Japanese luxury car brand Lexus has launched the new generation of its NX crossover in India. The car has come to India in a hybrid avatar and has 3 variants – Exclusive, Luxury and the sportier looking F-Sport.
see photosThe price of NX350h starts from Rs. 64.9 lakh and Rs. 71.60 Lakh (Ex-showroom)
The Lexus NX crossover is one of the Japanese luxury car brand’s most successful cars globally. It was first launched in 2014 and is now in its second generation. Recently carandbike brought you a special review For this brand-new car from the United States, and in addition to the 350h model that came to India, Siddharth also drove the NX450h+, which is also Lexus’ first plug-in hybrid to date. What was the NX300h in its last generation in India has now become the NX350h and I got behind the wheel of the car.
design
This is a new face on Lexus with redesigned headlamps, DRLs and grille.
Be it dimensions or design, the NX has changed in many ways. The face has gone for a complete makeover, the headlamps are all new and so has the pattern of the DRLs. The chrome surrounding the grille has now been replaced with black paint and the U-shaped pattern is also new. Importantly, the car has grown in size as well. It’s longer (1670 mm), longer (4660 mm) and wider (1865 mm), wheelbase (2690 mm) has gone up and even ground clearance (195 mm) has increased.
Read also: 2022 Lexus NX 350h Launched in India; Prices start from ₹ 64.90 Lakh
Madder Red is one of the 2 new color options on the car.
Altogether there are 3 variants on offer – classy, luxury and sportier looking F-Sport which is also the top trim in terms of least cost. It gets exclusive fender emblems and fender arch molding along with black mirrors and roof rails. The car gets 3-i bi-beam LED headlamps, LED rear combination lamps and 20-inch wheels as standard. The newly developed E-Latch electronic locking system is one such feature which helps in opening the door at the touch of a button. There are 8 color options in total – 2 of which are the new ones, the Sonic Chrome and the Madder Red you see here. The F-Sport however is only available in 2 different colors – White Nova and Heat Blue.
tech and interior
The cabin is completely different from before, and gets a large 14-inch touchscreen as standard.
The Lexus NX350h gets almost all the features that are offered with the car globally. The cabin is completely different from before, and a major highlight is the large 14-inch touchscreen which is standard on the car. It is tilted slightly towards the driver which makes it easy to access. However, the infotainment system only gets wired Apple Car Play and Android Auto and there’s no wireless connectivity on offer. The ‘Hey Lexus’ voice command feature also has a limited number of functions and could do with a few more. The instrument cluster is completely digital and gives a lot of information while the heads up display gives multiple views and can be customized. The steering wheel has capacitive buttons which can also be customized so that it is a nice touch.
Read also: Lexus ES 300h facelift launched in India, priced at ₹ 56.65 lakh
The second row is good in space and the seats can be electrically folded in a 60:40 format.
There’s a wireless charger that gives you access to the space below and the car now gets a larger, more powerful 17-speaker 1800-watt ML sound system. And yes the panoramic sunroof can be opened now unlike before. 360-view camera and sound system with heated steering and wireless charger are only available on the top 2 trims, while ventilated and memory front seats with heads up display and navigation are standard on the car. The power folding rear seats in 60:40 format and the wood door trim ornamentation are there only on the Exclusive and Luxury variants. Overall, there are 4 interior trims to choose from while the SUV comes with a boot space of 520 liters. Folding the second row gives you 1,411 liters.
dynamics
The car gets a new 2487 cc petrol engine with a large capacity hybrid system.
While globally the NX gets pure petrol as well as plug in hybrid model, India only gets this hybrid model. The fourth generation large capacity hybrid system does its duty on the crossover and yes an all-wheel drive system is standard as well. There is a new 2487 cc petrol engine that does the duty here. It churns out 187 bhp @ 6,000 rpm while the 259-volt battery also does its job so that the combined output reaches up to 240 bhp. Peak torque of 239 Nm @ 4300 – 4500 rpm is on offer while the SUV continues to run with the CVT. You also get a sport mode along with paddle shift to increase the drive quotient.
Read also: Toyota and Lexus introduce the upcoming EV range
The SUV gets 3 different modes – Eco, Normal and Sport.
With this new 4-cylinder motor, both power and torque outputs have increased by about 20%. Along with getting faster, the car now accelerates to 100 kmph in 0 to 7.7 seconds, which is 16% faster than before. The engine has definitely become more responsive in this new car. The new NX features a redesigned steering, which now feels more attractive and offers more responsiveness. It just makes the drive experience a whole lot better. The SUV also gets 3 different modes – Eco, Normal and Sport that cater to the driving conditions.
Read also: Lexus releases photos of its stunning “Future Electric Sports Car”
The center of gravity is now lower which helps in better handling.
You always look for a comfortable ride in a Lexus and that is what the new NX gives you. The suspension works well, and the car can handle bad roads just as well as I discovered on my drive. You also get Adaptive Variable Suspension on the F Sport which promises a better ride experience for all the passengers. The center of gravity is now lower on this new crossover which helps in better handling and the car is quite comfortable even when taking corners.
Security
Lexus safety system has come to India with this new car.
The new NX 350h has been awarded the highest rating of 5 stars by Euro NCAP, and with this new car, the Lexus safety system has also arrived in India. This means that a lot of driver assist features are now available with the car. This includes Lane Tracing Assist, Lane Departure Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. However, the automatic emergency braking feature seen in the United States is missing in India. Another highlight is the presence of 8 airbags which are a standard feature on the Lexus NX 350h.
Prices and Verdict
The new NX350h is an attractive package that ticks the right box.
Prices of the NX350h start at Rs 64.9 Lakh and go up to Rs 71.60 Lakh ex-showroom for the F-Sport. Things are looking good for the Japanese luxury car brand in the Indian market and the new NX could be the right car to take things further. The company is also evaluating whether it should launch the all-electric UX in India. must read our special review of that car.
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