It’s time to tell the world you’ve made it. Where once a new bag, some shoes or jewellery would have sufficed as a memento of the occasion, today, there is a more distinguished symbol of success. The all new 2020 Lexus UX 200 has landed on Malaysia’s shores, combining the best aspects of a luxury sedan with the versatility of a cross-over, and it fits the bill.

Courtesy of Lexus

As an homage to the vision and leadership of the company’s first female Chief Engineer and current Executive Vice President, Chika Kako, the UX 200 marries state-of-the art technology, Japanese craftsmanship and agile performance with the luxury of a Lexus to offer a car for the independent and empowered.

The UX 200 is the embodiment of style and sophistication with absolutely no compromises in safety or performance. Designed for the discerning urban adventurer with an eye for sleek contours over boxy exteriors, the UX 200 offers the nimble handling of a hatch with the commanding allure of a high-body crossover to round out Lexus’ SUV offering that also includes the full-size LX, the large RX and the medium NX.

In Malaysia, the UX 200 is available in three variants; the Urban, the Luxury and the F SPORT in no less than 11 colour choices and 5 cabin themes, a selection of which are exclusive to the F SPORT.

On the outside, stand out elements of the UX 200 feature a unique 3D design on the spindle grille which appears to change depending on the angle from which it is viewed, as well as the tail lamps that feature an innovative and functional full-width design that guides airflow to reduce turbulence and lift, contributing to the UX’s stability when cornering and driving in crosswinds.

On the inside, Lexus has spared no expense. The UX 200 embodies a distinctly Japanese sophistication with the design principle of takumi that prizes attention to detail. The trim finish on select variants is inspired by Japanese paper known as washi, common in traditional Japanese homes where it is used to evoke calmness and warmth. The leather seats also bear traditional sashiko stitching, a technique employed on martial arts uniforms to provide protective quilting, all complementing the striking patterns of the seat perforations and ventilation for ultimate comfort and functionality. With a press of a button, the seat cooler provides a blissful drive through the hot day and on the time of the month, there’s an option for a heated lower back rest to provide soothing sensation and a relief to replace the old style hot water bottles.

Courtesy of Lexus

Road trip with the girls? There will be no more fights on whose turn it is to charge all the devices. Fine-tuned for the modern city driver and the demand for every-day conveniences, the UX 200 includes a state-of-the-art navigation system, seamless integrations with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and the Lexus Premium Audio System, as well as wireless charging stations (in the Luxury and F SPORT variants), four USB ports and more conventional 12V power sockets.  With plenty of boot space and versatile, configurable rear seats with child-seat friendly ISOFIX points, and premium options like Power Back Door and Hands Free Opening and Closing functions, the UX 200 makes a statement.

There’s no longer a reason to climb out of the car especially on little black dress nights out, as the seat reverses and the steering wheel retract to ease the move of getting out of the car once it’s parked. And the ride, you ask? The UX 200 is designed to be manoeuvred easily and confidently, with the Lexus Drive Mode Select that allows the driver to tailor the driving experience, comforted by the car’s 8 SRS airbags and an integrated suite of advanced safety features like pre-collision systems, radar cruise control, lane tracing assistance and adaptive high-beam technology, as well as blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alerts, and active cornering assistance. This means that after a long day at work, this car will gives every help in traffic, stopping when you’re too close to the car in front, and starting back up when the car in front starts moving again. Also, there will be no more accidental swerves, keeping you in line, if not signalled.

This International Women’s Day, treat yourself and let this accessible and quintessentially Lexus driving experience be a statement of your success.

The Lexus UX starts at RM243,888, on-the-road, without insurance.