2022 Lexus NX 350h review: International first drive

Settling into the driver's seat of the new 2022 Lexus NX350h is to arrive at the current core of the Lexus universe. This petrol-electric medium SUV is the brand's most important model.

The NX accounts for a third of Lexus sales in both Europe and Australia, somewhat less in massive markets like North America and China. And increasingly, pretty much everywhere, Lexus buyers are frequently choosing hybrid power. In the emissions- and efficiency-conscious nations of Western Europe, for example, more than 90 per cent of Lexus models purchased are petrol-electric.

Scheduled to arrive in Australia in January, the slightly larger second-generation NX will replace the original that launched way back in 2014.

While the best seller in the current range is the 300 variant with a turbo four, Lexus Australia expects the 350h hybrid to be the most popular in the new line-up.

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Its fourth-generation hybrid tech, again built around a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four, brings big increases in power and performance along with improved fuel efficiency. The NX350h will be sold in three equipment grades – Luxury, F Sport, Sports Luxury – and in both front- and all-wheel-drive forms.

The effective replacement for the existing NX300, the new NX350, packs a brand new turbocharged 2.4-litre four teamed with an eight-speed auto under its bonnet. It's a little more powerful than the hybrid but consumes much more fuel. The NX350 will be sold only in F Sport trim and with all-wheel drive.

Beneath these two versions will sit the NX250. It will have a non-turbo 2.5-litre four and the same eight-speed auto as the NX350 but will come only as a front-driver with the entry-level Luxury equipment grade.

Though the launch line-up has been mostly finalised, pricing hasn't. Expect the single-variant 250 to be around $60,000 before on-roads, the top-spec 350h to be in the neighbourhood of $80,000, and everything else to be between these two numbers.

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The massive grille, which wouldn't look out of place on some ocean-dwelling krill-catcher, identifies it instantly as a Lexus.

It's possible that the first-ever plug-in hybrid from Lexus, the 450h+, will be added to the range by the time of the new NX's local launch. It uses a slightly altered version of the hybrid powertrain in the 350h and adds a much bigger lithium-ion battery pack for an electric range of around 70km. It comes with the same 40kW rear-axle electric motor as the all-wheel-drive version of the 350h.

With easily the highest combined power output of the new NX range and all-wheel-drive traction, 450h+ is the snappiest performer of them all. If it comes to Australia, and we're told this is a near certainty, it'll be the halo model. Accordingly, it's likely to wear a price tag of around $90,000.

The exterior of the new NX is not bad looking, if you prefer a chunky build to slender elegance. And the massive grille, which wouldn't look out of place on some ocean-dwelling krill-catcher, identifies it instantly as a Lexus.

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As is often the case with Lexus, the beauty is mostly to be found on the inside and the NX is the first model to adopt the brand's new cockpit concept. Inevitably, it has a Japanese name: Tazuna. It aims to minimise the movement of hands and eyes while driving.

What this means in practical terms is a new steering wheel design with customisable touchpads on the left and right spokes, a customisable display of essential info in the meter cluster (and the head-up display that'll be standard in high-grade models in Australia), plus a reduction in the number of physical switches.

The central landscape-oriented touchscreen is angled towards the driver. There's a 9.8-inch display for the basic grades and a deliciously crisp 14.0-inch high-definition unit for high-spec variants. All versions will come with a voice assistant, DAB+, sat-nav, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

Both cockpit look and layout are excellent. It's user friendly, and the quality of materials and craftsmanship is pretty much flawless. Front-seat comfort is superb, though really tall drivers may find headroom lacking. The rear seat is spacious and supportive, and the cargo compartment usefully large.

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The list of standard safety and driver-assist tech is as lengthy as it should be in something with premium aspirations. And the NX debuts a first-for-Lexus safety system. Using the same sensors as for blind-spot monitoring and new electric door latches, it can prevent door opening when a vehicle or bike rider is approaching. Cyclists of the world rejoice!

Anyone who's driven a Toyota hybrid in the two decades since the first Prius will find the NX350h sounds and feels familiar. Engine noise is more muted than in the old days – this is a new Lexus, after all – but the faint sound of the 350h's Atkinson-cycle four remains charmless.

The mysteries of hybrid tech mean that both the front-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the 350h have the same combined total maximum power output of 179kW. This is 24 per cent more than the current 300h, enough to cut 0-100km/h acceleration times to a claimed 8.7 seconds for the front-driver and 7.7 seconds for the all-wheel drive. (The plug-in NX450h+, by the way, does it in a much snappier 6.3 seconds).

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Driving at the recent European press presentation on the Spanish island of Mallorca, the NX350h frequently shut down its ICE to run electrically. Despite being spanked along with enthusiasm, including on some steep and winding roads, the trip computer indicated fuel consumption of only 7.0L/100km.

While undoubtedly very efficient, the 350h never feels especially lively, perhaps because the hybrid tech means there's no precise relationship between engine noise and acceleration.

Still, the 350h is a smarter choice, at least for comfort lovers, than the 300. Its turbo 2.4-litre four sounds a little like a classy domestic appliance, which isn't a major problem, but the behaviour of its eight-speed auto is. The transmission is prone to shunty shifting at lower speeds, something the unfailingly smooth eCVT-equipped 350h never does. And though the 350 feels a slightly more lively, it consumes around 30 per cent more fuel than the 350h according to official test figures.

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Dynamically, the great asset of the NX350h is its ride. Even on the 20-inch tyres worn by all the vehicles available to test drive in Spain, the suspension of the Lexus delivered a sweet blend of control and comfort. Road rumble on coarse surfaces was the only thing to disturb the straight-road calm.

The hybrid's handling is competent enough. It understeers when pushed but the numb steering, synthetic-feeling brakes and the chassis' clear comfort bias don't do anything at all to encourage ambitious cornering. The E-Four all-wheel-drive system is so seamless that it's hard to tell what, if anything, it contributes.

Medium SUV is the size and shape all the world today seems to want, which means the new Lexus NX is certain to find an audience among the multitudes who desire a little more luxury and can afford to pay for it.

With its distinctive Japanese flavour, it's a welcome alternative to obvious European rivals like the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60. Where most of these – the Volvo is the exception – shoot for spurious sportiness, the NX instead aims for calmness, comfort and quality. And these are virtues with universal appeal.

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2022 Lexus NX 350h specifications

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