First Drive: 2022 Lexus NX

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SOMEWHERE OUT BY TORONTO AIRPORT, Ontario—Lexus Canada hopes the NX will soon be its best-selling model. That’s no mean feat, considering the stablemate it hopes to surpass is the company’s evergreen RX, Lexus’ best-seller lo these last 23 years. More importantly — because every manufacturer hopes that all its new sales are incremental — it hopes that NX can become its most popular offering without cannibalizing RX sales.

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For most automakers, such desires are usually delusional, the smaller, less expensive newcomer always bleeding off a little of its larger sibling’s clientele. Not the NX. At least not yet. In 2019, Lexus Canada moved exactly 8,827 RXs. This year’s 4,400 or so units in the first half of the year says they’ll be spot on that number again this year. The NX, meanwhile, is just behind, on track to hit almost 8,000 units by the end of 2021. Within the next two years, Lexus Canada hopes that it will overtake the venerable RX on its way to someday breaching the magical 10,000 mark.

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But anyone thinking that Lexus will resort to radical upgrades just doesn’t understand the company’s appeal. Lexus, whether it’s sexy or not, stands for tried-and-true, that boring old maxim that assures the most conservative amongst us that they will never be let down. In other words, the 2022 NX may be all-new, but anyone expecting revolution rather than evolution needs to head to a more desperate showroom.

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That means that underneath all that slinky new bodywork — with, if it’s at all possible, an even more aggressive “Spindle” grille — are some pretty familiar powertrains. The base model’s 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four, for instance, sees duty in the Camry and Lexus’ own ES250. The NX450h’s plug-in powertrain, meanwhile, is lifted almost directly from the RAV4 Prime. A little more of a surprise — though hardly earth-shattering — is that the NX350h Hybrid actually sources its electrified 2.5L inline-four combo from the more powerful Highlander rather than the equivalent RAV4.

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Were it not for the new NX350, that would be the extent of the powertrain renovation. Thankfully, the 350’s turbocharged mill is all-new and, thanks to its larger-than-normal 2.4 litres, boasts 275 horses and an almost whopping 317 pound-feet of torque Together, they’re good for a 6.8-second scoot to 100 kilometres an hour. More importantly, it’s a delight. Toyota’s natural-aspirated 2.5L is best described as “basic,” and the Atkinson-cycled version in the hybrid model is not much better, especially when it’s droning on through its CVT-like planetary transmission. The 2.4T, meanwhile, is downright sporty, all velvety engine noise, throaty intake roar, and pleasant, buzz-free revs.

Hopefully it works its way into more models, because it’s certainly the class of the field in the NX lineup. It’s right up there with Audi’s little turbocharged four as the sophisticate of the segment. It’s also worth noting the 350 is the only NX with full-time all-wheel-drive, those 317 pound-feet of torque worthy, it seems, of driving all four wheels all of the time.

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But the plug-in hybrid 304-hp NX450h+ is even faster. Take that 6.8s sprint to 100 klicks and lop more than half-a-second off; the 450h+’s 6.2-second sprint to 100 km/h is pretty darned close to that of some of the lesser sports sedans in the semi-luxury segment, and I doubt that few of them can match its 2.8 Le/100 km (when the battery is charged) or its 6.6 L/100 km overall average when it’s out of lithium ions. That, after having run up to 61 klicks on battery power alone, is pretty frugal stuff. And even if those numbers are off the lighter RAV4’s claims (0.2 seconds slower to 100 km/h, about 0.6 L/100 km thirstier, and seven klicks short in range) they stand up well to anything remotely comparable.

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All that said, other than off the line — when its two electric motors kick in — the plug-in doesn’t feel more powerful than the Turbo. And where the 2.4T was, as I said, all sweetness and light when tugged WFO, the PHEV’s motor moans and complains that it’s not nearly as fond of acceleration as it is sipping fuel. Many are the EV protagonists who deride PHEV owners as clinging to partial gas-fed powertrains because of their romance with internal-combustion. Well, I hate to break it to them, but there’s absolutely no ICE appeal to a plug-in hybrid unless it’s badged Ferrari.

Anyone expecting revolution rather than evolution needs to head to a more desperate showroom

Much as I wanted to, I didn’t get to drive the hybrid 350h in my short time in the NX. As I said, it’s based on the Highlander and pumps out 240 hp between it electric motors and gas engine. Interestingly, though the basic specification of their engines are the same — both being 2.5L Atkinson-cycled inline-fours — the 350h version’s 189 hp is eight horses up on the PHEV version. I asked what the difference between the seemingly identical twins might be, but got no explanation.

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It does seem odd, that Toyota, the biggest automaker in the world, whose specialty is wringing the most out of the least, would bother building two engines so remarkably similar for so little gain. Unless all the increased power is the result of something easily and cheaply modified — like the exhaust system — I think I’d prefer the cost savings over eight measly ponies. That said, the NX350h can scoot to 100 kilometres an hour in just 7.4 seconds — one-and-a-half quicker than the previous NX hybrid — and still sip but 6.0 L/100 kilometres, a more than 50-per-cent reduction compared with the turbocharged NX350. It’s an impressive combination.

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I also didn’t get any time behind the wheel of the base NX250. That said, I am familiar with the 2.5L naturally-aspirated four from its time in the Camry and RAV4. It’s offered here primarily so that Lexus can boast its base $47,400 sticker tag. It does that well, but while all the other NX engines are at least powerful — and in the case of the 2.4T, melodious as well — the NX250 is neither. Its existence is entirely based on the desire for a low MSRP for advertising. It does that very well.

As for other aspects of the new NX’s performance, two hours in suburban Toronto is not exactly a thorough road test. On the other hand, the turbocharged NX350’s handling feels almost European, and there’s grip a-plenty. There’s also plenty of room inside and fully-optioned models — which, in the case of the top-of-the-line NX450h+, is more than $76,000 when loaded with F Sport options — are truly hedonistic. An 1,800-watt, 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system graces the front dashboard, the instrument panel is well glitzy, and the top-of-the-line infotainment system’s screen is a suitably dashboard-dominating 14 inches.

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I didn’t get to test this last nearly as thoroughly as I’d like to, but did notice one little feature I liked. The main menu’s icons — i.e. what you use to select the settings, navigation system, or audio system — are actually translucent holographs on the left side of the screen. Now, admittedly they’re a bear to find the first time, but once you know where they are, they’re really a screen-size enhancer, because Lexus doesn’t have to reserve a portion of the screen space for the black bar that is typically used for the system’s directory. Such a small thing, but beneficial nonetheless, since the navigation system’s maps seem gargantuan since they extend full screen.

As for those comparing the new NX to the RAV4 it’s based on, both share Toyota’s TNGA-K platform and the same 2,690 millimetre wheelbase, but the NX is 65 mm longer, 10 mils wider, and some 41 millimetres lower. We’ll have a more direct comparison later to determine more exacting differences.

In the meantime, Lexus is the very epitome of painstaking evolution. Nothing about the new NX really stands out — OK, the giant infotainment screen and the new plug-in model do — as hugely improved over previous models. And yet, with the addition of the PHEV 450h+ and the turbocharged 2.4T, the NX is positioned to challenge for the leadership of the segment — not to mention the entire Lexus brand.