THE UX300e is the Japanese premium brand’s first battery-electric vehicle. It joins petrol and petrol-electric hybrid variants to bring the total number of UX offerings to ten. The two-variant UX300e line-up – which includes the $74,000 Luxury and $81,000 Sports Luxury grades – is offered with a wide-ranging customer support program and a longer-than-usual five-year warranty. 

The UX300e’s battery pack is backed by a ten-year/unlimited-kilometre assurance period (Lexus offers a comprehensive battery system health check after the fifth year of ownership) and, if the high-voltage battery’s energy-storage capacity falls below 70 per cent, the pack is covered for up to 160,000km.

Included in the purchase price is access to free public battery charging, a complimentary home-charger installation and entry to Lexus’ exclusive Encore Platinum owner benefits program.

As the de-facto performance flagship of the UX range, the 300e draws power from a 54.3kWh lithium-ion battery located beneath the floor and feeds 150kW/300Nm to the front wheels via a front-mounted motor, which is said to propel the crossover from zero to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds.

Lexus says the UX300e has an optimal driving range of 360km (or 305km WLTP), which places it behind rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz EQA (480km) and Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric (418km).

Australian charging details have not been disclosed, but in overseas trim, the UX300e can accept up to 35kW DC fast charging, by which its battery’s state of charge can be replenished from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in 69 minutes.

The UX300e receives a unique suspension and steering set-up with firmer dampers, hollow stabiliser bars and more rigid rear suspension bushes. Regenerative braking can be applied (and adjusted) via the steering wheel paddles, with performance indicated via a standard 7.0-inch central display. 

Additional aerodynamic enhancements are said to further improve the model’s eco credentials.

Lexus Safety System+ is standard and includes a pre-collision system featuring pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, all-speed active cruise control, lane-trace assist, road-sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert and parking support brake with obstacle and vehicle detection.^.

Blind-spot monitoring, automatic high-beam assist, front- and rear parking sensors and eight airbags are also fitted.

The equipment list for both UX300e variants is quite generous. The entry-grade Luxury shares much of its equipment with the UX250h Luxury Enhancement Pack 2 and is fitted additionally with heated and ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, a heated multifunction steering wheel, a 13-speaker Mark Levinson premium audio system and 17-inch alloy wheels.

It carries over the UX250h’s LED head- and fog lights, keyless entry and start, electric tailgate and -steering column adjustment, eight-way adjustable front seats, 7.0-inch driver display and a 10.3-inch infotainment screen with DAB+ digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

At the top of the battery-electric UX line-up is the UX300e Sports Luxury (tested) that adds 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, sensational tri-beam adaptive LED headlights, 3D-look illumination inside the cabin and a textured dashboard inspired by Japanese grained paper.