In an advance event prior to yesterday’s reveal, Autocar spoke with Lexus LF-NX design manager Nobuyuki Tomatsu about how the concept might translate into a production model:

“We want this to be a very influential car — one to make its rivals look boring,” says design project manager Nobuyuki Tomatsu.

The design of the production car is still to be decided. “This isn’t one of those show cars that is 95 per cent representative of something finished,” Tomatsu says. “We have taken a risk, and we hope the reaction will be positive. If it is, there is no reason why our production car couldn’t look like this.”
It’s rumored that the production model will debut at next year’s Geneva Motor Show in March — if true, this gives Lexus just five months to finalize the design.

Tomatsu-san also shared some details on the proposed LF-NX engine:

Power comes from an adaptation of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system from the American market’s Lexus ES300h saloon. That means the front wheels will be driven by a combination of a 156bhp 2.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, serving up 200bhp in total. “We haven’t ruled out four-wheel drive for the finished car,” says Tomatsu. “The powertrain is just a starting point for us.”

The hybrid system in the ES 300h is an excellent powertrain, and should be well-suited to the smaller crossover — excited to hear what other engines might be used as well.

Power comes from an adaptation of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system from the American market’s Lexus ES300h saloon. That means the front wheels will be driven by a combination of a 156bhp 2.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, serving up 200bhp in total. “We haven’t ruled out four-wheel drive for the finished car,” says Tomatsu. “The powertrain is just a starting point for us.”

The Lexus LF-NX concept car has made its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The mid-sized crossover model is smaller than the full sized RX SUV and is designed to make a bold statement about Lexus’s design direction, and its hybrid technology leadership.
Powered by a new variant of Lexus’s 2.5-litre Lexus Hybrid Drive full hybrid system, the concept car aims for class leading fuel consumption and CO2 figures.
Revealing the car, Lexus Europe boss Paul van der Burgh said that the concept continued Lexus’ association with the crossover market, which it created in 1998 with the introduction of the Lexus RX.
“In 1998 we created the premium Crossover segment with the introduction of RX. Today, RX is our biggest seller worldwide, so it’s only natural for us to explore new opportunities in the segment below RX, which is expected to grow significantly in the next decade.

“LF-NX explores design possibilities for such a future crossover. It is youthful, confident and it is innovative, and it features a bold new look that gives us a sneak peak into how Lexus design will evolve.”
The dramatic lines of the bodywork represents the very latest interpretation of the now well established L-finesse design language that has influenced the look of Lexus’s cars since 2003. Inside, there are further developments of this design philosophy. The cabin follows the “Human Oriented” element of Lexus’s L-finesse design, presenting a dashboard divided between an upper display zone and lower operation zone – a format perfected in successive generations of Lexus models.

Commenting on the car’s bold looks, van der Burgh added: “Lexus has a passion for design that goes beyond creating stylish vehicles.”
This enables intuitive interaction with the concept vehicle’s next generation technology, including touch-sensitive electrostatic switches and a new touchpad Remote Touch Interface design.
The concept’s status as a premium crossover is reinforced by carved metal surfacing around the interior, sophisticated blue instrument lighting and yellow and black leather upholstery with contrast stitching.