2022 Lexus NX Dynamic Press Launch

This is our very first Press drive abroad - and it’s also the first ever article of our CJ Junior, Tommy Faes.

It all took place in the wonderful ‘Palma De Mallorca’ as they like to call it. Sit back, grab a snack and join Tommy along for the ride.

Innovation

This is the main topic here, and what I’d like to start off with. The new Lexus NX is supposed to be a complete refresh of what the first NX used to be. They kept its rather tough presence similar, yet made it even wider. The front grille got even bigger, and the sharp rear-end got even sharper. Lexus likes to call it ‘functional beauty’. But what is there to like and not to like about Lexus’ newest car? We all know that the previous NX wasn’t a huge sales succes, yet it did trigger the people with a taste for the more unique. If you’re one of them, you will now be able to enhance your uniqueness by opting for the plug-in hybrid. A first for the NX.

Same same but different

It’s like I said in the previous paragraph, they upsized this already chunky SUV in many ways. The width has increased by 35mm in the front and 55mm in the back. The overall length increased by a fair 20mm as well, and so did the height by 5mm. This all is based on their new ‘design language’ and to be honest, I find these subtle changes very pleasing to the eye. Their signature ‘Spindle-Grille’ got an update as well by adding new ‘U’ shapes in it. When looking at the F-Sport version you can see that in that grille they used a horizontal honey-cone design. I do feel like that the new continues LED-strip gives the rear a very pronounced and recognisable look in both trims. On the picture down below, we have the F-Sport on the left, and 350h on the right.

450h+ (F-sport)

It’s like asking ‘you want to hear the good or the bad news first?’… And to be honest, the 450h+ really was the good news for me. So I chose to drive this one first. This one being Lexus’ first ever Plug-in Hybrid, it was for sure an interesting one to get to grips with. For what there is to see on the outside, you immediately notice a much more pronounced front, and an overall more sporty styling. What I like the most about the styling of these cars is that the Lexus logo is integrated in different parts of the car. Just like the taillights, use the picture down below as a reference.

Me being from a younger age group, I like speed. And this is exactly what the 450h+ will offer you, with a 0-100kph in just over 6 seconds. There’s one downside to the whole NX line-up, which is the CVT gearbox. You either love it or hate it, and well I… I just don’t get why you’d want a car to redline constantly when you touch the throttle more than halfway. When you’re just floating along, you don’t really notice it though. On a tight and twisty road, it still feels like a big car, but with the ability to stiffen up the suspension, it becomes just that little bit more planted through the corners. And it is indeed a fast car, especially with the assistance of the electric engines which give you immediate power out of the corner.

To get technical, it features a 2.5-litre hybrid Atkinson cycle engine, a 134 kW front electric motor, a 40 kW rear electric motor, hybrid transaxle and a lithium-ion battery with 18.1 kWh capacity - which is the highest capacity in its class. Thanks to its powerful battery and superior efficiency, the NX 450h+ also provides a substantially higher EV range. At 69 to 76km in the combined WLTP cycle, or even 89 to 98km in the urban cycle. This is more than twice the range compared to the competitors in the segment.

The new battery’s performance also enables all-electric driving at speeds up to 135 kph. Using Lexus’ new compact and lightweight hybrid transaxle, the plug-in hybrid electric system delivers best-in-class fuel efficiency and power.

The 450h+ is equipped as standard with Lexus’ intelligent E-four electric all-wheel drive system and has a 1.5-tonne towing capacity.

350h

I got to drive this one in a very tasty specification. A deep green exterior and a tan interior, lovely. Apart from that though, this car was so much more sophisticated in all it did, or at least that’s what it felt like. All of a sudden the extra juice from the 450h+ became irrelevant when I turned on the Mark Levinson Audio system. The way the audio almost massages your ears, it might almost get pleasant listening to modern day music again. And yes, this audio system is not available on the more powerful sibling, because it would be using too much of the battery they told us. Which is a real shame, and is also why I see more people choosing the 350h over the 450h+, purely because of the amount of music lovers out there these days.

If you scroll through the pictures down below, you can see what I mean with ‘a tasty spec’. The sunroof is very wide compared to other cars, which highlights the beautifully finished interior from this car. Lexus calls it their ‘Takumi’ craftsmanship.

To get more technical again, the hybrid electric system uses the same 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle engine as the NX 450h+ but with increases output thanks to a different ECU. It generates 24% more power than the previous NX 300h, with maximum output of 244 hp/179 kW. This all results in a fair 7.7 seconds for the 0-100 kph sprint. The 350h is available with front-wheel drive or E-four electric all-wheel drive. The towing capacity for the FWD model has been increased to 1,500 kg, matching the capability of the AWD version.

High-tech

This is where their party-trick comes in. Because Lexus was well-known for their not so beloved Infotainment systems back in the day, that now changed people!!! I was very amazed by the clear information the Heads-up display was giving me; for example when I selected Sport mode, it switched to the rev counter and speed only. But the most useful to see, was the navigation function on the HUD, I found.

Their all-new multimedia platform with faster, more intuitive operation and increased functionality, really was a charm to use. It comes with a 9.8-inch touchscreen High Definition touchscreen display. One of the largest in the NX’s class.

It also has voice recognition introducing the “Hey Lexus” assistant.

And the well beloved 17-speaker Mark Levinson Premium Surround System available on high grades NX 350h, which really is a must, I’m telling you…

Something else interesting, is how you open the doors. It’s by pressing a button, but not just any button. Lexus refers to it as a Japanese sliding door, just to make you feel that bit more special when you leave your NX.

Conclusion

So, here comes the Car Journalism top tip again… I say go for the 350h, and fill it with options just like the 17 speaker Mark Levinson audio system. Overall it’s a job well done and thanks for having us, Lexus!