Lexus NX

Sharp on the outside, sumptuous on the inside: can the new NX surpass Audi and co?

350H PREMIUM PLUS PACK AWD MODEL TESTED

Price £48,800

Power 241bhp

Torque na

0-60mph 7.1sec

30-70mph in fourth na

Fuel economy 41.0mpg

CO emissions 144g/km

70-0mph 49.1 m

We like

• Much-improved infotainment array brings an otherwise lavish interior right up to date, making the NX an effortless and comfortable companion over distance
• The NX may not be a natural driver’s choice, but the handling and steering are tidy nonetheless

We don’t like

• Engine drones loudly at idle when the battery is low on charge
• Ride quality isn’t always up to snuff, British roads inducing some choppiness at low speeds

Cast your mind back to 2014 and the launch of the first-generation Lexus NX. At the time (and mostly in a positive way), we found the car quite shocking to behold. Even the TV advert, which featured an origami fox along with other creased creations existing in an abstracted urban environment – Facet City – might have induced tension headaches in the viewer. Just how many angles, we wondered, was it possible to design into the body of a car before the result resembled a ball of tinfoil? The NX stopped well short of that point, but still.