Lexus NX – What you need to know

The second-generation Lexus NX mid-size luxury SUV arrived in Australia early in 2022.

Highlights include an all-new exterior and interior, a raft of new safety, entertainment and driver assist tech, along with a new flagship in the form of a plug-in hybrid electric model (PHEV).

There are three trim levels (Luxury, Sports Luxury and F Sport) and four powertrains (250, 350, 350h hybrid and 450h+ PHEV) across two drivelines – two-wheel drive and AWD. Prices range from $60,800 to almost $90,000, before on-road costs are added.

So let’s check out the NX range and see which model is the right one for you.

At the entry level is the Lexus NX 250 Luxury at $60,800 plus on-road costs, which has the following headline standard features:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• 9.8-inch infotainment touch-screen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
• Dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning
• Reversing camera with guidelines
• Adaptive cruise control
• Powered and heated front seats
• Powered tailgate

Eight colours are offered across the Lexus NX range – Sonic Quartz, Titanium, Sonic Chrome, Onyx, Graphite Black, Caliente, Khaki Metal and Celestial Blue – with all except Onyx and Caliente attracting a $1750 premium.

F Sport variants further exclusively offer White Nova and Cobalt Mica for $1750.

Additionally, Lexus offers ‘enhancement packs’ on key models.

On the NX 250 Luxury and NX 350h Luxury is a $3000 Enhancement Pack 1 that includes a panoramic moonroof, kick sensor for the powered tailgate and wireless smartphone charging.

Enhancement Pack 2 ($6000) for the NX 350 F Sport and NX 350h F Sport AWD adds a heated steering wheel, digital rear-view mirror, 17-speaker premium sound system and, on the NX 350h, intelligent parking assist commonly referred to as self-parking.

The Enhancement Pack 2 ($6000) for the NX 350h Sports Luxury AWD adds a heated steering wheel, powered and folding rear seats with the outer pews being heated, along with intelligent parking assist.

In addition to the 10 airbags and obligatory electronic traction and stability controls, the Lexus Safety System that comes standard on all Lexus NX variants includes LED headlights and a reversing camera with guidelines.

A feature new to the range is safe exit assist with e-latch, which detects cyclists or passing vehicles and warns the occupants, while electronically preventing the doors from being opened until safe to do so.

Driver assist tech embraces autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection and intersection turn assist, which activates emergency braking to mitigate a collision.

There’s also blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and emergency steering assist that supports the driver if an evasive manoeuvre is made.

Other standard equipment includes lane trace assist and lane departure warning, plus an emergency stop system that monitors the driver’s status and, if an event occurs like a medical emergency, the system brings the NX to a standstill in the lane while warning other vehicles.

Parking brake support helps you get into those tight spots, courtesy of a sonar system, with the NX 350h featuring intelligent parking assist as standard.

The adaptive cruise control adds road sign recognition and a preliminary acceleration and deceleration function for efficient passing and merging.

While all Lexus NX models have automatic LED headlights with auto high beam, the F Sport and Sports Luxury variants have tri-beam headlights with an adaptive high-beam system that selectively brightens the road without dazzling other road users.

Self-dimming, heated door mirrors are standard across the range, and a self-dimming rear-view mirror is standard on the Luxury models. But a step up to the NX 350h Sports Luxury and the NX 450h+ F Sport variants snares you a digital rear-view mirror.

The new Lexus NX also has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

A 9.8-inch infotainment touch-screen is found in the Lexus NX 250 and NX 350h Luxury variants and operates the reversing camera along with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, cloud-based satellite navigation and DAB+ digital radio.

Audio is sent through 10 speakers and there are USB-A and USB-C ports, Bluetooth phone and music streaming and voice command recognition.

Step up to the NX 350h Sports Luxury or NX 350 F Sport or higher and the infotainment screen grows to 14 inches and comes with a panoramic view monitor for rear, side and even underneath view of the vehicle.

There is also a colour head-up display and the premium audio system pipes sound through 17 speakers.

All models have an 8.0-inch colour instrument cluster display.

Lexus Connected Services is found in all variants and includes SOS call, automatic collision notification and stolen vehicle tracking, along with a suite of connected services.

F Sport models and the NX 350h Sports Luxury come with the convenience of wireless smartphone charging.

Every Lexus NX model has dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning and heated eight-way powered front seats with lumbar support for the driver.

However, if you’d like front seats to offer cooling as well, head over to the NX 350 F Sport, NX 350h F Sport or NX 350 and 350h Sports Luxury variants as a minimum.

The Sports Luxury models come with the seats draped in leather, giving the cabin a luxurious ambience, while the F Sport twins boast a memory setting for the driver’s seat.

What about a heated rear seat? The outer rear seats in the NX 350 and NX 350h Sports Luxury have this, and the rear pew has a power-folding function. And keeping your hands warm is a heated steering wheel.

Do you like the convenience of a powered tailgate? The good news is all models have this, but if you want the kick sensor opening function, perfect for when your hands are full, you’ll need to move up to the NX 350h as a minimum.

Want a sunroof? You must go for the NX 350 or NX 350h Sports Luxury to have this feature fitted standard.

Would you like a smattering of sporty touches inside and out? The NX 350 and NX 350h F Sport both have sports seats in black, white or red along with F Sport pedals, steering wheel and gear shift lever, plus F Sport scuff plates. Hadori aluminium accents highlight the interior.

Outside, the F Sport is recognised by its 20-inch alloy wheels, F Sport grille and bumpers, black window surrounds and body-coloured wheel-arches.

The F Sport comes with adaptive variable suspension, performance dampers and five drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport S, Sport S+ and custom.

Should you go for the entry-model NX 250, it also has three drive modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – and is fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels.

And should you wish your F Sport to have all-wheel drive, a heated steering wheel and a sunroof, head to the flagship NX 450h+.

Powering the Lexus NX 250 is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 152kW of power and 243Nm of torque. It comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission and drives the front wheels.

The NX 350h models combine the 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a hybrid drive system to produce a combined 179kW/239Nm. The powertrain is mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and is available in two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive format.

Under the bonnet of the NX 350 lies a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 205kW/430Nm. It is bolted to an eight-speed sports auto and drives all four wheels.

The flagship NX 450h+ PHEV has a 2.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors that deliver a combined power output of 227kW. It drives all four wheels via a CVT, offering an all-electric driving range of 87km and fuel consumption as low as 1.3L/100km.

The plug-in hybrid model is also swift, with a 0-100km/h time of 6.3 seconds.

Slip behind the wheel of any Lexus NX model and the premium feel and look is immediately apparent.

If your budget simply allows you to secure the entry-level NX 250, you won’t be disappointed in any way as it comes with a good level of kit and the four-cylinder engine is more than capable.

On the other hand, should you be fortunate to have no budget constraints and want to do your bit for the environment, there is no better choice than the NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid.

It’s worth noting that the maximum braked towing capacity is 1500kg on the NX 350h hybrid, leaving all other models with a 1000kg capacity. There’s no difference in cargo dimensions across the range, the NX offering 520 litres with the rear seats up and 1141L with them folded down.

All models are back by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty, while the battery warranty for the hybrids – both NX 350h and NX 450h+ – extends to 10 years.

For me, the sweet spot lands on the more conventional NX 350 F Sport, with its powerful and torque-rich turbo-petrol engine and eight-speed auto.

There is plenty of performance on tap, combined with a long list of standard features, no sacrifice to comfort and the security of all-wheel drive making light work of any conditions.

How much does the Lexus NX cost?
250 Luxury 2WD – $60,800
350h Luxury 2WD – $65,600
350h Luxury AWD – $70,400
350h Sports Luxury 2WD – $73,100
350h Sports Luxury AWD – $77,091
350h F Sport 2WD – $73,100
350/350h F Sport AWD – $77,900
450h+ F Sport AWD – $88,323
*Pricing excludes on-road costs