The Lexus UX hasn't even hit dealers; we just got done testing the tiny SUV on the streets of Stockholm. But rumors are already hinting at a hardcore F model. In an interview with the publication WhichCar?, UX Chief Engineer and Lexus Executive Vice President, Chika Kako, spilled some details on the rumored hot-UV – but it's not so cut and dry.
The UX Experience:
When asked directly about a UX F, Kako said: "Currently we haven't considered it." But that doesn't mean that the company is shuttering the idea entirely. Previous reports suggest that Lexus' F range could move to hybrid power, and Kako hinted that – with a hardcore hybrid powertrain – the UX "has potential" to become an F model.
"The intent of creating this vehicle is not just to create something that's accessible or cheap," said Kako, "but to create a vehicle for somebody that really likes the package that we've come up with…. Going back to hybrid technology we want to have a more performance-oriented, sporty image of the hybrid technology that we could offer."
Already the Lexus UX has a hybrid option; the small SUV comes powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors that bring the total output to 175 horsepower (130 kilowatts) and 151 pound-feet (204 Newton-meters) of torque. But a warmed-up F model would require more power. The outgoing Audi SQ3 produced 200 hp (149 kW), and the Mercedes GLA 45 produces 375 hp (279 kW).
More on the UX
If the rumored UX F does get the green light, don't expect it before 2020. The company is currently testing a hardcore F variant of its LC coupe, destined to arrive sometime in 2019, with an updated RC F expected to show up sometime later in the year.
Source: WhatCar?
Gallery: 2019 Lexus UX First Drive
