Lexus pulled an interesting stunt. They pioneered a hybrid, then took a back seat as the rest of the competition matured. The Lexus NX is back, and like in the past, with some game-changing modernization of its own. It’s more of a threat to the Audi Q3, BMW X1, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA than the outgoing NX.
Mat Watson from CarWow had the chance to check out and drive the new 2022 Lexus NX.
The new 2022 Lexus NX is quite familiar and still resembles the outgoing model. Even with that, it’s still hard to ignore the fresh styling that’s more streamlined, featuring iconic LED lamps, a good-looking rear end, and a more aggressive front grille. The rear LED lights are fascinating when turned on. You get this big full-length strobe across the back. It’s hard to ignore the fake rear-side vents and diffusers, they look cool, but still, they are visibly functionless.
The front-end is gorgeous, and for the first time, the NX caught up with the Germans due to the adaptive headlamps. Watson feels the new NX looks better than the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and probably even better looking than the Volvo XC60 - he could be wrong.
While the new NX shares its powertrain and chassis with its sibling RAV4, it resembles the Lexus UX but is taller and chunkier. The NX comes with two optional wheel sizes, the 18-inch, and the 20-inch. Piece of advice; the 20-inch variation already looks small on the frame meaning the 18-inch will be a disservice to the overall stance of the car.
The new 2022 NX has a starting price of $39,025. It comes with a choice of two gasoline-powered engines and two different hybrids (one is a plug-in).
The self-charging hybrid comes with a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine mated to an electric motor on a front-wheel-drive setup. However, there is another electric motor at the back that drives the rear wheels. Combined, the power of the self-charging hybrid is 244 hp.
The plug-in hybrid, on the other hand, comes with a similar 2.5-liter engine. The gasoline engine runs on a front-wheel-drive setup on a CVT automatic gearbox and a rear electric motor on the back with a chargeable 18kWh battery. The combined power of this setup is 309 hp.
Should you buy the new Lexus NX? Watson feels you should shortlist it. He also feels the self-charging hybrid is better compared to the more expensive plug-in option.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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