LEXUS USA Reveals UX Upgrades

Like all car makers, LEXUS knows that buyer taste is fickle to say the least, and UX is the smallest LEXUS suv. SUV models are thick on the ground, and now outnumber passenger car sales, and the difference couldn't be more marked as time goes on.

The 2022 UX is aimed the "urban dweller", that means "city car" to you and I. Although the USA specs are particular to North America, it gives Australians a peak into what to expect here. LEXUS Australia has already announced new NX details, and as is customary, other models get little treats to keep them fresh.

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ABOVE: 2022 LEXUS UX -USA 

First, a bit about LEXUS.

Australian sales are modest to say the least. Only 5392 cars have been sold to and of June, 2021. 992 of those were in June, with UX 194 of those sales. June was a quiet month, with sales down 36%, but overall, for the year LEXUS is up 13.8%.

Covid has strip-mined the planet, so sales figures are impossible to interpret with any kind of accuracy. Shortages, resulting from lockdowns, have set facts at a jaunty angle so we just have to accept them and move on.

  • HUD: the driver data is projected 2.5M in front of the driver so eyes need never leave the road
  • Infotainment: LEXUS infotainment has been universally panned, ad although some models feature a touch screen, its claimed "high ease of use" remains nothing more than a marketing term for a system that sounds a looks great, but is clunky and moody.
  • Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Integration: this was the biggest step forward in recent years. Owners can use the smart watches to lock/unlock, start the engine, and check fuel levels. As well, phone, music, texts, and navigation, can be called up by using the relevant voice commands such as Siri.
  • Lexus Enform: allows users to have their own personal concierge. LEXUS Service Connect provides further convenience such as help from a live assistant who can shunt directions direct to your navigation system

Steering has electronic assistance, and nannies to apply a dab of brakes to keep the lines tidy. It goes without saying that other driver assistance features carry over, with lane trace, emergency braking and so forth.

There are many other features, but in closing, we mention the Hybrid Drive which carries the next generation of Toyota's famed part-electric drive train. Output of around 130kw power all 4 wheels. The system, similar to that now used in Rav4, uses a tiny electric motor on the back wheel. It is a mere 5kw (approx.), but LEXUS says it is sufficient to provide help when needed.

The system uses the navigation system and on-board computers to predict driver behaviour to improve charging. It is so clever, that it will predict congestion to add extra charge to the battery to be used in stop start traffic.

Apart from blind spot and rear cross traffic alert etc, the standard Lexus Safety System+ 2.0 includes:

  • Pre-Collision System with Low-light and Daytime Pedestrian and Daytime Cyclist Detection
  • All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
  • Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist
  • Lane Tracing Assist
  • Road Sign Assist
  • Intelligent High-Beam Headlamps