The updated Lexus UX300e electric car will arrive in Australia in 2023, with the headline act being a much larger battery offering a greatly extended driving range.
The MY23 model gets a 72.8kWh battery, up from the old 54.4kWh pack, extending the driving range from 315km to a claimed 450km in WLTP testing.
The electric motor is as before, producing 150kW of power and 300Nm of torque.
The battery is not the UX300e’s sole update though, with other changes in line with the facelifted petrol and hybrid UX family detailed in August, and on sale now.
The enhancements include a new 12.3-inch touchscreen display in place of the old 10.3-inch non-touch setup, the addition of USB-C ports, and a new infotainment operating system.
Designers also reconfigured the shape and switch layout of the instrument panel and console area, while increasing the wireless smartphone charging pad’s area.
The new OS supports wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, and has an inbuilt data communication module with internet connection. A mix of cloud-based and native satellite navigation means the system can get traffic and parking information in real time.
New natural voice recognition means users can say “Hey Lexus” to handle functions such as opening and closing windows, or changing a song.
The DCM also supports Lexus Connected Services, enabling over-the-air updates. Services include automatic notifications in the event of a crash or theft, app-based unlocking and starting of the vehicle, and remote climate control and battery status checks.
The Lexus Safety System+ driver-assist system gets some tweaks too, picking up junction AEB, automated deceleration in corners using adaptive cruise control, and a refined version of the Lane Trace Alert lane-centring function.
The Sports Luxury grade also receives an enhanced 360-degree camera with a new underfloor view.
As with the MY23 Lexus UX200 and UX250h, the UX300e gets a strengthened chassis with engineers adding 20 spot weld points throughout the body for greater torsional rigidity. The electronic power steering, shock absorbers, and brakes are also retuned.
Pricing and full specification will be announced closer to the on-sale date, just listed as 2023 at this stage.
The outgoing Lexus UX300e cost $74,000 (Luxury) and $81,000 (Sports Luxury), but with the bigger battery we’d bank on some price hikes.
The UX300e EV is a slow seller for Lexus, managing 63 sales YTD compared to 403 hybrids.
