Stockholm, Sweden. Home to the Nobel peace prize, birthplace of IKEA, Abba, Spotify, Skype, Minecraft, the coca cola bottle, the propeller, the zipper, the pacemaker and hundreds if not thousands of incredibly handy things you use everyday or simply admire from afar, like the first space camera, the bicycle airbag and dynamite. It is a progressive and dynamic country that seems to be operating in a different time zone to the rest of the world––and I don’t mean GMT, either. It really does feel like they are decades ahead of everyone else; not only in technology, but as a society as well. From almost cashless cities to unisex public bathrooms, Sweden is always pushing an envelope somewhere. It may have only 9 million people, but pound for pound, it has produced more inventions, number 1 hits and just general wowery than any other place on the planet, and its absolutely no coincidence that Lexus chose this exact spot to launch their latest addition their family — the all-new Lexus UX.
Because as far as Lexus is concerned, the future is all about breaking moulds and being everything you thought they weren’t. “The reason we selected Stockholm is because the energy and creativity that this city has is world-class,” said Lexus Asia Pacific vice president David Nordstrom. “It’s often referred to as the world’s biggest small town. It’s lot smaller in size when compared to other European cities like London, Paris, Berlin and Rome. So it gives you a small-town feel with world-class amenities.” And that, in a nutshell, is Lexus.
Old world values, first world technology; a quiet achiever that is constantly evolving and reinventing itself during its relentless pursuit of perfection. Take the UX. There may be nothing new about a luxury automaker developing a crossover to fill a gap in their line up, but their approach to it is. Because while it would have been quite easy to stick with the tried and proven Russian doll formula, instead, they shattered the template and went with a female Japanese designer to ensure they bring something new and fresh to the table.
Not because there was anything wrong with the previous approach, but how will you you know that there’s not something better out there until you take that risk. And from the moment you lay eyes on the UX, with its striking signature spindle grille, triple LED headlights and sharp creases, you know you’re looking at something different––which is good––but my job here was to answer a more pressing question: is it better? Visually, I think so. Because in a segment filled with safe spaces, it is refreshing to see an entry-level model that isn’t scared to stand out of the crowd. But what had me more intrigued was not the design, but the lack of compromises in materials and workmanship.
