As if we didn’t have enough SUVs to keep us busy already, the Lexus NX has been brought to the table! This sleek looking car is designed to feature sports inspired styling over the standard ‘slab sided’ SUV that you normally see ferrying kids across the nation to school. It is described by Lexus as a ‘mid-size luxury SUV’ but I’d suggest you see it in the flesh before deciding whether it is indeed mid size. We can’t argue with the luxury side of things however as this is the forte of the marque.
It’s not a case of style over substance, though. For example the C-pillar has a wide angle to maximise internal storage width. The crouched look is linked to the NX’s good ramp-over angle performance, and the fact the high point of the roof is set rearward ensures good headroom for rear passengers.
The exterior also achieves an ideal balance between distinctive design and aerodynamic efficiency, a major challenge for the design team given the car’s overall compact dimensions. A rear spoiler was essential to create a smooth flow of air away from the back of the vehicle, and extensive wind tunnel testing revealed that the best results came from giving the leading edge of the fin an upturned lip – a detail that stands out as a design accent while also helping secure the NX a low (0.33) coefficient of drag.
True to its status as a practical SUV, the NX comes with a wide variety of storage points around the cabin, including glove and console boxes, a console tray, utility box, sunglasses hold, cup holders and door pocket holders for half-litre bottles. Throughout there is a typically Lexus attention to detail, as in the high-friction material used to line the inside of the cup holder that lets the driver open a twist-cap bottle one-handed.
The new full hybrid NX 300h is available to order now with customer deliveries from October. Next year the range will grow to include the NX 200t, the first model to adopt Lexus’s new 2.0-litre petrol turbo engine. Model line-up, prices, specifications and more information are available here.
We at Car Articles really rather like the Lexus NX. However, is it enough to unseat the mighty Porsche Macan as the pick of the bunch? We’ll hopefully be in a position to supply the verdict soon. Meanwhile, just look at those sculpted lines!
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