BEIJING MOTOR SHOW: Lexus to lob real NX

It's been cheered, it's been jeered, and now it appears certain the production version of the controversial Lexus LF-NX concept will have a less dramatic exterior design.

The Japanese prestige car-maker has released a new teaser image of the production vehicle, the Lexus NX compact SUV, revealing far less radical design cues than the ultra-angular LF-NX concept first shown at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show last September.

The LF-NX concept polarised opinion -- called hideous by some, courageous by others -- but when the production-ready NX makes its public debut at the Beijing motor show on April 20, it will be a far more conventional-looking crossover.

It’s clear the NX adheres to Lexus' shifting design philosophy, given its fish-hook LED running lights and large spindle grille repeated on the current generation IS sedan and RC coupe models.

Stylised LED headlight clusters are also in evidence, as are flared wheel-arches, and although the design is a milder take on the wild concept car, it's still likely to be a more striking vehicle than some of its German rivals, such as the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.

Lexus says the new model "brings together striking design, advanced technologies and Lexus' signature spindle grille in an SUV form," so we can expect it to debut new technology as well -- probably a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain.

The new luxury SUV will be the first Lexus vehicle to be powered by the company's new 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, which will output roughly 180kW/380Nm in its highest state of tune, providing plenty of squirt.

The new four-cylinder engine will also be adopted by other models in the Lexus range, such as the IS, RC, RX and GS models, to replace the ageing 3.5-litre V6.

Due to arrive in Australia later in 2014 priced from under $60,000, Lexus says the NX could become its best-seller, slotting in underneath the larger RX model, which is currently the company's top-selling car globally.