Toyota’s luxury division has dropped its electric small SUV, hiking the price of entry into a Lexus EV by $40,000 – and well into six figures.
Lexus is preparing to discontinue its first, and cheapest electric vehicle in the Australian market.
The brand has confirmed that the UX300e small SUV will no longer be sold here, leaving the larger and more expensive RZ range as the sole EV in the local Lexus line-up.
The UX300e was first introduced to the Australian market in late 2021 as the flagship of the UX small SUV range.
At its debut, the UX300e was introduced with a 54.3 kilowatt-hour battery and a WLTP range of 299-315 kilometres.
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An update in April 2023, Lexus announced a longer range variant replacing the original, equipped with a 72.8kWh battery and a 440km WLTP range rating.
The current UX300e is available in Luxury and Sports Luxury grades, priced from $80,720 to $88,190 before on-road costs.
The discontinuation of the UX300e leaves the RZ450e large SUV as the only all-electric model in the Lexus range. Pricing for the RX450e starts from $121,059 before on-road costs.
Along with its larger physical size, the RZ features a 230kW combined power output, all-wheel drive, and rated with 439km of WLTP range, compared to the 150kW front-wheel drive UX300e.
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An updated RZ range has already been revealed overseas and is set for an Australian introduction soon, with arrival timing to be confirmed.
A cheaper front-wheel drive RZ350e model forms part of the updated range overseas, but has, for the time being, been ruled out for an Australian introduction.
“The UX 300e will no longer be available in Australia due to production restrictions on selected parts. However, Lexus Australia remains committed to electrification, with close to 80 per cent of deliveries so far this year being with an electrified powertrain.” A Lexus spokesperson told Drive.
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“Lexus has just introduced a plug-in hybrid option for RX as it continues its leadership with industry-leading hybrids, and will soon add the updated all-electric RZ to its lineup.”
Lexus says it has enough stock in the pipeline to fulfil existing customer orders for the UX300e.
Changes made to the UX line-up in 2024 saw the hybrid UX250h replaced with a more powerful 146kW UX300h model, which helps fill the gap left by the 150kW UX300e as a flagship model for the small SUV model line.
The post Lexus UX300e electric car axed, cutting brand’s EV line-up in half appeared first on Drive.