Range bump for updated Lexus UX300e

LEXUS’ first battery-electric vehicle, the UX300e, scores a major update for 2023 – with more range and more tech.

The upgraded UX300e is slated to arrive Down Under in 2023, now offering a driving range of 450km between charges.

Lexus says it won’t release local pricing until closer to the on-sale date, but with the outgoing model priced at $74,000 plus on-road costs, we can assume it will hover somewhere around that mark.

What do you get for all that money, in the new model? A fair bit more than the outgoing model, that’s what.

Much of the tech and dynamic upgrades come from the UX200 petrol and UX250h hybrid compact SUV models, on sale now ahead of their electric stablemate. 

The extended driving range comes courtesy of a newly designed 72.8kWh battery, up from 54.4kWh, adding more than 40 per cent more range over the previous model’s 315km. 

Despite more juice, peak power remains unchanged at 150kW/300Nm, keeping it ahead of the rest of the UX pack in terms performance. 

Lexus says the larger battery pack remains under the floor, keeping the centre of gravity low, but also acting as a sound barrier to suppress road noise.

Engineers added 20 additional spot welds throughout the body, to stiffen the chassis for greater torsional rigidity, and they also retuned the electronic power steering, suspension, and brakes.

The touch screen jumps a couple of inches in size and offers better resolution, enlarged to 12.3 inches for the new model, and is mounted closer to the driver for improved usability. 

Lexus also rearranged the shape and switch layout of the instrument panel and centre console area, to make space for a larger wireless charging pad and additional USB-C ports.

Further updates to the infotainment system offer a new web browser function using a connection from the car’s inbuilt Data Connection Module (DCM), as well as wireless smartphone connectivity.

The DCM in the UX300e also brings with it the Lexus Connected Services suite of safety, security, and vehicle information functionality. 

It seems a rich tech offering was high on the agenda for the UX range, and a mix of cloud-based and native satellite navigation allows real-time traffic alerts while natural voice recognition means occupants can open or close windows or change a song by asking the car to do so, with a quick ‘Hey Lexus’ prompt.

The Sports Luxury model grade has an enhanced Panoramic View Monitor in the refreshed model, and now features an underfloor function that shows the road surface beneath – more novelty than necessity though, that one.

Lastly, Lexus has bolstered the active safety technology in the updated UX300e, with improved pre-collision system, a new lane trace alert feature, and curve speed control.