2016 Paris Motor Show: Lexus UX Concept in world debut

By CARSIFU | 2 October 2016


PARIS: The UX Concept made its world debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, showcasing Lexus' vision for a compact SUV of the future.

It was designed by ED2, Lexus' design centre in the south of France. The UX Concept highlights Lexus' intention to attract an ever-wider group of new, younger, ever-connected urban customers -“Urbanites”- to the brand for the first time.

The concept is a four-seater crossover which contrasts the almost brutal appearance and real 4x4 presence of an off-roader with a low ground clearance and a coupe-like driving position.

At the heart of the design is an “inside-out” approach which creates a synergy between exterior and interior styling.



In top view, this is represented by an X-shaped movement in the architecture from the cabin outwards and vice-versa.

To the front, the fenders flow into the cabin to form housings for e-mirror screens showing the image from door-mounted, rear facing cameras. The dashboard top sits lower than these screens to combine a deconstructed look with high forward visibility. To the rear, the bodywork again flows into the cabin, here forming the main structure of the rear seat headrests.

X-shaped movement from the inside outwards is reinforced through the 4x4 style emphasis of the fenders, with aerodynamically-efficient wheel arch cladding adding a further dimension to the design.

The “inside-out” styling theme is further emphasised by the wheel arches, roof bars and door cameras. They are all finished in the same material, and represent a form of continuous yet interrupted bone structure; the inner skeleton of the vehicle coming into view as, for instance, the roof bar penetrates the cabin -creating the A pillar structure- and re-emerges as the door camera mounting.



The spindle grille has also been revised. The whole volume surrounding the grille has been moulded into a more three-dimensional feature that hints of the bodyshell shape. The newly-developed Immersive Amethyst paintwork serves to highlight volume changes, giving definition to the sculpture and expressing the car as a volume rather than simply a line-oriented design.

The L-shaped Daytime Running Lights (DRL) -traditionally located below the main lamp structure- are now positioned to pierce the main lamps. And the rear lamp design is now more three-dimensional and integrated within the rear spoiler.

The unique 21-inch tyre design uses hi-tech laser carving processes to express two unique aspects. The tread pattern is of a sports direction, maximising road contact for dynamic grip, whilst the side wall emphasises a cross over feel through unique sections and seamless integration with the wheel design. A section of the wheel continues into the rubber making the spokes a visual joint between different sections of tyre; the result is the reading of the wheel and tyre as one, rather than separate elements.



A unique, “see-through” A pillar blurs the boundaries between the exterior and interior. Whilst the creation of a fully-transparent polycarbonate A pillar is feasible, the UX Concept communicates the message of transparency through the use of polycarbonate fins attached to an aluminium member.

The cabin offers two different perceptions of luxury in one volume.

The front suggests agile sophistication and driver engagement, the rear - styled as a welcoming, soft lounge sofa which wraps around into the rear hinged back doors - the comfort and spaciousness of an SUV.



Linked by a central axis console element which floats the full length of the cabin and the visual transparency of a unique front seat design, front and rear space differences are further reinforced by the interior colour scheme. The front is dark, to communicate a premium, driver-focused environment, whilst the rear is light and far brighter to create an attractive, welcoming space.

“Deconstruction” is a second key design principle employed in the new Lexus UX Concept. This is most powerfully represented in the front of the cabin where, in place of a conventional dashboard, sharp, angular forms overlap and flow past each other to create a strong interplay of shadows and contrasts, making it difficult to identify where they begin or end and reinforcing the mystery of the “inside-out” approach.



The seats of the Lexus UX Concept are inspired by Lexus' new seat technology, the Kinetic Seat Concept to further enhance the driver experience.

A development of Lexus' dual-zone instrumentation approach, all on-board HMI technology has been designed to offer progressive customers who live and work in an ever-connected environment an innovative, three-dimensional driver experience.

The three-dimensional feel of the instrumentation is a further example of the radical, deconstruction techniques used in the UX Concept, the in and out flow of the meters - near for air-conditioning, far for navigation- making the cabin space feel larger.

The centre console houses a prominent, faceted crystal structure within which a hologram-style display of air-conditioning and infotainment system is visible to both driver and front passenger.



The car features electro-chromatic windows, and the door mirrors are replaced by sleek e-mirror camera housings.

All switchgear is electrostatic, and housed under transparent covers. And the front passenger, who has a different experience of the deconstructed instrument panel to that of the driver, has a separate centre display track-pad control built into the door armrest panel.

The fin motif used on the A pillar is repeated on the dashboard to provide a new audio experience - a de-mountable sound bar built into the passenger side of the dashboard.

In a new departure for Lexus' Human Machine Interface (HMI) concept, the ergonomics of the cockpit area flow from the driver's body, via the seat, up to the steering wheel, rather than from a traditional dashboard layout.

Combined with innovative, three-dimensional HMI technology, this design approach creates an immersive driving experience.

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