Spinning around the concept of ground clearance like a car ballet, let's talk about the urban warrior of Lexus, the UX. Now, as tempting as it is to go rattling down a country lane in a car with the ground clearance of a lounging cat, the Lexus UX stands tall with its 140 mm clearance. This figure is enough to avoid the worst of urban obstacles without masquerading as a mountain goat.
The Lexus UX hasn't had a long lineage of predecessors to mark a historical shift in ground clearance. Introduced in 2019, the UX keeps it steady with the ground clearance of the current model remaining unchanged since launch. While it seems to hover beautifully in the mid-range of crossover utility vehicles, it hasn't yet had the opportunity to evolve or mutate like some pavement-scaling SUVs.
Let's shimmy over to other Lexus siblings and see how the UX measures up. The Lexus RC F and RC are scraping closer to the tarmac with 130 mm and 135 mm of clearance, risking an undercarriage scuffle with a rogue speed bump. Compare that to the UX with a more forgiving 140 mm. Meanwhile, the Lexus ES and LM are hovering slightly higher with 150 mm and 152 mm respectively. The RX and NX hit the ground clearance stratosphere with 183 mm and 185 mm, figures that leave the UX quite literally in their dust on rougher terrains.
Now let's have a cheeky peek at the competition, shall we? The UX looks down upon the Bugatti Divo's mere 125 mm clearance, but then again, comparing a Lexus to a Bugatti on clearance is like comparing apples to a carbon fibre monocoque. The Skoda Kodiaq and VW T-Cross sport lofty ambitions with a ground clearance of 187 mm and 190 mm, overshadowing the UX, while the Citroen C5 Aircross struts around with a haughty 230 mm clearance, likely nodding approvingly at rock-strewn paths. Taking length and wheelbase into play, the rivals that tiptoe around with similar dimensions to the UX often have a varied ground clearance, from the lower riding VW Tiguan with 200 mm, to the sky-high Volvo XC60 scraping the clouds with 230 mm. The UX maintains a middle ground, never requiring a stepladder to enter nor fearing a ruptured oil pan at every pothole.