Power up and explore in this Lexus hybrid

Dirt roads ain't what the hybrids are for, but the Lexus UX 250h did not mind.

When Toyota introduced the Prius to South Africa in 2005, I lost interest as soon as the public relations staff said the car must not be driven on a gravel road. 

“This is Sefrika,” I said. “Where the destination often lies behind the sign that reads ‘Tar road ends’.” 

In the 15 years since, I managed to oversee the building of my own hybrid car, using, among other items, a fork-lift motor and four truck batteries. This DIY hybrid went at least as far and fast as that 2005 Prius on battery power alone, which is to say not very fast nor very far. 

But it could do so on dirt and I have admittedly been quite sniffy about the Prius ever since. 

Until last month, that is, when Toyota SA lent me a very fancy Prius descendant — the Lexus UX 250h EX. As the photos show, this is a small crossover with looks that generate as many fans as critics and a list price of R690 300. 

All I saw was that here, finally, is a hybrid that can do gravel roads. 

The gravel roads between Machadodorp and Dullstroom are among the most scenic in SA.

So I put it to the test, to go witness for The Witness newspaper (est 1846) the triumph of Toyota Gazoo’s KZN-based rally drivers Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle at the championship’s final in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga. 

The drive there was smooth, the quirky interior sumptuous, with USB power ports and connectivity that met all the youngsters’ digital dependencies. I even liked the way the CVT gearbox kept the 2-litre petrol engine in the right power band. 

The list of standard equipment includes park distance control with a reverse-view camera, a hands-free tailgate, heated seats and side mirrors, an eight-speaker audio system, cruise control, a wireless charging pad, a central armrest with a lid that hinges left or right, and an audio system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

I especially liked the redundancy of two clocks — analogue and digital — and two ways to adjust the exquisite compositions of Melbourne's best melodic death metal band, Be'Lakor, using either the central control unit or buttons on the steering wheel. 

When the very good built-in GPS took me over scenic but rock-strewn gravel roads towards Dullstroom, I was a bit worried about the low sidewalls on the 225/50 R18 Bridgestone tyres, but slowing to a crawl saw the tyres roll unscathed onto the tar with nary a scrape from the road, thanks to 160 mm of ground clearance. 

The passenger in the back was kinda quiet, but very sweet. The wide shoulders of the Lexus design sucks in a lot of dust, but it did not get past the seals.   

Not as impressive was the open road consumption. My benchmark remains a well-worn 1,9 turbo diesel’s 4,2 l/100 km. (See why here in my 'Rides I remember best')
The 2-litre in the Lexus, aided by its electric motor to make 135 kW and 180 Nm, gave me 5,6 l/100 km on the open road. 

But then, hybrids are not designed for long drives. Instead, they are ideal in stop-start city traffic, or in my case, a stalled N3, where the electric motor came into its own to propel me and mine a car length at a time with none of the exhaust fumes or noise from the surrounding trucks.

The electric motor is powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery, which Lexus says will last the entire life of the car. Regen braking or just lifting your foot off the accelerator immediately recharges this battery and slows the car, saving wear on the brakes. 

The batteries did not last as long as the stall on the N3, but that's why hybrids have engine to act as generators. 

The one problem with this battery is that it’s stored in the boot, which reduces the loading space to a tight 265 litres, which often leads to no space for a spare tyre. Lexus reckons that up to half of all city journeys can be carried out on electric power alone, saving a lot on fuel. 

More savings come from the clever way in which 250 h uses its electric motor as a starter and alternator, also in the maintenance-free timing chain that replaces ye olde timing belt, all of which add to the car’s resale value. 

 The after sales values are further boosted by a seven-year of 105 000 km engine warranty, an eight-year or 195 000 battery warranty and a seven-year maintenance plan. 

 With a price tag of under R700 k the Lexus UX 250h EX offers a lot of refinement in the very competitive compact premium SUV range and it finally convinced me there is something to be said in favour of hybrids.