Mercedes GLA will now have another rival.
Although we haven’t seen spy shots of Lexus’ confirmed small crossover, we believe we are just a month away the official debut. The BMW X1 competitor to the Audi Q3 was shown at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. It is rumored that the Geneva Motor Show will see the official debut of the Audi Q3 competitor.
The UX will eventually replace the CT 200h in the U.S. lineup, and it will be the entry-level model from Lexus. The UX 200, UX 250 and UX 250h have been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Although it is not confirmed that the model will arrive in the U.S., there are good reasons to believe that it will. It makes sense that the executives are considering adding the SUV to their lineup, as crossovers and SUVs account for 60% of the company’s U.S. sales.
While the road-going model will not look as innovative as the concept, the appearance of the showcar gives us an idea of what we can expect from the production model. The interior will see more changes than the exterior. However, the exterior will be traditional and have B-pillars.
The UX targets a younger audience and Lexus will be able to grab a piece the GLA’s market. This small premium crossover is set to transition to a new generation in 2019, most likely. The UX is expected to cost around $30,000 in the U.S. although there are no details on the pricing. The X1 starts at $33,900, while the GLA is $33,400 and the Q3 starts at $32,900.