park or down a muddy farm track.

The engine is a stroked-down version of the ES saloon unit, displacing two litres and producing 150PS (148bhp) and 190Nm (140lb ft) torque. It drives a Prius-style, twin-motor hybrid system with an epicyclic continuously variable transmission and front-wheel-drive. Total system output is 181PS (179bhp), the top speed is 110mph, and 0-62mph in the front-wheel-drive model takes 8.5 seconds. The WLTP-tested fuel consumption figure stands at about 50mpg and CO2 emissions on the most popular 18-inch wheel option measure at 97g/km. 

Lexus presented some calculations of the tax benefits of the UX against a handful of opponents and there's no doubt for some users this hybrid will leave them with up to £5,500 in their pockets, but that's a best-case comparison.

The cabin attempts the difficult trick of combining Lexus's normally fastidious approach to design, material choice and craft assembly with the need to keep down costs in this super competitive market segment. The cabin is uniformly as black as a coal hole and the optional leather (£2,200 as part of a pack) is reasonably soft, although there are large areas of plastic in the doors and the dash that are harsh to the touch. The front seats are comfortable, but frankly the Volvo is more interesting, the Jag more inviting and the Audi has better design, and our test UX models had far too many squeaks and rattles from the trim.

The front seats have a reasonable amount of room around them, but tall adult passengers in the rear will find their legs jammed into the back of the front seat and their heads in the roof lining. The boot is also small and shallow, just 320 litres compared with the BMW's 505 litres and the Audi's 530 litres. There's a false floor system, but no spare wheel or provision for one.

The facia is all digital, including the instrument binnacle (with an optional head-up display), and there are flush-fitting push buttons, a set of piano-key switches under the centre touch screen, and a touch pad on the centre console. It's good looking and the switchgear seems well put together, but the systems are over complicated, the centre screen graphics are indistinct, the software hangs, the touch pad is woefully slow and clunky and this all-new car isn't capable of accepting those prerequisites of family motoring – Apple CarPlay and Android Auto telephone connectivity.

Lexus has put a lot of love into the body shell to make it stiffer, and reduce tyre rumble and wind noise, and it works well. The engine note is quiet at low revs and at slow-to-medium speeds, and happily it doesn't race away. In fact, that 'rubber-band' effect is reasonably under control, although if you go for a fast overtaking opportunity it does get noisy. The F-Sport model has a set of artificial gears, which can be selected via steering-wheel paddles, which help to maintain a sense of control, but the requirements of the hybrid always come first. 

Driven moderately, the UX is pleasingly refined, though it only delivers its claimed fuel consumption around town where the hybrid can recoup braking energy as electricity. On a wide and open driving route with minimal street use, the UX achieved just 36mpg, where driven similarly, a Volvo XC40 with a twin-turbo diesel delivered 45mpg.

The CVT transmission works well, but the brakes feel inconsistent and lack progression. For a 1.6-tonne vehicle (the 4x4 weighs 1.7 tonnes) on 18-inch wheels, the ride quality feels quite plush, and, on the whole, this is a quite restful car in which to do long journeys. 

The UX feels stable through a series of corners with progressive body roll and precise feeling steering. Interestingly Lexus has bolted the steering rack direct to the bodyshell, which is a racer's trick but introduces a lot of bump thump to the wheel. Lexus has got round that by careful attention to bushing and suspension mounts and as a result the steering feels precise and well weighted, but not dauntingly direct. The 4x4 model feels marginally better balanced through the turns and for that extra traction I reckon it's worth the extra £1,250.

It rides nicely, will save you fuel around town and, for a certain sort of business user, it can make financial sense, but the UX is too small for a family: it makes better sense, perhaps, for those who have at long last jettisoned their kids, and are searching for new, more compact adventures.

Stat Attack: Lexus UX 250h F Sport

Price from: £33,900

Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid petrol

Transmission: CVT automatic, front-wheel-drive (optional electric rear-wheel-drive)

Total system power: 179bhp

Engine Power: 150bhp @ 6,000rpm

Engine torque: 190Nm (140lb ft)

Electric motor power: 107bhp

Electric motor torque: 202Nm (149lb ft)

Electric motor power, rear (optional): 7bhp

Electric motor torque, rear (optional): 55Nm (40lb ft)

0-62mph: 8.5 seconds (8.7 seconds, four-wheel-drive)

Top speed: 110mph

Kerb weight: 1,540-1,620kg (1,600-1,680kg, four-wheel-drive)

Option we'd tick: E four-wheel-drive, £1,250