LEXUS NX 450h+ PHEV – The Best of Both Worlds.

When I first saw the images of NX, I said to myself, “Meh.” It seemed to like the old one, and I wanted more. Then I saw it in person, and slipped into that tasty interior. The sun shone, the birds sang, and something light and airy played an uplifting soundtrack. LEXUS had finally ditched their horrible entertainment system for a shiny new one, and a it was perfection.

And that my dears, is NX in a nutshell, near brilliance with the annoying bits removed.

LEXUS has one all-electric car, the smaller UX 300e SUV. We drove it, and although it was ok, I didn’t want to have its babies. NX 450h+ on the other hand, yes please, that’s for me.

In order to understand the importance of this drivetrain, we must understand some terribly boring numbers. Bear with me my little chickens, and all will become clear.

A quick look at our industry almanac, VFacts, shows a massive increase in the uptake of electric, PHEV, and Hybrid drivetrains over this time last year. Despite still accounting for around 50% of the market, petrol-only drivetrains are down around 40,000 units so far this year. Diesel is steady, at around 1/3 of all sales, with heavy commercial and electrified vehicles making up the rest.

Put simply possums, of the 622,319 vehicles sold so far, 61,655 are Hybrid/PHEV/EV/Hydrogen vehicles. That’s almost 10%. The nay-sayers must feel pretty stupid now, right?

Hydrogen accounts for 10 units, so let’s forget about that for now. Pure electric (EV) vehicles make up 10,289 sales, of which 4,657 are Tesla Model 3 (no other Tesla models were sold). That leaves 50,000 hybrid and PHEV sales.

That leads neatly back to our LEXUS NX 450h+ PHEV. The “h” means hybrid, and the “+” means plug-in, in LEXUS parlance. Toyota and LEXUS account for the majority of the hybrid/PHEV sales. They’ve been doing it for 30 years, way back when driving a hybrid meant you were a weirdo.

The sexy NX is LEXUS’ biggest seller with more than 50% of NX’s being electrified, AKA hybrid/PHEV.

The impressive NX 450h+ is the $90,000 flagship NX. It comes with AWD, and a PHEV hybrid system. That means it can run for around 90km in EV mode, and like a regular hybrid the rest of the time.

The engine/motor combo is good for 227kw, and a 0-100 of 6.8 seconds. Economy is as low as 1.3L/100k, and if you’re very clever, you could run for 99.999999999% of the time in EV-only mode. It means that big useless chunk of dinosaur-burning pig-iron up front, could just be used for the annual road trip.

Brochure and specifications HERE: NX_eBrochure

This Week Review: 2022 LEXUS NX 450h+ Video Review

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ABOVE: 2022 LEXUS NX range

The exterior

NX was already handsome, but the new model is a bit of the old NX, with a dose of that sexy little minx, the UX. The result is an RAV4-sized SUV with an edgy/urban/luxury look.

It is still every bit NX, but the headlights look sharper, and the tail lights include a full width light bar. 20” wheels look huge on a smallish SUV, and the body’s faceted surfaces play with light and shade in a uniquely Japanese way. The spindle grille has grown, but is far larger at the on the lower end, and I can’t help but think of a departing Kardashian.

The pictures don’t do it justice..

Inside

Brochure and specifications HERE: NX_eBrochure

Let’s don’t mince words, the cabin is dead posh.

The gorgeous interior is full of voluptuous curves, with nappa leather seats that are heated and cooled. They have 3 memories that include the mirrors and steering wheel as well. With the Climate Concierge active, all 3 work together to keep passengers at their chosen level of comfort.

It eschews the wonton excess of her big sister, the LC500, going for restrained ambience instead. Despite holding back on some of the fripperies, it manages to be comfortable, yet elegant.

Lt is curvy and soft, and most of what you see and touch creates a page-3 sense of desire. There are no nasty plakky bits to ruin your experience either.

Then we get to knobs. We love knobs. LEXUS really gave some thought to how things should feel when they’re taken in hand. Take the door handles for example, the locks are electric and are operated by the smoothest of buttons. A gentle push allows the door to gracefully glide open. When you shut it again, your efforts are met with the softest thud.

The is more techy goodness overhead. The rear-view mirror doubles as a TV screen with a picture beamed in from a camera on top of the hatch. No longer do you have to struggle to see around whatever you’ve got stashed in the boot.

The driver has a colour Head Up Display, a 10” cluster, and a 14” centre screen to gently bombard all and sundry with masses of data, in the nicest possible way. I joke of course, because such was my massive impress, that the boggles came each time a new function was found.

Take the steering wheel for example: it has controls in the usual fashion, but the execution is killer. Either thumb’s gentle caress brings up a menu in the HUD. The HUD changes function for a moment to answer the phone, or set the speed or to change a radio station. It then switches back to speed/lane support.

The HUD also shows comprehensive navigation directions, ably supported by the centre stack for details on which lane to be in.

Best of all, “hey LEXUS” will personal-assistant your every whim. This thing can be a bit sketchy until you find the rhythm. Think of it as your own personal Jeeves who will open the moonroof, set the temperature, change the radio station, and will even put an address in the navigation. Warning on the last bit though, without the aforementioned rhythm, you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to enter it before the first turn arrives. Although it is hopeless with POI’s, you could comfortably navigate to a small town, or single street, without having to enter a number.

Brochure and specifications HERE: NX_eBrochure

The Drive:

When talking about Hybrids, car makers are keen to point out the combined KW, in this case 227 of them, but the torque seems to be slightly more difficult. Suffice to say 0-100 in 6.8 second tells you everything you need to know.

Never have I felt so instantly at home driving a car for the first time. The combination of intelligence and a feng shui-like placement of controls makes LEXUS NX greater than the sum of its parts.

The Plug In Hybrid Drive (PHEV) has 4 modes: Auto, EV, Reserve charge, and Hybrid. The former switches between functions, calling on the full 227kw when needed. EV gives you an electric range of 87km, reserve charge ensures you keep the “plug in” range for whatever reason, and Hybrid runs like any other Toyota/LEXUS hybrid.

In electric mode the CVT isn’t required, otherwise the power goes to the AWD system through the Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT).

Drive modes include a Sport+ kick for added fun. At just 2050kg, the NX450h+ is around 200kg heavier than the lightest NX, but there is more than enough pep to be dartly in traffic, and we do love a spring in the step when dealing with gnarly peak hour nonsense.

Gamers will love the mini touchpads either side of the steering wheel. A swipe brings up either menu in the HUD and swipe/press makes a selection. It sounds far more complex than it really is. An audio menu, and a cruise menu roughly follow functions of lesser mortals.

Ride is limo-esque, and steering and brakes are sharp, but handling feels better enjoyed with the calm demeanour of a powder-wigged flunky. There is nothing uncouth about NX, and throwing it around like a knackered pony seems a bit “previous” as my sainted great aunty Ag used to say.

The serene atmosphere created by the splendid ride is aided by superb sound deadening. In fact, NX450h+ is magnificent for living up to every promise it makes, and then some.

Conclusion:

Normally it is about now we sum up with the good and the bad, right? OK, the CarPlay is wired not wireless and there is no spare tyre, but balanced against the marvels of LEXUS Encore Platinum, matters not. Encore gives riders a choice of another LEXUS on the 4 times in 3 years, and a host of tasty goodies money just can’t buy. No, seriously, you can’t buy Encore. LEXUS either gives it to you, or not. Even amongst LEXUS owners, not everyone gets the full treatment.

Price: $89,900
Power: 227kw (combined petrol/electric)
Trans: CVT
Econ: 1.3L/100k
Weight: 2050kg

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