You can “talk” to the new Lexus NX, so we should have asked, “Hey Lexus, why didn’t Lexus come up with a plug-in hybrid sooner?” Because the NX 450h+ is a more than excellent first attempt. Although it is expensive…
What is striking about the new Lexus NX (2021)?
That the NX 450h+ is the very first Lexus with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The model below, the NX 350h, is a Lexus hybrid like any other: a little sluggish in its response to the accelerator, with an engine that bellows annoyingly as the CVT keeps it revving. The 309 hp NX 450h+ is a different story. If its battery has sufficient charge level, you will experience such a fine electrical push in the back with every acceleration, with which the medium-sized SUV sprints to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds.
The battery pack of the NX 450h+ is 18 kWh and should guarantee a fully electric range of up to 76 kilometers. Or you have to stay in the city, then he will last until about 100 kilometers. By default, the car is in its EV mode. You can also choose an automatic mode (preferably electric), a hybrid mode or a mode in which the engine charges the battery.
The specified consumption of 1 to 90.9 – 111.1 is very theoretical, but with the NX 450h + you are also economical in practice. However, you can not accuse the Lexus of sporty pretensions, even though the F Sport version has an adaptive chassis with Sport S and Sport S + settings. The 450h+ is heavy. And in corners you feel that the masses want to go straight. In addition, the model has soft suspension in the base, so that the bodywork for your feeling leans a lot.
What’s good about the new Lexus NX?
The NX is the first Lexus model with the so-called Tazuna cockpit. Hollow marketing term, just forgotten, has something to do with a horse, reins and a jockey. What is interesting about it is the fact that Lexus has finally moved away from its much-maligned trackpad. You had to swipe and click on it to operate the multimedia system.
In the brand new NX, you simply do that with a touchscreen. And what a touch screen! It is 14 inches tall and sticks out of the dashboard like a sort of oar. If you go a bit smaller (the standard screen measures 9.8 inches), then the whole will stay within the lines. In both cases you get a set of physical buttons for the most important functions.
A striking feature of the optional Lexus Link Pro system is the operating speed. Rotating, zooming in and zooming out of the navigation map, for example, goes so smoothly that you imagine yourself in a Tesla. The screen itself makes us thirsty, because it is just like Heineken: wonderfully clear. So we’re happy with the NX’s voice feature. “Hey Lexus, find the nearest cafe!”
On the way there we could even pick up some colleagues, because the interior space in the NX is spacious. The average Car Revieweditor is 1.90 meters tall and has enough freedom of movement in the back seat to dance the horn beep. So the average Dutch man (height: 1.83 meters) can probably handle it.
We find few surprises in the trunk. It doesn’t matter whether you opt for the hybrid NX 350h or plug-in hybrid NX 450h+, you always get between 545 and 1436 liters of space for your luggage. Funny – and functional – Lexus has taken the time to make the power valve faster. The lazy ass used to take 8 seconds, now only 4.
What could be better with the new Lexus NX?
Fussy thing: the innovative e-latch system doesn’t always work well when you want to get into the NX. E-latch is a smart system that no longer opens the car door mechanically, but electronically. When you park somewhere, the system monitors the environment. If a cyclist or pedestrian approaches from behind, you can press the doorknob as many times as you want, but the door will remain closed. You are not allowed to go outside until the danger has passed.
It works smoothly and intuitively, with a button logically placed on the door panel. If you want to get into the NX from outside, you sometimes miss it (the button on the back of the door handle is small) and the door remains closed for a while.
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We also have the complaint that we often have about a Lexus hybrid: it is all so geared to efficiency that there is no soul in the drivetrain. The NX is an extremely fine travel car, but it doesn’t make your heart beat faster.
When will the Lexus NX come and what will it cost?
The second-generation Lexus NX will hit the market by the end of this year, with five years of free maintenance and up to a 10-year warranty. The NX 350h is available from 59,995 euros. As a plug-in hybrid, the model is unfortunately much more expensive, as this short comparison with the competitor shows.
For a 299 hp Audi Q5 with plug you lose at least 68,715 euros. At BMW, the X3 xDrive30e (292 hp) starts at 65,581 euros. And Volvo has an XC60 T6 Recharge with 350 hp available from 62,995 euros. The Dutch price of the Lexus NX 450h + (309 hp) does not compare well: 73,890 euros. He will undoubtedly be richer equipped than his competitors, but not 11,000 euros richer.
What do I think of the Lexus NX?
Well done, Lexus. Ten with a pencil. Sticker for the notebook. The brand’s first plug-in hybrid is a very pleasant suv, which does not send you through the bend plank hard, but gently sways to your destination. The powertrain of the NX 450h+ is clearly finer than that of the plug-free NX 350h, but you do pay for that. A little too much, in our opinion.