Well, we were really surprised when Lexus announced that the UX concept is heading to the production facilities. We are joking of course! These were pretty expected news because the segment is growing quite rapidly, so Toyota’s luxury player won’t miss the chance to get its own piece of the big cake. Now, the carmaker hasn’t said when will arrive the 2018 Lexus UX, but we think it’s going to be ready early next year.
According to the latest reports, the production model will keep the most exciting styling cues from the concept. More precisely, the production-ready vehicle will stay as funky as it is now, yet it might get a bit smaller wheels and less odd interior. On the other hand, the exaggerated surface textures across the exterior will stay almost untouched, which is a brave move of the car manufacturer that might end up either as a jackpot or as a total disaster.
In either way, the 2018 Lexus UX will get a range of interesting options under the hood. We know that because the company already has trademarked UX200, UX250, and UX250h. Now, we are not sure how many horses will have UX200 and UX250 models, yet we are sure they will use a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which is going to be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and standard front-wheel drive. Of course, there will be an optional all-wheel drive. As for the 2018 Lexus UX250h, it will use a hybrid drivetrain, probably the similar that currently runs the NX 300h.
There is nothing official regarding the price, yet we are sure that the premium small SUV will cost pretty much the same as the biggest competitors, which are the Mercedes-Benz GLA-class, Audi Q3, BMW X1, and Acura CDX. More precisely, the base 2018 Lexus UX should cost around $32,000.
