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The Lexus NX has a pleasing mix of soft touchpoints and panelling that curve and complement interior accents – like the large 9.8-inch touchscreen multimedia screen and air vents. The wide windows offer good visibility. Front passengers enjoy the most space but back seat passengers may struggle with legroom if they’re tall.
The electronic gear shifter is small but easy to use.
A panoramic sunroof is available on higher grades and a tilt and slide moonroof can be optioned as a part of a pack on all grades.
The Lexus NX has four engines across its grades:
A 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine (152kW/243Nm) in the 250 model.
A 2.4-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (205kW/430Nm) in the AWD 350 model.
A 2.5-litre, four-cylinder hybrid petrol engine (140kW/239Nm) in the 350h model with an electric motor (one in 2WD and two in AWD) which delivers 134kW/270Nm (2WD) or 174kW/391Nm (AWD).
A 2.5-litre, four-cylinder plug-in hybrid petrol engine (136kW/227Nm) in the AWD 450h+ model with two electric motors which deliver 174kW/391Nm.
Lexus does not offer official 0-100km/h times for any NX variant. Independent testing places sprint times between 6.3 – 8.7 seconds depending on variant. Expect a top speed in the region of 200km/h.
Although both these cars are similar in many ways, there’s one area where they take difference philosophies. And that’s in the way their hybrid systems are configured and prioritised.
While the Lexus is more of a conventional hybrid with the electric motor doing a lot of the heavy lifting, the Volvo is what’s called a mild hybrid., As the name suggests, that means the electric power is limited to a 10kW boost when taking off or when the driver requires maximum acceleration.
A mild hybrid layout does still operate the stop-start function and can harvest energy when slowing down, so it’s still a worthwhile slice of tech, but it won’t affect fuel consumption as much as the Lexus’ full hybrid system.
Reliability is a bit of an unknown with any new car, but it’s fair to say that the Lexus’ reputation will count for something come trade-in time. Not to mention that, as the more hybrid-focussed of the pair, the Lexus might also be a little more future-proof.
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It seems off that the steering wheel should be heavily worn in such a short time, which suggests that there is a design or production quality issue with it. I suggest you check as many other NX200t cars as you can find to see if it is a common problem, and make a direct approach to Lexus for help in replacing the wheel.
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There are lots of fresh contenders in that class, including the Porsche Macan — which has an 18-month waiting list. The pick is the Land Rover Discovery Sport. I give it The Tick and rate it well ahead of the NX for comfort, quietness and class.
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Standard equipment in the Lexus NX includes: 18-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, 'E-latch' door handles, two-zone climate control, leather steering wheel, paddle shifters, three drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport), electric park brake, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, powered tailgate, rain-sensing wipers, push-button start, keyless entry, 9.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity and LED headlights and tail-lights.
The Lexus NX comes with five seats (2/3). Both front seats are powered and heated. The back seat is a 60/40 split fold and has a fold-down armrest that hosts two cupholders.
There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats plus three top tethers anchor points. The back seat is quite narrow and you’ll only be fitting two child seats. If both front seat passengers are tall, it might be too much of a squeeze for a 0-4 rearward facing child seat to be installed.
A synthetic leather mix is standard for seat upholstery but you can option to leather seating and two-toned coloured trim options on the luxury and sport grades.
The boot space is on the smaller side for a medium SUV but still serviceable at 520L. There is a handy and deep underfloor storage pocket for smaller items, a cargo blind and convenient side pocket for storage.
All NX models have a 55-litre fuel tank and have an approximate driving range between 679km to 1161km.
95 RON petrol is the suggested minimum grade but E10 can be used as well.