Lexus has unveiled a stunning concept vehicle that presents a dramatic vision for a premium SUV of the future with a powerful “inside out” design and deconstructed interior styling.
The Lexus UX Concept, revealed at the Paris motor show, is a new variety of four-seater SUV that represents the next step in the company’s design journey and a redefinition of the driving experience.
A powerful reinterpretation of the Lexus design signatures, the UX Concept reflects the brand’s determination that each of its models should have a unique, standalone character with a strong concept behind it.
The innovative exterior design of the UX Concept contrasts the almost brutal appearance and real 4×4 presence of an off-roader with a low ground clearance and coupe-like driving position.
Created at ED, the Lexus design centre in southern France, the UX Concept reinforces the dynamic performance promise embedded in the compact packaging of the design.
Its radical interior embodies imaginative, forward-thinking technologies that provide occupants with a fully immersive experience generated through cockpit ergonomics that flow from the driver’s body.
Innovative three-dimensional human-machine interface (HMI) technology provides floating hologram-style displays for the driver’s instrument binnacle and centre console.
The latest advances in vehicle electrical technologies include electro-chromatic windows while slim door-mounted rear-facing cameras replace mirrors.
The vehicle also features the first design execution of a breakthrough seat technology, the Kinetic Seat Concept, designed by Lexus in response to a re-evaluation of the principles of car-seat occupancy.
ED² president Simon Humphries said the UX Concept is a progressive, strong yet artistic and premium product that enhances the unique and challenging brand position of Lexus.
“The biggest challenge for any designer is always to create something new and original, yet with relevance to both the customer and the brand,” Mr Humphries said.
“Overall, this is a product which gives another hint of the potential for the Lexus design approach to satisfy those criteria.”
The Lexus UX Concept is rooted in the company’s pioneering expertise in the luxury SUV market, which led to the original RX and LX in the 1990s. In 2004, the RX hybrid was the first premium hybrid SUV on the market. In 2014, the NX mid-size SUV demonstrated that “utility” can be combined with a unique, striking design personality.
Small SUV premium is one of Australia’s fastest growing automotive segments. Young customers are upgrading in the quest for distinctive styling, a versatile interior and an engaging driving experience while premium customers are looking to downsize without compromising on comfort, driving position and space.
The UX Concept highlights the intention by Lexus to attract an ever-wider group of new, younger, ever-connected urban customers to the brand for the first time.
