Philip Lord•29 May 2014
NEWS
Lexus NX arrives on Aussie soil
Prestige brand holds high hopes for first luxury compact SUVThe Lexus NX300h made its Australian debut at the Good Design Australia awards in Sydney last night ahead of its local launch in October.
Lexus expects the luxury SUV to form a vital component of the marque's line-up and the prestige importer also anticipates the NX will likely overtake its sibling the RX as the top-selling Lexus model globally.
The NX 300h on static display at the awards night was an early pre-production model, evidenced by some interior components lacking the grained finish that will grace production models.
As we have already reported, the first NX to arrive this October will be the hybrid NX 300h in both 2WD and AWD variants followed by the petrol 200t in the first quarter of 2015.
Among the features offered in the new Lexus NX are smartphone wireless charging tray, touch-sensitive interior lighting, 360-degree Panoramic View Monitor and power rear seat.
The new SUV will follow existing Lexus model naming convention in its three-tier range: Luxury, Sport Luxury and F Sport.
NX will join a compact luxury SUV segment already populated with vehicles from key premium brands, such as the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Porsche Macan and Range Rover Evoque.
The NX 300h hybrid is fitted with a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol four-cylinder engine and an electric motor that combined produce 145kW. A six-step CVT funnels torque to either the front-wheel drive system or the new Lexus E-Four AWD system.
Due next year, the 200t features a direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo-four with outputs of 175kW between 4800-5600rpm and 350Nm of torque between 1650-4000rpm and will run a conventional six-speed automatic with steering wheel paddle shifters and, like the 300h, will offer the option of 2WD or AWD variants. The new engine employs an idle-stop system, a first for Lexus and also boasts a water-cooled cylinder-head, integrated exhaust manifold and twin-scroll turbocharger.
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Lexus
Car News
Green Cars
Prestige Cars
Written byPhilip Lord
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