Those who attended the recent Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow would have definitely noticed the Lexus UX. It probably wasn’t part of the main draw – that honour must go to the soon-to-be-launched ES, the sleek LC500, and the Lexus LS+ Concept. But the compact crossover was a surprise anyway, not least because of its size. It sat so low on the ground that it might as well be a hatchback. Also, despite the car on show was a left-hook, Lexus Malaysia actually plans to sell this, probably next year and certainly after the market launch of the ES. Not too surprising as the UX is in a money-making segment of course.
We also know that Lexus is incredibly detailed when designing their cars, and markets it in almost poetic manner, all for luxury, craftsmanship, and comfort. This includes windshield wipers designed to not splash passengers, but best for you to read about it below.
1. Designed door sounds
We’ve all seen people in showrooms opening and closing car doors, for nothing more than hearing the sound it makes. Heck, you may do it too. If you think this is a very Malaysian thing, Lexus would like to assure you that it’s not because the company has acoustic engineers and neural scientists examining how the UX’s car door should sound like when closed. They go as far as studying people’s brain waves when luxury car doors are shut, carefully selecting bespoke materials, and adjusting the door shape by tenths of a millimetre to produce the best tone. Once the ‘science’ people found the right sound, the Lexus ‘Takumi’ craftsperson are tasked to listen, and if necessary, adjust each UX door in a dedicated ‘Quiet Room’ before the car leaves the Kyushu plant.
2. Leather seats that share stitching design with leather armour
For a bit more pomp, the UX’s leather seats can be upholstered with ‘sashiko’ which is a traditional Japanese stitching technique that’s used on judo and kendo uniforms. And to follow the design of the front grille, the Takumis stick along mathematical curves aligned with the perforation pattern and the seat ventilation outlets. Result: Lexus luxury and beauty.
3. Air-cond vent controls are illuminated
The UX features a single knob for each slim air-cond vent to control airflow direction and intensity. Luxury-grade variant of the UX also have this knob lighted by LED; you know, in case the driver or front passenger can’t find it in the dark. Design-wise it also helps to create a sense of depth despite the control knob’s small 3mm diameter.
4. Sophisticated power window system
A hushed cabin is an important part of luxury, but how far does it go? Quite far – the power windows of the UX are carefully controlled to reduce noise and juddering. The jam and entanglement feature not only prevent children’s fingers from being trapped, it also prevent shirtsleeves getting tangled.
5. Windscreen wipers are very polite
We have never noticed whether a car’s wipers can impair our concentration while driving, but to prevent this loss of focus the wipers’ on the UX has the ability to slow down gradually. Even more impressive is that the wiper stops when the door opens in order to prevent those entering or exiting the vehicle getting splashed. Of course Lexus has a name for this: ‘Omotenashi’ (meaning hospitality and service).
6. Luggage cover can be folded away
An innovative feature which highlights the customer centric approach that Lexus takes to design, the UX’s luggage cover can be folded like a net when not in use and stored in the car with a minimum of obstruction.
7. Tailgate has been thoroughly engineered
The tailgate of the UX has around 200 reference points during opening and closing and each is digitally measured so that the people who assemble it can do adjustments and make sure that the fit is perfect. No compromise in quality, then.
