By: IOL Motoring Staff
Cape Town - A daring new Japanese contender has just plunged into the premium compact SUV pool and it wants to take your eyes off the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.
Available in South Africa from February 23, the Lexus NX sports an aggressive exterior design inspired by the LF-NX concept car of 2013 and stands apart with its sharp, bisecting angles.
That said, there's a lot more than just peacock antics going on here as the new NX is a tour de force of solid and advanced engineering.
It's the first Lexus to be powered by the company's new 2-litre turbopetrol engine, which was a whole nine years in the making. It comes to the mechanical party with an innovative four-into-two exhaust manifold and a variable valve timing system that allows the engine to switch between Otto Cycle and high-efficiency Atkinson cycle as required. Claimed combined consumption comes in at just 7.9 litres per 100km.
In foot-flat mode, on the other hand, the motor develops 175kW and 350Nm, for a 7.1-second 0-100km/h dash, but the top speed is electronically limited to 200km/h.
The turbo motor is mated to a six-speed autobox and Dynamic Torque Control all-wheel drive system, with an AWD Lock mode for slippery conditions.
HYBRID OPTION
Lexus being Lexus, there's also a hybrid option, which mates a 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol to two electric motors for a total system output of 145kW. The smaller of the electric motors drives the rear wheels to create a proactive all-wheel drive system. The numerical gurus at Lexus claim a 9.2 second 0-100km/h dash for the NX 300h, 180km/h electronically limited top speed and 6.0 l/100km average consumption.
Denis Droppa spent some time with the NX 200t version on the Cape Town launch and came away impressed with its general road manners. “For a vehicle with a tall 190mm ground clearance the Lexus NX handles well, and slices through fast corners without feeling too soggy. It's combined with a fairly plush ride quality.
“The NX 200t feels swift and light-footed, and there's a mildly sporty chortle from the exhaust.”
In keeping with the model's positioning, Lexus crafted the cabin with a “sporty bias”, with a copious helping of leather accents and metallic finishes, yet it's also somewhat practical - Lexus even claiming class-leading rear legroom.
THREE GRADES
Three specification grades are on offer: E, EX and F-Sport and though the 200t is available with all three, the hybrid can only be ordered in EX guise.
The E grade is the price leader of the range but it still comes with dual zone climate control, leather seats, cruise control, smart entry, eight-speaker sound system with 7.1-inch screen, multi-function steering wheel with electric adjustment and 17-inch alloys.
The EX upgrades you to 18-inch 'split spoke' alloys as well as the Electro Multi-Vision Navigation display system with 3D SatNav and reverse camera, park distance control, heated front seats and rain-sensing wipers.
The range-topping F-Sport stands apart with a deeper front bumper with honeycomb-textured grille, full LED headlights, glossy black auto-retractable mirrors, 18-inch 'turbine' alloys, sunroof, distinct sports seats and a turbo boost metre. The F-Sport also comes with a newly-developed Adaptive Variable Suspension system, with 30 levels of adjustment.
All versions are covered by a four-year/100 000km warranty and service plan.
PRICES
NX 200t E - R539 900
NX 200t EX - R579 900
NX 200t F-Sport - R659 900
NX 300h EX - R633 000