New Lexus UX Leads On Savings For Business Motorists
The all-new Lexus UX is making an immediate impact in the growing market for luxury compact SUVs by delivering savings for company car drivers and business fleet operators that its competitors cannot match.
Reaping the benefits of the latest generation of Lexus’s self-charging hybrid technology, the UX has fundamentally low CO2 emissions and excellent fuel economy, helping secure both best-in-class company car tax rates and competitive day-to-day running costs.
Lexus’s hybrid system has an impressive track record for long-lasting performance and reliability, together with simpler maintenance requirements than conventional engines, contributing to lower bills for routine servicing and repairs.
For company car drivers, the situation is inarguable: the new Lexus UX attracts the lowest benefit-in-kind tax rates of any model in its class – as much as 15 per cent lower than some of its key rivals (2019/2020 tax year). This delivers an average saving of more than £5,000, based on 36 months’ ownership/30,000 miles driven. Examples are provided in the table below:
| MODEL | LEXUS UX 250h | Audi Q3 3.5 TDI Sport S Tronic |
BMW X1 sDrive 1.8d SE Step Auto | MERCEDES-BENZ GLA 200d SE auto | JAGUAR E-Pace 2.0d auto | VOLVO XC40 D3 Momentum Geartronic |
| P11D value | £29,730 | £33,690 | £31,260 | £29,820 | £31,620 | £31,200 |
| BiK rate (2019/20) | 22% | 32% | 32% | 37% | 37% | 34% |
| BiK rate (2020/21) | 23% | 33% | 33% | 37% | 37% | 35% |
| BiK rate (2021/22) | 23% | 33% | 33% | 37% | 37% | 35% |
| Total BiK cost @ 40% tax rate | £8,087 | £13,206 | £12,254 | £13,240 | £14,039 | £12,979 |
| Difference +/- vs UX | – | +£5,120 | +£4,167 | +£5,154 | +£5,953 | +£4,893 |
The UX is just as compelling a proposition for business fleet managers when it comes to its total cost of ownership profile. Low depreciation and fuel costs, competitive service, maintenance and repair costs and best-in-class employers’ National Insurance and road tax (VED) figures combine to save up to more than £8,800 compared to the UX’s top-performing competitors (36 months/30,000 miles; data source: CAP), as detailed below.
| MODEL | LEXUS UX 250h | Audi Q3 3.5 TDI Sport S Tronic |
BMW X1 sDrive 1.8d SE Step Auto | MERCEDES-BENZ GLA 200d SE auto | JAGUAR E-Pace 2.0d auto | VOLVO XC40 D3 Momentum Geartronic |
| Depreciation | £11,410 | £17,470 | £18,490 | £15,625 | £12,575 | £13,855 |
| Fuel | £3,121 | £3,500 | £3,437 | £3,738 | £4,326 | £3,382 |
| Service, maintenance, repair | £1,110 | £1,049 | £1,010 | £1,518 | £914 | £1,719 |
| Employers’ NI | £2,790 | £4,556 | £4,228 | £4,568 | £4,844 | £4,478 |
| VED | £375 | £485 | £485 | £795 | £1,110 | £795 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | £18,806 | £27,061 | £27,650 | £26,243 | £23,769 | £24,229 |
| Variation to Lexus UX +/- | – |
+£8,255
|
+£8,844 | +£7,438 | +£4,963 | +£5,423 |
The efficiency of Lexus’s self-charging hybrid technology proves its worth in real-world conditions. Data drawn from Lexus’s pre-launch programme of UK customer test drives for the new UX reveals that on average, 52 per cent of the driving time and 36 per cent of the route distance were spent in all-electric EV mode, with zero emissions and fuel consumption. This demonstrates the genuine benefits to be gained from the vehicle automatically switching to power from the hybrid battery when driving conditions permit.
Official combined cycle figures are from 49.6 to 53.3mpg fuel economy and 94g/km CO2 emissions, for versions with front-wheel drive and 17-inch wheels. Where Lexus E-Four all-wheel drive is specified, the benchmarks are 46.3 to 48.7mpg and 103g/km (fuel figures WLTP data, emissions NEDC correlated data).
Further benefits are achieved thanks to a 61.7 per cent residual value – the best among the competitors listed above.
Ewan Shepherd, Director of Lexus in the UK, said: “The new UX demonstrates how a luxurious and desirable new car can also be a compelling proposition when it comes to ownership costs. It has all the brave design and takumi craftsmanship details that define Lexus today, but can also save customers thousands of pounds compared to its rivals. Once again, our market-leading self-charging hybrid technology delivers multiple real-world benefits.
The all-new Lexus UX is on sale now. Full product information is available here.
ENDS
Notes: TCO data sourced from CAP. Fuel calculations at 125p per litre for diesel, 122p per litre for petrol. BiK rates assume a carry-over rate from 2020/21.
