While Toyota has been trying to make Hydrogen power more relevant for years now with the Mirai, they are not giving up on the more traditional form of hybrids. Their luxury brand, Lexus, has just dropped the new NX crossover, and it is the first plug-in hybrid for the Japanese luxury brand.
Power, specs, and driving
The base model, the NX250, is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque and is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This model has an EPA estimated fuel economy of 28 MPG combined. It is also available in all-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive, with the former it can propel itself from 0-60 mph in 8.6 seconds and 8.2 with the latter.
The NX350 is the next trim level and is powered by a 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder that produces 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. The powerplant is connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission, has 25 MPG combined, and can travel from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds.
The NX350h is the lowest hybrid trim level. It uses the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder from the NX250, but here it is paired with two electric motors. The engine and electric motor on the front axle are always working together, and the electric motor in the rear axle only kicks in when needed for better traction. All this results in a total of 239 horsepower and a 0-60 time of 7.2 seconds and 39 MPG combined. Lexus is keeping the exact torque and transmission details for the NX350h close to the vest as of late.
The top of the range model is the first Lexus plug-in hybrid, the NX450h+. Unfortunately, Lexus wants some specs to be a surprise, but here is what we know so far.
It also features a system that drops energy loss when converting AC power to DC power. When the charging current is maxed out at 240V, the 450h+ can get a full charge in two and a half hours, if equipped with the 6.6 kW charger, otherwise, the standard 3.3 kW charger takes four and a half hours.
Price
The FWD version of the NX250 will start at $37,950 and the AWD will start at $39,550. The NX350 starts at $41,550. The NX350h starts at $41,050, less than the non-hybrid version. Lastly, the NX450h+ starts at a steep $55,560.
Tech and infotainment
Apart from the hybrid drivetrain, one of the most significant pieces of the car is the new infotainment system. It comes standard with a 9.8-inch touchscreen display but can be optioned as a 14-inch touchscreen which comes with a three-year trial for Drive Connect services such as location guidance with Cloud Navigation, Destination Assist, and Intelligent Assistant.
The infotainment also has a feature called "Lexus Interface." It has a user profile feature that remembers a driver's personal settings and stores them in the cloud. When that same driver makes an account on the Lexus app, they can get into another Lexus Interface-equipped car and download their settings using their phone, smart key, or username and password.
As an extension of the User Profile feature, owners can lock and unlock their NX using the Lexus app. The navigation system is clever enough to know when it will be driven into an area with low cell service and can download maps so you know where you are going.
There will also be over-the-air updates and all models come standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.