Tiny Lexus UX Crossover SUV

Toyota's high-end Lexus brand continues its model proliferation.  A fairly recent addition to the US market is the Lexus UX crossover SUV based on Toyota's recent GA-C Global Architecture platform.

This post was inspired by the fact that I saw a Lexus UX on the road not long ago, not having been aware of such a thing.

I consider the UX a curiosity.  For one thing, it seems odd that a luxury brand would have such a small vehicle in its lineup because it cheapens the brand's image regardless of the small vehicle's qualities.  (Yes, Mercedes-Benz has lesser series such as its "A."  But M-B has long produced a large market spectrum of cars, unlike Cadillac for instance.)

Although it is considered a kind of SUV, the UX is an example of those androgynous SUV-cum-hatchback sedan body types such as the Subaru Crosstrek.

Clarity is lacking on several dimensions.  Could the mighty Toyota have made a small marketing mistake?

Gallery

This side view shows the not-quite SUV profile.  Given the aft slope, the car's hauling capacity becomes somewhat reasonably only when the back seats are lowered.  As is now usual for Lexus and many Toyota models, there is plenty of questionable sheet metal sculpting.  The shapes seen here are mostly randomly placed and poorly integrated.  That wedge on the lower body is nothing but a styling cliché.  The dark wheel opening frames suggest the car might be a rugged outdoors rough-country machine, even though the other details suggest luxury Lexus: more confusion.

The front is dominated by that back-to-back Lexus "L" theme that turns off a number of folks including Yr. Faithful Blogger.

Rear styling is busy, but slightly better composed than found on other Japanese cars.