Kia has finally joined the booming city-SUV class.
Pros Modern design Perky economical engine Runs on regular unleaded Long list of standard equipment Roomy boot Seven-year warranty
Cons Service intervals are short at 10,000km Service costs a touch on the high side Rear camera is fuzzy at night Lacks rear cross-traffic alert and blind zone warning
Pros Easy to drive Reassuring seven-year warranty Colourful personalisation options
Cons Cramped back seats Rather noisy at speed Cabin feels cheap in places
PROS It's a great-looking little thing Well-sorted steering and handling Seven-year warranty wth no strings attached
CONS Gets a bit rowdy on coarse roads Cheap and reflective dash plastic $5000 hike over related Rio GT-Line
Pros Refined Cheap to run Build quality
Cons Small for an SUV Expensive top trims Infotainment touchpad
It might be a bit quirky for some, but quiet EV power really suits the Lexus vibe
Pros Slick, sophisticated, well judged
Cons Suffers slightly from not being a bespoke e-platform
If you live in a city, are hankering after a posh compact SUV and fancy going electric, we can see why the Lexus UX300e would be a tempting proposition. It’s well-equipped, pleasant to drive and comes with the promise of Lexus’s excellent reliability record. However, if you have a family or frequently need to do longer journeys, there is a plethora of more spacious rivals out there, the Kia e-Niro, Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.4 (or even the ID.3) and Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric being among them. All those cars offer significantly longer ranges, faster charging, better infotainment and much more interior space.
Pros Well-equipped Comfortable ride Reliability record
Cons Cramped rear seat space and boot Short range and slow charging Frustrating infotainment
