This week we put test the new Lexus NX 300h. It seems that the Japanese luxury brand is looking to turn heads on two fronts. The first the design, with a risky and flashy style that little by little is spreading through its range, and the second, offering hybrid mechanics gasoline to the detriment of diesel.
The Lexus NX is a clear example of this trend. In fact, after a little more conservative IS, the NX is the spearhead of a new strategy by the brand. In addition, it represents the arrival of a new and juicy SUV market in which it will have to face numerous rivals with their own strengths.
Sharp
If there is a word that fully defines the Lexus NX, that is sharp. The Japanese SUV has not cut a hair when using the rule and compass, and that its prototype was even more risky in this section. This gives you a unique appearance and personality. The Lexus NX is an NX, and it doesn't look like anything else.
The front, more with the F-Sport trim of our unit, tops this list of unique traits. The grill covers practically the entire front end, and it is the only thing that will make us look away from those daytime running lights in the form of half arrows. They are striking and unique, and something that you will have to fit yes or yes in this and in the future of Lexus.
Back the NX looks angry, with a few very sharp pilots with a gloss black trim that blends nicely with our red body color. Best of all is the drop in the roof, with a fairly inclined rear window that energizes the whole and takes it away from that "van" image of most SUVs.
The side is also one of the key stamps of the NX. It will be the terror of the sheet metal workers, and it seems that they have sought not to leave a single smooth surface. The extremely pronounced wheel arches they muscle their figure and the entire bodywork is wrapped in a series of unpainted plastic moldings that reinforce a country spirit that we had not yet noticed. The F Sport finish that you see in images is simple but it animates the finish with a specific grille, inch wheels 18 or LED headlights.
surface ladder
The interior of the Lexus NX, without being particularly groundbreaking, does not conform to the classic lines that dominate the segment. In fact, the shapes of the dashboard have been worked to leave the horizontality in oblivion. I'd be lying if I said that I don't like this dashboard, but some colleagues don't quite accept this configuration.
The reality is that it moves away from the new fashion of passing all the buttons to a touch control, so we find multitude of controls in the center of the dashboard that we will have to get used to. Where there is no forgiveness is in the placement of the control of the on-board computer, completely out of hand and hidden. It is something quite common among Japanese cars.
In terms of quality, the NX is at a high level. All the controls have a good touch, in the same way that the entire upper part of the dashboard, including the sides of the center console, is finished in fluffy material. There are no creaks, although some plastics on the dashboard could look better or at least offer a more attractive color scheme. The central analog clock It gives it a touch of class, although a permanently visible digital clock somewhere in the car is monkeys.
In front of us falls a control panel that allows you to configure its appearance according to the selected driving mode. It is not digital. In normal mode, a potentiometer to know what the hybrid system does, while in Sport mode the potentiometer is changed for a tachometer, although it is something completely artificial. In any case, the picture is simple reading and simple design.
habitability
The Lexus NX has space for 5 occupants and there is no option to 7 seats. The two front seats are quite spacious, and in our finished F Sport they have some sportier seats They hold well, although a little more adjustment on the shoulders would not hurt, and they are highly attractive visually.
The rear seats are already narrower. Two occupants, on both sides, will travel comfortably, although the head height available not something to write home about especially for the taller ones. It is also true that our sunroof subtracts a few centimeters. Legroom shouldn't be a problem. As for the central square, it lacks shape and, although the seat is not particularly hard, the backrest is, as it integrates an armrest. With three passengers the width is not enough.
The slide holes they are not something remarkable in the Lexus NX. The biggest flaw is the absence of a flat hole to place the mobile. In my case it fit perfectly on the edge of the cup holders, but it is not a universal feature. In the center console there is a new one with a lid where, depending on the version, a wireless mobile charger (the mobile must be compatible). The cover itself acts as a central armrest and, although it is longitudinally adjustable, it is not enough if we move the seat forward, nor is it adjustable in height.
555 liter trunk
El trunk Lexus NX 300h cubic 555 liters capacity. Although it is not the most capable, it is more than adequate volume to carry the luggage of 5 people. The load volume, yes, is distributed in two heights. Under the boot floor, next to the battery, there is a total of 100 litres. It's a deep, quite usable hole.
If you want to expand the trunk, we can fold down the rear seats. The downside is that they do not have a command to lower them from the trunk. With them shot down in 2/3 proportions we get up to 1.600 liters in total. In turn, the rear seats can vary the inclination of the backrest to gain comfort or, on the contrary, gain a few liters to the trunk. Lastly, the trunk can have, depending on the version chosen, electrical opening.
Tomorrow will be the time to start the engine of the Lexus NX 300 h, a gasoline hybrid engine with 197 horsepower. It will be when we analyze its dynamic behavior, engine response and consumption.
You can know more about the Lexus NX 300h F Sport in our vehicle dynamic analysis and in our price and equipment overview.
