2026 Lexus UX 300h: 196 hp Full Hybrid, Production Ends February 2027

Lexus Japan announced that production of the compact crossover will end in February 2027, and that sales could stop earlier once the planned production volume was reached; as of 29 October 2026 its UX page carries a separate notice that UX sales in Japan have ended, and every UX300h grade is marked as sales ended. The car in question is the Lexus UX 300h, a front-drive or all-wheel-drive full hybrid (HEV, not a plug-in, and it cannot be charged from a socket) that combines a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors for a system output of 146 kW (199 PS, about 196 hp). It is the only UX powertrain still in production (the UX 300e ended in 2025, the petrol UX 200 in 2023), and no successor has been announced. Lexus USA prices the 2026 UX 300h from $38,850 including destination, Lexus UK lists it from £38,145 (~$50,690) on the road, and Lexus Japan listed it from ¥5,210,000 (~$32,980) before sales there ended. This article covers what the 2026 UX 300h is, what it costs in each market, and what the production notice does and does not say.

Performance & Specs

The UX 300h is a HEV, which means the petrol engine is the only source of energy and the small battery is charged by the engine and by braking. Lexus lists a 1,987 cc M20A-FXS four-cylinder with 112 kW (152 PS, about 150 hp) and 190 Nm, a front permanent-magnet motor of 83 kW (113 PS, about 111 hp) and 206 Nm, and a continuously variable e-CVT. The combined system output is 146 kW (199 PS, about 196 hp) in both the front-drive car and the E-Four all-wheel-drive version. PS is the metric horsepower and is about 1.4 percent smaller than the imperial hp used here. Lexus does not publish a combined system torque figure, so none is quoted.

On the E-Four version a second permanent-magnet motor of 30 kW (41 PS, about 40 hp) and 84 Nm drives the rear axle, with no mechanical link to the front. Lexus Europe's April 2024 specification sheet gives 0-100 km/h in 8.1 seconds for the front-drive car and 7.9 seconds for E-Four, with a top speed of 177 km/h (Toyota in-house measurements). Lexus UK quotes 8.3 seconds to 62 mph for its 2026 range, and Lexus USA gives 0-60 mph in 8.0 seconds for the front-drive car and 7.9 seconds for the all-wheel-drive car. Fuel economy under WLTP is 5.0 to 5.2 l/100 km (113 to 119 g/km CO2) for the European front-drive car and 5.3 to 5.7 l/100 km (121 to 128 g/km) for E-Four. Lexus UK's 2026 front-drive range is rated at 53.2 to 56.4 mpg (113 to 118 g/km). In the United States the EPA rates the front-drive UX 300h at 45 city, 41 highway and 43 combined mpg, and the all-wheel-drive version at 44, 40 and 42 mpg, according to fueleconomy.gov.

Powertrain	Full hybrid (HEV), not plug-in
Power	146 kW (199 PS / 196 hp) system
Engine	2.0 L, 112 kW (152 PS), 190 Nm
0–100 km/h	8.1 s FWD, 7.9 s E-Four (Europe)
Battery	Li-ion, 222 V, 60 cells (capacity not published)
Fuel economy	5.0–5.2 l/100 km WLTP (FWD)

Dimensions & Practicality

Length	4,495 mm
Width	1,840 mm (without mirrors)
Height	1,520–1,540 mm
Wheelbase	2,640 mm
Ground clearance	160 mm

The UX is a five-seat compact crossover, 4,495 mm long, 1,840 mm wide (without mirrors) and 1,520 to 1,540 mm tall depending on roof rails and the shark-fin antenna, on a 2,640 mm wheelbase. Lexus Europe's specification sheet gives a boot of 315 litres for the front-drive car and 317 litres for E-Four, measured with the rear seats upright and loaded to the luggage cover, or 433 and 435 litres loaded to the roof. Braked and unbraked towing are both 750 kg, minimum ground clearance is 160 mm and the fuel tank holds 43 litres. The EU kerb weight is 1,495 to 1,575 kg for the front-drive car and 1,555 to 1,635 kg for E-Four. The drag coefficient is 0.33. The boot is on the small side for a 4.5 m body.

Charging & Battery

The UX 300h is not a plug-in and has no charge port, so there is no AC or DC charging figure to quote. Its hybrid battery is a lithium-ion pack with 60 cells and a nominal 222 volts, which took over from the 180-cell, 216 V nickel-metal hydride pack of the UX 250h in the December 2023 update. Lexus does not publish the capacity of this pack in kWh. Because it is a self-charging hybrid, the figures that matter to an owner are fuel consumption and the 43-litre tank, and the WLTP figures above imply a theoretical range of roughly 830 to 860 km on a full tank (43 litres divided by 5.0 to 5.2 l/100 km), which is our own arithmetic, not a Lexus claim.

Design & Interior

The UX has been in production since late 2018 and keeps the original shape: a high-waisted body, the spindle grille, thin LED headlights and a full-width light bar across the tailgate. In the UK the F Sport Design and higher trims add 18-inch alloy wheels, and the 2026 range offers a Takumi grade with heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio system. In the United States the 2026 model year adds a new Ultra White paint, a new door-panel button layout with chrome ornamentation, and an available ambient lighting theme on Premium and F SPORT grades. The Japanese range for the final period is built around the Shining Essence package, which Lexus Japan listed as the entry grade from ¥5,210,000 (~$32,980) before sales ended.

Inside, the dashboard has a driver-oriented layout with a 7.0-inch or 12.3-inch driver display depending on market and grade. The press photos show the 12.3-inch cluster and the infotainment screen with navigation, and the boot with its parcel shelf. Seat material, colour and trim differ by market, so the buyer should check the local configurator for the exact specification.

Technology & Features

Lexus Europe's December 2023 update added a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as an option, a revised 8-inch touchscreen, a steering wheel with an integrated driver-monitoring camera and a Digital Key option that lets up to five people unlock and start the car with a smartphone. In the UK the entry Premium grade has the 9.8-inch Lexus Link Connect system, while the F Sport Design Tech has Lexus Link Pro with embedded navigation, cloud-based route planning and a 12.3-inch touchscreen. In the US the touchscreen is 8 inches on the base, Premium and F SPORT Design grades and 12.3 inches on the F SPORT Handling, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. The 2026 UK Premium also gains a blind-spot monitor, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift lever and a wireless phone charger as standard.

Safety & ADAS

Lexus Safety System+ is fitted as standard. The December 2023 update added Proactive Driving Assist, which uses the front camera to detect pedestrians, parked cars and cyclists at low speed in town, and automatic rear flashing hazard lights that warn following traffic when a rear impact is likely at high speed. In Japan the pre-collision system was extended to detect motorcycles in daylight and cyclists at night, with intersection collision avoidance for crossing vehicles. Lexus USA lists Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 and auto-leveling headlights as standard on all grades for 2026. Lexus does not state an SAE automation level for the UX, and the system is a driver-assistance package, not a self-driving system.

Available Versions

Pricing & Availability

In the United States, Lexus USA's newsroom price table for 2026 (updated 19 June 2026) runs from $38,850 for the front-drive UX 300h to $48,850 for the all-wheel-drive F SPORT Handling, and each figure includes the $1,395 delivery, processing and handling fee, so the entry car is $37,455 before destination. Lexus.com's UX page now shows the entry car from $39,050. In the UK, Lexus's price list effective from 1 June 2026 shows the 2026 model-year UX 300h, front-wheel drive only, from £38,145 (~$50,690) on the road for the Premium (a build-to-order grade with an extended lead time), £38,645 for the F Sport Design, £40,245 for the F Sport Design Tech, £45,445 for the F Sport and £49,545 (~$65,840) for the Takumi; those on-the-road prices include VAT, first-year road tax of £455 and the £55 registration fee. In Japan, Lexus Japan's UX page (read 29 October 2026) still lists the Shining Essence at ¥5,210,000 (~$32,980) (front-drive) and ¥5,475,000 (~$34,660) (all-wheel drive), the F SPORT at ¥5,341,000 and ¥5,606,000, and the version L at ¥5,492,000 and ¥5,757,000, but marks every grade as sales ended and carries a "UX sales ended" notice; the earlier per-variant February 2027 production-end tag reported in September is no longer shown, and the page carries no tax label on these yen prices. In Australia the UX300h starts at A$55,370 (~$38,940) before on-road costs, according to CarExpert.

The production notice itself is short. In September Lexus Japan stated, per CarExpert, HotCars and Kuruma News, that the UX would end production in February 2027, that sales could end once the planned volume was reached, and that orders were closed for the version C grade and the Sou body colour. By 29 October 2026 the Lexus Japan UX page instead shows a "UX sales ended" notice and marks all UX300h grades as sales ended. Japanese outlet Kuruma News reports that the UX launched in Japan in November 2018, that the electric UX 300e was added in 2020 and ended production in November 2025, and that the UX 300h Shining Essence went on sale on 1 September 2026. That leaves the UX 300h hybrid as the only UX variant still in production, and all UX are built at Toyota Motor Kyushu in Japan. The notices apply to the Japanese site and do not name other markets, and Lexus Australia told CarExpert only that the UX remains an important part of its line-up. Lexus says it has sold about 400,000 UX cars in more than 80 countries and regions, and no second-generation UX has been announced. In Israel, Lexus Israel lists the UX from about NIS 245,000-250,000: lexus.co.il shows it from NIS 249,990 (about $79,970 at ECB 28 Oct 2026, 1 USD = 3.1259 ILS), and the importer price column on auto.co.il lists NIS 244,900 (~$78,340) for the +Kyushu and NIS 279,990 (~$89,570) for the Takumi (both read on 8 October 2026).

How It Compares

The closest sibling is the Lexus LBX, a smaller full hybrid with 134 hp, 4.4 to 4.7 l/100 km WLTP and a UK on-the-road price of £33,695 (~$44,770) for the Premium (Lexus UK price list, 1 Jun 2026; the Urban grade is £29,995 (~$39,860), build-to-order), about £4,450 (~$5,910) below the UX Premium at £38,145 (~$50,690) on the same list and with about 62 hp less. The LBX is the car that carries Lexus's smallest-crossover role in the markets where it is sold. The Kia Niro Hybrid is a non-luxury alternative, and the comparison is useful on a like-for-like US basis: the Niro starts at $29,890 before its $1,495 destination fee, while the UX starts at $37,455 before destination, about $7,600 more, and the UX's 43 mpg combined EPA rating is below the Niro's 50 mpg while its 196 hp is above the Niro's 139 hp. The Hyundai Kona Hybrid costs from €33,450 (~$37,240) in Germany with 136 hp and 4.6 to 4.8 l/100 km WLTP. The comparison mixes markets and test cycles, so treat it as a value contrast rather than a cross-shop: the UX offers the Lexus badge, the e-CVT hybrid with the most power in this group and a rear-motor all-wheel-drive option, in exchange for a higher price and a smaller boot.