- Lexus is updating the UX, its subcompact crossover, for 2025 with a new hybrid powertrain.
- The 2025 UX300h produces 196 horsepower and can be had with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
- Lexus also made minor adjustments to the interior layout and added the latest safety technology.
UPDATE 12/21/23, 11:40 a.m.: Lexus has confirmed that the UX300h will be the sole powertrain available for the 2025 UX crossover, with the 181-hp UX250h set to disappear following the 2024 model year.
In 2023, Lexus started offering the UX, the automaker’s luxury subcompact SUV, exclusively as a hybrid, dropping the gas-only UX200 in favor of a front-wheel-drive version of the UX250h. Now, for 2025, the UX—which is also the smallest Lexus SUV—gains a more powerful hybrid setup. Good for 196 horsepower, the UX300h is the most powerful UX yet and the first Lexus to utilize the company’s new fifth-generation hybrid system. Sales will begin at some point next year.
The UX300h will come with either front- or all-wheel drive. Both versions pair a 150-hp 2.0-liter inline-four with a front-mounted permanent synchronous electric motor and a continuously variable transmission. AWD models gain a second permanent synchronous motor on the rear axle. The front motor is good for 111 horsepower, while the rear motor produces 40 ponies; strangely Lexus only quotes one combined power output for the hybrid system at 196 hp.
Lexus says the higher horsepower figure comes courtesy of the new hybrid setup and a lightweight lithium-ion battery, which replaces the old setup’s nickel-metal hydride battery. The 60-cell pack lives under the rear seat, eliminating the impact on cargo room that often comes with hybrid systems. Lexus estimates the FWD models will receive a 43-mpg combined rating while AWD models will return 41 mpg combined. This would be 1 mpg better for the FWD version and a 2-mpg improvement for the AWD model versus the EPA’s ratings for the 2024 UX250h.
The UX also now uses shift-by-wire, with Lexus saying that the removal of mechanical linkages results in quicker and smooth shifting. Lexus claims the zero-to-60-mph time has improved to 7.9 seconds for all-wheel-drive models and 8.0 seconds for front-wheel-drive versions, down from the claimed 8.4 seconds for a 2023 FWD UX250h. Our last test of a UX250h, a 2019 model, saw the crossover trudge to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds.
There are a few other minor upgrades for 2025, including a new color called Copper Crest. The layout of the buttons on the door panels have been revised and the metal trim on F Sport Handling models wears a new finish. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is now standard on Premium and F Sport models, while the 7.0-inch display remains standard on the base trim. The center touchscreen measures 8.0 inches for the base, Premium, and F Sport Design models, while the F Sport Handling receives a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen. The F Sport Handling model also gains a standard power rear door that can be activated by a kick sensor for 2025.
2025 also brings Lexus’s Safety System+ 3.0 as standard. This includes pedestrian detection and emergency braking, left turn oncoming vehicle detection and braking, adaptive cruise control that can now manage speed through curves, lane keep assist and lane departure warnings, and the ability for the car to read road signs and display the appropriation icon on the dashboard.
Lexus says pricing for the 2025 UX300h will be revealed in 2024 with sales starting soon after. There was no mention of the UX250h in the press materials, leading us to believe that the UX300h is replacing the less powerful model. We are still waiting for confirmation from Lexus and will update this story when we know the fate of the UX250h.
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.