• The UX’s space is its most disappointing feature
• Boot is tiny on E-Four models
• Cabin space adequate, but not great

How much space is there?

Lexus’s engineers wanted the UX to have a coupe-like feel and to a certain degree they’ve been successful in this aim, although not always to the benefit of passengers. You sit low down, bringing the car’s centre of gravity closer to the ground, but because the window line is also quite high, you feel more hemmed-in than behind the wheel of a BMW X2 or Range Rover Evoque, for instance.

The front seats offer plenty of room, even so. But the back seats are cramped, with limited head- and legroom. And while there are three seatbelts in the rear, the middle seat is very narrow and unlikely to be comfortable for anybody for long. The rear door opening is pretty narrow, and Lexus hasn’t managed to fit any door pockets back there, underlining the sense that backseat passengers are something of an after thought.

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Boot space and storage

Practicality is also hampered by the boot, which has a high loading lip with a flush floor, leaving only a shallow space between the boot floor and the flimsy luggage cover. On front-wheel drive models there is more storage below this level, but even the maximum 320 litres is pretty pathetic for this class of car, even if the Lexus is also among the smallest of its competitor set.

Where the E-Four all-wheel drive system is fitted, there is no space beneath the floor, resulting in boot capacity of just 283 litres. That’s less than you’ll get in the back of a Vauxhall Corsa. The UX trails behind every rival here, and is most definitely not a good choice if you like to carry lots of luggage.

Even the powered tailgate seems slow.

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Is it easy to park?

The UX is small inside because it’s small outside – its exterior dimensions being closer to an Audi Q2 than the Audi Q3 it supposedly competes with, for example. This is good news when it comes to parking and general manoeuvring, as the its compact size makes it easy to handle.

Forward visibility is pretty good, but the rear window is small. Most models get a reversing camera and parking sensors as standard, which helps compensate for this, and Lexus also offers a very nifty 360 degree camera system that allows you to tailor the view it gives of the surrounding environment to suit the particular circumstances.

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How safe is the UX?

• Five-star Euro NCAP rating
• Standard Lexus Safety System+
• Plenty of airbags and stability systems

The UX is not short of safety credentials. It got the full five-star rating when tested by Euro NCAP, thanks in part to every model receiving the Lexus Safety System+ package. This includes a host of active driver aids, including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, radar-guided adaptive cruise control, lane assistance, traffic sign recognition, and headlights with automatic highbeam control.

A sophisticated suite of stability control programs is also fitted as standard, alongside eight airbags. There are Isofix child-seat mounting on the outer rear seats.

Optional features include blindspot monitors with rear cross traffic alert.