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Lexus applies to trademark UX 300h in U.S., Europe, and Australia

The Lexus UX is entering its fourth model year in 2023, having gone into production at the end of 2018 as a 2019 offering. The NX and RX have lately lasted seven years before a new generation drops, so the UX is due for a heavy refresh at the least. It's possible the refresh or the next-gen version will bring an upgraded model with more power. Lexus Enthusiast discovered that brand parent Toyota filed a trademark application for the term UX 300h in Europe, CarBuzz found the same application lodged at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and CarSales came across the form in triplicate filed with Australian intellectual property authorities. As always, a trademark application doesn't mean the described product will make it to market. However, there's very good reason for Lexus to take the UX to the next level. The automaker pared the lineup to a single model for 2023, now called the UX Hybrid. The powertrain carries over from its previous guise as the UX 250h, a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder helped by two electric motors and a 1.4-kWh battery, making 181 system horsepower and 149 pound-feet of torque. Despite general favor shown for the crossover's appointments and frugality, the repeated ding against it is feeble acceleration. The hybrid system in the NX 300h, based around a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, makes 203 hp and 184 lb-ft, the horsepower figure rising to 215 hp in the ES 300h and as much as 220 hp in the erstwhile IS 300h, so there's headroom if product planners are allowed to use it. Considering the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is slated to get 194 horsepower, the snazzier and luxury-branded UX would seem ripe for engine and power upgrades. With the updated NX and all-new RX on the market now, and the Corolla Cross Hybrid coming for next year, we won't be surprised if Lexus doesn't wait for the second-gen UX to bolster the spec sheet.   Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Weekly Recap: Automakers rethink the definition of luxury

Variety is the spice of life, but it's becoming a prerequisite for luxury carmakers in the ultra-competitive US market. The Detroit Auto Show was strong evidence of this reality. It's not enough to offer attractive and well-appointed cars and SUVs anymore. Luxury brands that want to be competitive need to invest in everything from high-powered supercars to clever hybrids. To be relevant, you need to be green and mean – and everything in between. As General Motors product chief Mark Reuss said after the reveal of the 640-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V: "We are not leaving anything on the table." He was speaking for Cadillac, but he might as well have been speaking for the luxury car market. The CTS-V debuted in Detroit about an hour after Lexus surprised showgoers with the reveal of the RC F GT3 race car and then announced ambitious plans to return to competitive racing. That almost overshadowed the fact Lexus had just revealed another potent addition to its growing F line, the 467-hp GS F. View 20 Photos But for luxury brands, it's not just about maximum horsepower for well-heeled enthusiasts or decadent amenities for the Grey Poupon set. Strong competition from all corners has forced automakers to refine and expand their lineups in ways unforeseen even a few years ago. Case in point: Mercedes-Benz finally has an answer to the BMW X6, rolling out the GLE coupe in Detroit. The X6, which blends coupe-like styling cues with some of the functionality of an SUV, debuted in 2008. Back then it was a punchline, but seven years and more than 260,000 sales later, the X6's success has compelled Benz to respond. Mercedes – one of the strongest proponents of diesel technology – also debuted the C350 plug-in hybrid sedan, which promises a range of 20 miles on electricity, though fuel economy figures were not announced. The car pairs Mercedes' well-received 208-hp turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor for total output of 275 hp and 443 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, Infiniti will add the Q30 hatchback to its lineup by the end of the year, new president Roland Kruger reiterated in Detroit. It's expected to be joined by a crossover variant, and the additions will help strengthen Infiniti in the United States and abroad. "While we're expanding our product line, we're also expanding our market reach," he said. That's something echoed by Jaguar executives, who are preparing to launch the brand's first crossover, the F-Pace, in 2016.

Lexus parts prices cut in China amidst antitrust fears

It's been a topsy-turvy summer for foreign businesses in China ever since that country's National Development and Reform Commission and State Administration for Industry & Commerce launched a horde of investigations into anti-monopoly practices. When the law outlining monopolistic behavior was passed in 2008 foreign companies appreciated it, expecting it to illuminate some of the more opaque corners of Chinese government enforcement. That hasn't exactly been the case, and now as more than 1,000 auto-sector firms get investigated and pay huge fines to settle the nebulous charge of having prices that are too high, that hoped-for clarity is all but gone.
A recent news report said Audi, Chrysler and Daimler "would be punished for unspecified violations" concerning the prices of spare parts. Earlier this month Toyota said that Lexus China was being looked at, and before there's been any public notification of punishment Lexus has decided to lower the price of its replacement parts. From next month, customers will save an average of 26 percent on roughly 15,000 parts. It's unknown whether the move will appease authorities enough to end the investigation, which outside analysts have said targets foreign firms in China over domestic industry.