Think Lexus and you generally imagine a high-end sedan or a luxury saloon with whisper-quiet cabins, leather interior and a premium feel. What you don’t normally think of is an SUV cross-over with a brutal looking front end and a penchant for scrambling through muddy tracks or acting as an adventure tourer for those epic road trips. However, Lexus has recognised exactly which way the market is going, and has developed the Lexus UX as a response to the ever-increasing SUV/Cross-over market. And they’ve done it rather well.
At Hertz Car Rental, we’ve seen a great deal of interest from our customers over the UX, and we’re delighted to add it to our fleet of SUVs. As a cross-over, it’s just at home on the city streets or long, winding tarmac roads as it is on a mountain track or sandy desert landscape. And with a best-in-class turning circle and a host of technological innovations, it’s a nippy, spritely car that can handle the tight turns and narrow city streets with ease.
Lighting the way
It may seem like a small, inconsequential feature, but a good set of headlights is a must, especially if you’re driving on an unlit road at night. The UX has embraced LED technology for its lighting and has a triple-beam LED headlamp set-up that lights the way almost as if it were daylight. The rear light cluster is aerodynamically profiled to reduce drag and keeps the rear of the vehicle looking clean and uncluttered.
Styling
Lexus is renowned for its elegant styling and smooth, sublime contours. The LX has a far more aggressive and forceful road presence, and that front profile positively snarls its way down the highway. However, the design has spent more than its fair share of time in a wind-tunnel, and the carefully calculated contours are also designed to reduce drag and improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle. That means it punches through the wind as effortlessly as its sleeker sedan cousins, and as a result you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the fuel efficiency too.
Technology
From Apple CarPlay integration to Alexa, your Lexus UX has more technology than the average teenager’s bedroom. Interface your iPhone through the multimedia display, or ask Alexa for directions. Put together your own Spotify playlist for that road trip, or navigate your way through the trickiest terrain with the 10.3” split-screen display. Keep all your personal tech charged up along the way too, with four USB ports and a 110V power outlet and wireless charger. And if someone changes your seat setting, don’t worry – the Lexus Memory System can recall your exact settings for the driver’s seat and outside mirrors.
What’s under the bonnet?
It’s not just the external styling that’s been transformed by Lexus. The UX has a more rigid, lightweight subframe where even the screws have been replaced by laser welds to reduce weight. The result is an SUV that’s one of the lightest in its class, better handling and better performance, with an astonishing 17.1-foot turning circle that would put a Mini to shame.
Powering this muscular little SUV is a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine and an all-new 10-speed Direct Shift Continually Variable transmission that delivers torque exactly where and when you need it. Fuel injection and completely redesigned oil pumps increase engine efficiency and sends your mpg numbers out of the usual thirsty SUV range and into the more economical city runabout class of around 39mpg (combined estimate). And naturally, for a modern car, it’s a Hybrid, so you can reduce your carbon footprint even further.
All-wheel drive means that this cross-over doesn’t run out of steam when the tarmac disappears. It has the ability to send up to 80% of the power to the rear wheels, so you’ll never run out of traction.
Safety first
Lexus has an exceptional reputation for safety and the LX is no exception. It even has some clever features to protect people outside the vehicle, with low-light pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection technology, and a built-in camera that emphasises road sign information. You also get the Lexus Enform Safety Connect service that sends a cry for help via your GPS system if you’re involved in an accident or emergency, so that Roadside Assistance is immediately dispatched if an alert is triggered.
At Hertz Car Rental, we’re predicting that the Lexus UX is rapidly going to become one of the most popular cross-overs in our entire fleet. If you’d like to know more, drop into your local Hertz branch and have a chat with one of our friendly team today.
Images and description are for illustrative purposes only. Specs may vary on rented vehicle based on selection.
