The 2019 Lexus UX shall make its debut in the USA at the New York Auto Show this week. The small SUV will be the first Lexus to be available through subscription, however, details on this method have not yet been made public. Sources report it might resemble a system similar to the Care by Volvo, where a monthly bill has to be paid for the vehicle’s building costs, making Lexus affordable for the majority of people.
Customers will have a choice of two powertrains. The UX200 houses a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a CVT transmission, purging 168 hp. All the power goes to the front wheels while mileage clocks at 33 mpg.
The UX250h, the hybrid option, also has the same engine but it runs on the Atkinson cycle to make it more fuel efficient. Combined with two electric motors, one powering the front wheels with the engine and the other giving life to the rear axle, the SUV becomes an all-wheel drive. An impressive 176 hp peak output is achieved collectively as well as a 38 mpg fuel efficiency.
Inside the vehicle, we find advanced driver assist features which include Lexus’s new Predictive Efficient Drive. This system optimizes the hybrid function by learning the driving patterns and in turn, allows better mileage and intelligent functionality. Integrated into the 2019 Lexus UX dashboard is Amazon Alexa voice activation, Apple CarPlay, the Lexus Safety System and many other amenities.
The pricing details have not been announced yet. We expect the sales would start by the end of this year.