FIRST came the RX, followed by the smaller but still robust NX, and now Lexus has delivered the smaller still UX hybrid to complete a hat-trick in the SUV market.

Lexus sees the UX250h – the company’s first compact SUV - as a first step for customers into its world of luxury motoring and to this end it has adopted a quite dynamic look matched with an engaging drive.

Being a Lexus, it is also a smoothie too. The company has not only built an enviable reputation for customer service and reliability, but also a name for refined motoring.

The UX is the first Lexus to be constructed using the so-called Global Architecture – Compact (GA-C) platform. A lightweight structure, low centre of gravity and refined suspension tuning endow it with the handling agility and ride comfort that Lexus customers have come to expect.

It comes as no surprise to find that the UX is offered in the UK exclusively with a fourth-generation self-charging hybrid powertrain.

Similarly, it was to be expected that, like many other car manufacturers, Lexus would eventually offer something smaller than the RX and NX to meet the growing demand in the SUV sector.

The UX will rely heavily on Lexus’s clean and efficient self-charging hybrid technology to woo buyers.. It is charged with attracting the “urban explorer”, whatever one of those is. Downsizers and young families are more likely to be tempted by its looks, nimbleness and manoeuvrability around town.

Alongside the Lexus CT hatchback, it takes its place as a gateway model for the company as the market moves slowly away from diesel power to embrace alternative, electrified powertrains.

The powertrain – a 2.0-litre petrol-hybrid system producing 181bhp – offers a quieter ride than its petrol or diesel rivals, and that quietness becomes near-silent as the electric mode takes over in large chunks of city driving.

Effortlessly light to steer with a sprightly acceleration time of 0 to 62mph in 8.5 seconds, the UX comes with a suite of safety features, parking sensors and an array of buttons to activate various functions.

You are lower in the driving seat than in comparable SUVS, but the view of the road is still good. However, the central touchscreen is a disappointment at seven inches (10.3 inches on the higher trim level) and the trackpad, which operates in a similar way to that of a computer mouse, takes some getting used to and is fiddly.

Boot space, too, is relatively limited at 320 litres, expanding to 1,231 litres with the 60/40 split rear seats down.

And at 750kg, the front-wheel drive UX has only a third of the pulling power of other cars in this bracket.

Where the UX scores highly over conventionally fuelled rivals is on fuel consumption. In a week-long test I returned an average of just under 50mpg, whereas the official range is between 49.5 and 53.2mpg.

With CO2 emissions of 97g/km, it is also the cheapest for those company car drivers in the 40 per cent tax bracket.

Displaying a dramatically sharp exterior, pushing the boundaries of what could be produced in the body panel-stamping presses, the UX is available in 12 exterior colours.

On the inside, Lexus designed the UX’s cabin to evoke the feel of a dynamic, luxury saloon. You even get the three-spoke steering wheel and analogue clock are from the Lexus LS flagship saloon.

The UX 250h is undoubtedly responsive to drive and, like all Lexus hybrids, it offers better fuel efficiency and lower emissions than other petrol or diesel vehicles in its class. It also requires no plugging in for recharging and has no issues where driving range is concerned. In real-world city driving it can use electric power for a significant proportion of every journey – up to 55 per cent, depending on the driving conditions. When cruising or accelerating gently, the front electric motor can propel the car with electricity supplied by the hybrid battery. In this situation, the vehicle runs almost silently, uses no petrol and produces zero emissions.

At higher speeds the Atkinson cycle petrol engine cuts in quietly, while still receiving assistance from the electric motor when required.

Lexus hybrid batteries have a proven reliability record, established through more than 35 billion miles of driving worldwide, and are designed to last the lifetime of the car. That’s a very reassuring selling point.