Seven Stand-Out Details of the New Lexus UX

Lexus designers, engineers and master craftspeople have invested exceptional efforts in creating the all-new Lexus UX crossover, endowing the car with a rich vein of imaginative technology and beautiful styling details.

Seven stand-out features exemplify their work, which will be appreciated by owners taking delivery of their vehicles from March next year.

The science of luxury door sounds

The doors are usually a person’s first point of physical contact with a vehicle, so Lexus has paid special attention to the quality they evoke, working with neural scientists to gain a better understanding of people’s perception of the perfect door-closing sound.

Using brainwave analysis captured during the closing of car doors, the team selected bespoke materials and finely adjusted the shape of the UX’s doors – sometimes by as little as one tenth of a millimetre – to produce the most satisfying and reassuring noise.

A further level of quality assurance has been built in to production of the UX, with every vehicle being checked by Takumi craftspeople in a dedicated quiet room facility and adjusted if necessary, before it leaves the Kyushu plant.

Traditional Japanese upholstery stitching

The new UX is available with leather seat upholstery inspired by sashiko, a traditional Japanese stitching technique used to apply protecting quilting to judo and kendo uniforms.

As well as referencing the shape of the vehicle’s signature grille, the stitching is aligned with the mathematical curves of the seat perforations and ventilation outlets. The result is a sophisticated fusion of art and functionality.

Wireless illuminated vent controls

Each ultra-slim air vent on the UX features a single knob to control both the direction and intensity of the airflow. On Takumi grade models, this vent control houses a wireless LED light source powered by electrical induction.

This not only makes the control visible in the dark but its three-dimensional sequence of reflections creates a sense of depth that belies the relatively small size of the knob itself.

Sophisticated power window system

In order to complement the luxurious ambience inside the cabin, operation of the power windows is carefully controlled to reduce noise and juddering. All the UX’s opening windows are also equipped with an anti-jam and entanglement function, which prevents items such as clothing or children’s fingers from becoming trapped.

Windscreen wipers with automatic pause function

The UX’s windscreen wipers are particularly innovative: as well as having an automatic rain sensor, the system is designed so that the wiper arms will gradually slow down, so as not to impair driver concentration.

True to the Lexus spirit of omotenashi – the best traditions of Japanese hospitality and service – the wipers automatically pause when a door is opened, avoiding the risk of people being splashed as they enter or exit from the vehicle.

Folding luggage cover

The UX’s luggage cover is an object lesson in Lexus’s customer-centric approach to design. This innovative component can be folded like a net when not in use and stored in the car with least obstruction.

Precision-assembled tailgate

The UX tailgate and its aperture are digitally measured at around 200 different reference points prior to assembly, using highly sensitive equipment that can take minute differences in temperature and humidity into account. This data allows each tailgate to be adjusted for an exact fit and perfect operation for years to come.

ENDS