2022 Lexus NX accidentally leaked! New luxury version of Toyota RAV4 Hybrid gets an early mark with redesigned exterior and interior

The second-generation Lexus NX mid-size SUV has accidentally been leaked ahead of its official reveal in the coming months.

Published on the Club Lexus forum, the images seen here are allegedly screenshots taken from a video that briefly went public on YouTube, with little left to the imagination.

The NX’s exterior hasn’t radically changed, although it now more closely aligned with the UX small SUV, particularly at the rear, where the tail-lights are linked by a now-familiar light bar.

Read More About Lexus NX

Can the new 2022 Lexus NX replicate the success of the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid?

That said, the NX’s interior has been seriously redesigned, with a central touchscreen now positioned low on the dashboard and angled towards the driver.

Powered by a new multimedia system, the new set-up does away with most physical climate controls, with only temperature dials remaining, while a volume knob also carries over.

2021 Lexus NX (Image credit: Club Lexus)

1 / 2

2021 Lexus NX (Image credit: Club Lexus)

2 / 2

A wireless smartphone charger and a digital instrument cluster are also now fitted, with the latter complemented by a head-up display.

Critically, the centre console’s polarising touchpad controller has been deleted, although it appears the steering wheel now has two touchpads, with one also able to control the central touchscreen, while the other is solely responsible for the digital instrument cluster.

Of note, the exterior shown is of an NX200, which will presumably serve as the NX’s entry-level variant, although the video reportedly also referred to a ‘self-charging’ series-parallel hybrid, called NX350h, and a plug-in hybrid, dubbed NX450h+.

Read More About Lexus NX

New Lexus NX 2021 pricing and specs detailed: Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3 rivals goes up in cost with update

As reported, the NX will once again be mechanically related to the less luxurious Toyota RAV4, with it moving to the TNGA platform this time around.

As such, the NX350h is expected to be the equivalent of the 163kW RAV4 Hybrid, while the NX450h+ should be a version of the 225kW RAV4 Prime, both of which pair a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol with two electric motors.

The NX200 is likely to be powered by the 127kW/203Nm RAV4’s 2.0-litre naturally four-cylinder petrol engine. All three variants are expected to be mated to continuously variable automatic transmissions (CVTs).