Review - Lexus UX200

Building off the back of the ever-growing popularity of compact SUVs, the Lexus UX200 enters the ring competing against the likes of the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Volvo XC40, and the BMW X2. 

With competition this fierce, the Lexus UX200 needs something special up its sleeve to win over buyers in the premium compact SUV segment. Priced from below $50k, just how well does the cheapest Lexus small SUV meet expectations? Let’s find out.

Starting Price: $44,445

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Lexus UX200 (LUXURY) Specifications

For more details and other variants, check Lexus UX200 car page.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Lexus UX200 range kicks off from $44,445 for the entry-level UX200 Luxury, while stepping up to the UX200 Luxury Enhancement Pack 1 comes at a cost of $46,425. 

Stepping up to the UX200 Luxury with Enhancement Pack 2 brings the price to $48,175, while the range-topping UX200 Luxury with Enhancement Pack 3 is priced at $50,225, and the UX200 F Sport is priced at $55,750. 

Moving to the Lexus UX200 Sports Luxury brings the price to $58,750, with the UX200 F Sport with Enhancement Pack 2 priced at $61,350. 

How Much Can OnlineAuto Save You?

You could save money by using one of OnlineAuto’s car agents to assist you in finding the best car for you. As one of the leading car buying services in Australia, our team have access to a range of dealerships across the country to help find you the best deal.

What Features Does the Lexus UX200 Have?

The base Lexus UX200 with no additional packages comes riding on 17-inch alloys, and receives LED headlights with LED daytime running lamps, vegan leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera with rear parking sensors, push-button start, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control and a 10.3-inch infotainment system with satellite navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay which is paired with an eight-speaker sound system.  

Opting for the Enhancement Pack 1 adds a set of roof rails, keyless entry, LED fog lights, blindspot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, and DAB+ digital radio upgrade for the infotainment system.  

Lexus’ Enhancement Pack 2 adds a powered boot lift, wireless smartphone charging, rear privacy glass, headlight washers, and a set of active cornering lights, while the Enhancement Pack 3 adds a panoramic sunroof atop the previously mentioned features.

Range Features:

• 17-inch alloys 

• LED headlights & daytime running lamps 

• Vegan leather upholstery 

• Adaptive cruise control 

• Reversing camera with rear parking sensors 

• Push-button start

• Heated front seats 

• Dual-zone climate control 

• 10.3-inch infotainment system with sat-nav Apple CarPlay & Android Auto 

• Eight-speaker sound system 

• Adaptive dampers (F Sport)

• Roof rails (Enhancement Pack 1) 

• LED fog lights (Enhancement Pack 1)

• Powered boot lift (Enhancement Pack 2) 

• Active cornering lights (Enhancement Pack 2)

• Panoramic Sunroof (Enhancement Pack 3) 

• 18-inch alloys (Sports Luxury) 

• Ventilated front seats (Sports Luxury)

• Surround-view camera (Sports Luxury)

• 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system (Sports Luxury)

Lexus UX200 Colours

The Lexus UX200 range is available in Sonic Quartz, Mercury Grey, Titanium, Onyx and Graphite Black, Caliente, Khaki Metal, Celestial Blue and Sonic Chrome Silver.

Is it Comfortable to Drive?

As per usual with creations from Toyota’s premium arm, Lexus, the UX200 provides drivers with a smooth and sophisticated driving experience, even in its most affordable vehicle.

User-friendliness and simplicity are the cornerstones of compact SUVs, and in this respect, the Lexus UX200 is one of the leaders of the pack, especially considering its price tag for the premium end of the market. 

Power is supplied by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 126kW of power and 205Nm of torque, which sends power to the front wheels via a CVT automatic, which behaves like one seamless gear. 

The amount of power on tap here is impressive considering the absence of a turbocharger, providing a considerable amount of power to get you up to speed, and is very much on par with its major competitors. 

Around town, the ride quality is perhaps more suited to smooth city streets than it is rougher country roads, however, the Lexus UX200 is a capable all-rounder when it comes to long-distance road trips. The UX200 with the F Sport package adds a set of adaptive dampers for the suspension system which helps to iron out bumps and irregularities on the road while holding the body stiff through the corners. 

In town, the UX200 offers a smooth and sophisticated driving dynamic, which is complemented by its user-friendly and lightweight steering rack that makes low-speed turns and parking a simple task. 

All up, the UX200’s platform is impressively smooth and easy to drive, ticking all the important boxes that customers demand from their compact SUV. 

Is it Practical and Spacious?

While smaller SUVs like the UX200 aren’t typically famous for their space and practicality, Lexus’ designers have done an impressive job at maximising the space on offer inside the cabin, which benefits from the high-quality finishes we’ve come to expect from Lexus. 

Up front, the cabin is sleek and stylish while offering the driver an impressive amount of visibility through the front windscreen and a heap of adjustability in the driving position. There’s no issues in terms of shoulder or headroom in the front of the cabin, either, making it welcoming for tall drivers that might struggle in other compact SUVs. 

There’s a handful of climate control buttons in the center of the dash, which is dominated by Lexus’ high-definition 10.3-inch infotainment system. 

Practical elements in the front of the UX200’s cabin include a storage tray behind the gear lever that doubles as a wireless charger with the optional enhancement package, storage inside the folding arm rest, as well as sizable door bins either side of the cabin. 

Move to the rear of the cabin and you’ll find a comfortable bench seat with ISOFIX anchors on each of the outward seats and top tether mounts for a variety of child seats. 

In terms of headroom in the rear of the UX200’s cabin, there’s more than enough for kids and growing teenagers, while tall adults might struggle to get enough headroom due to the sloping roofline design. Overall, though, there’s a decent amount of room for the compact SUV segment which typically falls short when it comes to rear seat space and headroom. 

Finally, the UX200 has a boot rated at 419L in the base model, which increases to 424L in the UX200 F Sport, which is actually a considerable amount of boot space for the compact SUV segment, making the Lexus UX200 an impressive entrant in terms of practicality. 

Is it Safe?

The Lexus UX200 range has been awarded ANCAP’s maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 96% for adult protection, 88% for child protection, 82% for pedestrian protection and 83% for its safety assist technologies.  

All UX200 models receive autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warnings, lane departure and lane keep assistance, eight airbags in the cabin and traffic sign recognition. 

If you’re after blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts, you’ll need to upgrade higher into the range, or tick the box on the Enhancement Pack that adds key safety equipment. 

Is it Fuel Efficient?

The Lexus UX200 is powered by a relatively fuel-efficient 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that returns combined cycle figures of 5.8L per 100km, which is effectively on par with its competitors in terms of fuel economy. 

Our Verdict: Is the Lexus UX200 Worth it?

If you’re in the market for a compact SUV with a heaping of premium features and undeniably impressive ride quality, it’s well worth taking a closer look at the UX200 range. 

As a complete package, the UX200 is stylish, well-equipped, comfortable, and easy to drive while offering a safe and practical interior for a growing family, and very much matches what’s on offer from its competitors in the premium compact SUV segment. 

As a result, we can’t help but recommend that you add it to your shortlist. On that note, if you’re in the market for a new car, you can get a free quote and see how much OnlineAuto can save you on your next car, or call us on 1300 719 925.

Five Specs You Need to Know

1. Five-year, unlimited KM warranty 

2. 12-month/15,000km service intervals 

3. 5.8L per 100km fuel economy 

4. Five-star ANCAP safety rating 

5. 419L boot space; increases to 424L in UX200 F Sport 

Pros

• Sleek and stylish looks inside and out 

• Premium ride quality with user-friendly dynamic

• Generous features list 

• Decent-sized boot

Cons

• Some safety features are reserved for optional enhancement packs 

• A turbocharger could help while fully-loaded 

• Expensive extras packages

OnlineAuto Rating: 8.5/10

Lexus UX200 Competition