What is it?

That schnoz, it's all about that damn schnoz. On the Lexus NX200t and NX300h Hybrid, it's the first thing you see: this huge and leering mesh grille in full 3D, jutting out like a knife, dominating an entire front end otherwise made up of jagged edges, creases and lights that don't quite align. We've seen this grille before, even the CT200h now sports what Lexus calls the "spindle grille," but in the NX we'd feel more apropos calling that gigantic leering grille "rage incarnate." Like it could pass for HR Giger's fish tank. Like it could devour us alive.

There's a genuinely new product behind that child-scarring grille. This is Lexus's first entry into the compact luxury crossover segment, a segment populated by letters and numbers: Q5, X3, GLK, RDX, Porsche Macan. It is the car for young, trendy urbanites who aren't willing to surrender to suburban life with the RX, but need more room than the IS. This is a Lexus that's 90 percent new, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that will surely spread its wings across the rest of the Lexus lineup. This is "Premium Urban Sports Gear," as we were told before driving it. This is a Lexus engineered by a man who owns a 1992 Toyota MR2.

This is a car loaded with technology. There is Lexus's Remote Touch Interface, a touchpad-like interpretation of the mouse that used to control all interior functions. There's the ability to pinch and swipe on the map, like a smartphone, though it never worked terribly well. There's the modern complement of driver aids: lane departure alert, precollision alert, an adaptive cruise control system that can bring the car to a full stop. There is an optional wireless charging tray in the center console, which will top off your smartphone's battery without any pesky cables. Lexus Enform Remote resides on said smartphone with the ability to rein in valets, remote start your car, and locate it in any number of parking lots. There is a tonneau cover that fits in the spare tire well. There are "high-friction cupholders." There is a removable mirror -- guaranteed to be lost within six months of purchase -- that lifts up to access a bin to store sunglasses. (The mirror, of course, can also be used to signal passing airplanes from deep within the woods.)

And, of course, there is also that damn grille -- the most dramatic interpretation of Lexus's polarizing design theme: brave, sublime, ridiculous, but never neutral; like Marmite and the Bush administration, people will either adulate or despise it. But in today's world of car design, where legions of the same theme vie for your splintered attention, the fact that some people might fall for something this bold will surely translate to sales success. Perhaps the best part is that you can't see it from inside the car. As we drove the NX, we comforted ourselves with this fact.



2015 Lexus NX turbo Lexus
The NX marks Lexus's first compact crossover, slotting below the suburbanite's RX.

What's it like to drive?

We get two NX variants in America, the Hybrid and the Turbo, with AWD available for both and the F-Sport package available on the latter. Despite all the fanfare of the 2.0-liter, direct-injection, 235-hp, 258-lb-ft torque, 17-psi of boost, 0-60 in seven seconds dead (in AWD form: 7.2 with the FWD drivetrain), twin-scroll-turbocharged engine in the NX200t…we'd go for the hybrid NX300h.

Here's why: it's far smoother. The NX is a supremely quiet car overall, but the 194-hp Hybrid enhances this quality -- Lexus rates it at far slower than the turbo engine, hitting 60 mph in nine seconds, but the Hybrid's great pickup feels much, much faster than this. Much more high strung than the turbo, in fact: proof that numbers aren't always the answer.

That turbo engine should really be livelier than this. It has decent power, but it shifts with a frustrating delay, and a rough downshift that belies the newness of its six-speed transmission. We will give it credit for the following: if you roll down the windows, you can hear that turbo spooling. Neat! And there is nary a hint of lag, which offers a smooth, even takeoff from a standstill.

Better spring for the F-Sport then, which adds a harsher suspension, some much-improved bodywork, and a rotary switch that increases the engine noise ever so slightly, like the sound of a television being turned on next door. It is embarrassingly clustered by the driver's right knee, conveniently out of sight, lest the illusion falls apart to whomever you're trying to impress in the passenger seat.

Otherwise, the NX excels at quietness, with just a hint of road noise overpowering the muted engines in both drivetrains. Its comfortable ride is reminiscent of large Lexuses new and old -- provided one forgoes the F-Sport, that is. And on open roads and sharp corners, it never feels any bigger or smaller than it is. For some, it's just the right size.



2015 Lexus NX F-Sport front Lexus
This might be the most flattering angle on the NX F-Sport, or the worst.

Do I want it?

What we have here is a car whose styling fails to match its intrinsic qualities. Unlike its Predator grille, the NX is not aggressive at all: where it's strongest is in its quietness, smooth ride, and all that tech stuffed in its soft-touch dash.

Lexus expects to sell just 10 percent of its NX allocation in hybrid guise. To us, that's a shame. The NX is not an exciting car by any stretch of the imagination, which gives the hybrid that much more raison d'ętre: the millennials and thirty-somethings that Lexus wants to buy the NX have already confessed to lusting after hybrids, if not electric vehicles. The NX300h deserves to be a strong contender in the compact luxury crossover segment.

Just don't expect its performance to match its looks.



2015 Lexus NX200t price and specifications

On Sale: Fall 2014

Base Price: TBD

Drivetrain: 2.0-liter, 235-hp, 258 lb-ft inline four; six-speed automatic transmission

Curb Weight: 3,940 lbs. (FWD), 4,050 lbs. (AWD)

0-60 MPH: 7.2 sec (FWD), 7 sec (AWD)

Fuel Economy (EPA city/hwy/combined): 22/28/24 (FWD), 21/28/24 (AWD)



2015 Lexus NX300h price and specifications

On Sale: Fall 2014

Base Price: TBD

Drivetrain: 2.5-liter I4 hybrid, 194-hp total system output, continuously variable transmission

Curb Weight: 4,055 lbs. (FWD), 4,180 lbs. (AWD)

0-60 MPH: 9.1 sec

Fuel Economy (EPA city/hwy/combined): 35/31/33 (FWD), 33/30/32 (AWD)

In 1998, when the newly formed Lexus division introduced the RX, few people (not even the brand’s management team) realized that a new category was being born: the intermediate luxury crossover segment. The vehicle’s success was both immediate and spectacular. The general characteristics and dimensions of the RX would become the category’s benchmarks—and they’ve stuck.

But innovation is never constant, and Lexus fell seriously behind in the compact luxury SUV category (which includes the Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK and BMW X3), even though it has been in existence for quite some time. Toyota’s high-end brand was simply not in the game.

The wait is now over, as the new NX is slated to make its mark. Being late to the party has allowed this vehicle to equip itself to the teeth in preparation to take on its diverse and carefully crafted competitors. Lexus fans will be happy to know that they haven’t held back with NX and are offering three different trims to satisfy the needs of a wide range of customers.

Still the grille!
Not so long ago, most Lexus vehicles had rather morose exteriors. They needed something that would set them apart, the kind of special appeal that Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz products had been boasting for ages. There was no doubt that the generic appearance of Lexus vehicles turned off a good number of buyers. Today, things have changed. A new hourglass grille is making all the difference—and it goes without saying that it has been included on the NX.

The NX is available in three trims. The NX200t and NX Hybrid have horizontal bars instead of a grille, while the NX F Sport is decked out with a very nice honeycomb treatment. The vehicle’s rear section is tilted forward for a sportier overall look, though the design decision has resulted in a few lost litres of cargo space.

Inside, the dashboard is essentially the same one seen in the Lexus IS, give or take a few aspects. There’s the same analog clock and small display screen on the upper portion of the dashboard. The head-up display is a much-appreciated addition considering the vehicle’s category. This model’s unique features include the wireless cell phone charger and a touch pad for controlling various systems. It may just be a small detail, but Lexus is very proud of the front door handles' integrated lighting to let you see the lock below.

The NX F Sport goes further with added bolstering in the seats for better lateral support, non-slip aluminum pedals and a leather-swathed steering wheel. The rear seats are comfortable and offer plenty of room for your legs. As expected in a utility vehicle, the 60/40 seatback folds down at the mere push of a button. But you’ll have to put it back up yourself.

A first for Lexus
As often happens in the automobile industry, this model borrowed its platform from an existing vehicle. In this specific case, the Toyota Rav4 has shared its mechanics with the Lexus NX. That said, a section of the NX 300h’s platform comes from the Lexus CT. In a sense, hybrid vehicles have to help each other out.

But the most innovative mechanical part is the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo engine in the NX200T. A first for the division, it produces 235 horsepower and 358 lbs.-ft. of torque. This mill is married to a six-speed automatic gearbox and an all-wheel drive system with dynamic torque control.

The NX 300h is equipped with a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that produces 194 horsepower and 152 lbs.-ft. of torque. It’s mated to a CVT that has a unique automatic kick-down feature for acceleration. All-wheel drive is achieved thanks to an electric motor that powers the rear wheels.

The last thing you should know about the mechanics is that all trims have a MacPherson strut suspension in front and a double-wishbone and swingarm suspension in rear. In this new design, the coil springs are separated from the shocks, which makes it possible to lower the floor further than usual for an SUV, while improving stability and ride comfort. The NX F Sport comes with Lexus’ adaptive variable suspension. It can be set to Normal or Sport S+ modes, the difference being optimum comfort or outstanding stability. On the NX200t, you have the choice of three driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. Meanwhile, the 300h adds an EV setting for selecting all-electric driving.

Pleasant or impressive
To make the platform as rigid as possible and ensure outstanding road handling, the Lexus engineers used several assembly techniques: welding screws with lasers to shorten the distance between weld points, using adhesive to join panels over a larger area, and adding more weld points to the roof and B pillars.

The vehicle’s rigidity is noticeable when you drive the “regular” version, while the handling is flawless and combined corners pose no problem. The vehicle’s base remains relatively stable and it stays neutral in turns. However, the steering is a little disconnected. The engine is well-adapted and the twin-turbo’s response time is imperceptible. The vehicle’s performance may not be extraordinary or sporty, but it is more than adequate.

Speaking of sport, the NX F Sport doesn’t actually have more power, but the adjusted suspension and Sport + setting really do wonders for it. You get more feedback from the road and a better sense of being one with the vehicle. Drivers can attack corners at high speeds without sliding across their seats, as the raised edges of the bucket seats hold you in place. This added support also makes it harder to get in and out of the seats, mind you.

Since this model was introduced a few months before its actual arrival in showrooms, the prices and fuel economy rates are not yet available. Logically, the manufacturer’s recommended retail price is expected to be between $40,000 and $55,000—about average for the category. Its fuel consumption stats should amount to less than 10 L/100 km for the 2.0-litre turbo.

Finally, there are plenty of electronic safety and driver-assistance systems, as would be expected from any vehicle looking to match what the competition offers.

Now we just have to wait and see whether younger customers will be wowed by Lexus’ new baby. Of the three trims, they’re most likely to be drawn to the F Sport.


Evaluation

Test model
2015 Lexus NX
Trim level
200t F Sport
Price range
$35,000 - $51,000
Price as tested
$42,000
Warranty (basic)
4 years / 80,000 km
Warranty (powertrain)
6 years / 100,000 km
Options
N/A
Competitive models
Acura RDX BMW X3 Land Rover LR2 Mercedes-Benz GLK Volvo XC60

Strong points
Comprehensive equipment
Well-adapted turbo engine
Attractive F Sport trim
Good handling
Electronic driver-assistance systems
Meticulous fit and trim

Weak points
Rear visibility
Average road feedback (200t and Hybrid)
Sport seats hard to slide into
Why isn’t there an eight-speed transmission?

On a perfect June day in British Columbia, Takeaki Kato opens remarks about Lexus’ latest creation with a picture of his home. Kato, Chief Engineer of the Lexus NX , is dressed in full protective gear (including helmet and fire suit) and strapped into a race simulator. The intent is clear: Lexus’ newest car, the NX, was created to appeal to the enthusiast. Kato has aimed for dynamism and tells those assembled for the NX’s global launch he intends the car to become “part of the owner’s gear.”

Lexus has a legacy in Whistler. In 1997, the manufacturer launched its first luxury crossover vehicle, the RX, on the surrounding roads. 17 years later, the NX represents a distinct take on a burgeoning class: the entry-level compact utility. The car will compete with the Audi Q5, BMW M3, and Mercedes GLK. It will launch in 80 distinct markets, a measure of the broad appeal of such cars, and Lexus’ belief is that the segment will bring in 50 percent new customers to the brand. Repeat: 50 percent.

The NX also represents the final stage of Lexus’ 2-year reinvention that began with the 2013 GS. The body shares the chiseled exterior that is now a hallmark of the contemporary Lexus lineup. On curb, there’s certainly some dynamism—the sort of refined, youthful aggressiveness that certainly serves its sibling, the IS sedan.

Is there space for that thinking in a CUV? Can a vehicle that shares DNA with the Toyota RAV4 (though, we’re told with “90 percent different parts), redefine the driving feel of a segment that typically champions pure utility over excitement? What part of the Lexus personality—reliable luxury or Kato’s projected ode to the Fuji raceway—will dominate?

We spent a day in the new NX to find out.

The Engines
The 2015 Lexus NX comes with a choice of two available drivetrains. Lexus’ new turbo gasoline engine, a 2.0-liter pumping 235 horses, is paired to a 6-speed automatic in the 200t (and its F SPORT-plated halo variety). The NX 300h employs a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine. The hybrid has its own new P314 automatic transmission, with a kick-down feature that employs an electric motor generator and electric drive motor and a double set of planetary gears. In a nutshell, the system functions to maximize fuel economy and acceleration simultaneously.

The Interior
As the chiseled exterior suggests, the Lexus NX proposes dynamic driver experience. That visual cue follows into the interior, which features race-inspired, cockpit-style seating. Whereas in most CUVs the driver ****s high and straight, the NX seats surround the driver in a lower position. The effect is direct: an invitation to drive with a degree of passion. The feeling is amplified by the instrument cluster, intricately designed and equipped with intuitive switches.

An important new integration is the introduction of a Remote Touch Interface in the center console. This first-for-Lexus system replaces the old joystick, limiting (massively, to be honest) the previous frustrations with navigating the Lexus’ infotainment system. Imagine a small pad that functions much like a Smartphone or Tablet. The simplicity, even with all the leather trimmings in the NX, ultimately becomes the greatest luxury.



The Technology
Music is important. The NX delivers with the standard Lexus Premium Audio system and its eight-channel amplifier. However, more important than music is device integration. Bluetooth audio is seamless. But, detraction is that a second USB drive is only offered with an available Navigation package. Powering up is, of course, important. One solve in the NX is a standard Qi wireless charging tray. Essentially, you can lay your iPhone on the tray and get some juice. Are you equipped to utilize one of those? We weren’t, so we still wished for standard multi-port USB outlets.

Lexus also incorporates a series of apps through voice-enabled Bing—movietickets.com, opentable.com, etc.—that certainly could make life easier. However, given the active lifestyle angle of the NX, they also seem mildly out of keeping with the target demo. (I personally think an OpenTable app is awesome).

The Drive Experience
FINALLY, right? Ok, so yeah, the drive is the most important part of the car. But, when assessing a CUV, it is also crucial to understand the total package. Behind the wheel, the driver’s seat certainly “coddles.” The position is firm, comfortable, and offers a solid vantage. All things point to dynamism on the road.

However, in the NX 200t there’s not quite the punch one might expect. Acceleration is smooth, but not at the same smile-inducing level as in the IS. The 300h, understandably, moves forward with less discernible power and not quite as smoothly (at low speeds) as proposed. We drove a model with 18-inch wheels. Although these are attractive, the available 17-inch option might yield a more comfortable journey.



If power isn’t the answer to dynamism, then handling is where attitude matches reality. The NX, in all varieties, is agile. On the curving, mountain roads around Whistler, the vehicle tackled quick turns with confidence and steadily slipped through lane changes. In SPORT mode, the chassis stiffens, and handling is improved. Without having strict city driving time, the lessons drawn from Whistler street time suggest two things: 1. The NX is perfectly capable of handling all challenges the urban environment can throw at it, and 2. The NX is road-trip ready. The latter point isn’t just about driving, but also relates to overall comfort.

Despite the NX’s diminutive stance, the interior is spacious. Additionally, the rear seats recline (added bonus) and provide ample legroom for full-size adults. Lexus tests storage with golf bags. The NX can fit four in horizontally. Or, in more youthful terms, you could fit a few kegs in there and be just fine.

The Dynamic Cruise Control function not only establishes constant speed, but also maintains vehicle-to-vehicle distance up to 37 mph. Read: The Dynamic Cruise Control function can significantly improve your stress levels in beach traffic. Therefore, the function also will improve your road trips. That’s luxury through calm, a hallmark of Lexus.

In short, the NX is most readily compared with the ES sedan than the IS. It’s sporty, comfortable, and not devoid of swagger. Yet, unlike the IS, the NX doesn’t beat its chest too hard. The race inspiration doesn’t ooze out of the tuning. Instead, the NX is more traditional Lexus (well appointed, classic luxury) with a ting of energy.



The X FACTOR: F SPORT
In available F SPORT package, the NX most successfully matches its proposed dynamism. Though the horsepower is the same as in the 200t, the 200t F SPORT ups the ante in style. “BOLD” is an apt brand descriptor—the L-mesh grille gives the NX an aggressive authority. The interior also takes the F SPORT cues of quilted seats, instrument panel, and aluminum pedals inspired by the LFA.

With Active Sound Control, the 200t F SPORT also incorporates something missing from its siblings: ENGINE NOISE. A manual experience, the ASC pumps in an engine noise note that enhances the sporting ambition of the NX.

It looks better and sounds better. But, is the F SPORT a massive upgrade? In non-scientific testing (our drives) it seemed so. The fun comes in handling, much like in the hybrid compact CT model. Not a triumph, but certainly an indicator of the future of Lexus—not divorced from its core DNA, but also with an eye to attracting younger buyers. For our money, it’s the gem of the NX lineup.

The Bottom Line
The NX won’t redefine the CUV category. But, tempering your expectations with the sport propositions will reveal a vehicle readily equipped for weekday and weekend life. It functions, thanks to Dynamic Cruise Control and device integration, as a soothing escape from daily stresses. In its ride, the NX also allows some of the same “breaking free of middle management” that caught our attention in the ES.