The Lexus UX300e battery-electric vehicle will be making its Indonesian market debut later this month, reports Motoris, following the news outlet’s communication with an internal source at Toyota Indonesia.
The country will be the first in Southeast Asia to receive the UX300e on November 25 or 26, following the model’s global debut in Guangzhou, China last year, and it will be 12 months ahead of Australia who will receive the battery-electric SUV in November 2021.
The upper, premium segment has been targeted because electric vehicles are still very expensive in Indonesia, and it is hoped that the new model’s arrival will be the trigger for Toyota’s electrified vehicle strategy in the country, the internal source told Motoris.
Toyota has decided to make its EV mark in Indonesia with Lexus because battery electric vehicles have yet to become affordable, and therefore premium segment customers are most prepared, said PT Toyota Astra Motor marketing director Anton Jimmi Suwandy.
The Lexus UX 300e makes 204 PS and 300 Nm of torque from its front-mounted electric motor, and it supplied by a 54.3 kWh lithium-ion battery that offers range of up to 400 km. The Drive Mode Select function offers a range of drive characteristics, while four levels of brake regeneration can be chosen by operating the shift paddles behind the steering wheel.
Standard AC charging takes place at a maximum of 6.6 kW, while a DC fast charger offers a maximum charge rate of 50 kW. On motor output, the UX 300e is positioned above the 184 PS UX 250h hybrid and the 169 hp/205 Nm of the petrol-powered UX 200.
Electric vehicle-related development is ramping up in Indonesia, with Hyundai to begin manufacturing electric vehicles in the country from 2022. The Korean automaker plans to export 53% of the manufacturing plant’s output, and the remaining 47% allocated for domestic consumption.
Meanwhile, Chinese battery maker CATL will be breaking ground for a manufacturing plant in 2021, and will be investing US$5.1 billion (RM20.88 billion) into the project. Indonesian state-owned firms have been slated to form a joint venture for EV battery production, an endeavour helped by possibly the lowest electric vehicle battery manufacturing costs in the region.
GALLERY: Lexus UX300e
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Why buy this if my x50 is better ? My x50 only lose out having optional power boot. All potong sales men tried all hardcore stories.
Very exciting news, considering Hyundai has just launched Kona and Ioniq electric earlier this month here in the Republic (and they’re already running out of stock social media influencers have suggested). I guess Toyota doesn’t want to miss the EV hype train! It’s only a matter of time before the Avanza becomes electric!