For the first time, the Lexus NX is getting the plug-in hybrid treatment.
Lexus lifted the wraps off the new IS 500 F Sport Performance this week, which shares the same 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 as the RC F generating 472 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque. This isn’t the only new model Lexus is cooking up, however. Considering it launched in 2014, a replacement for the Lexus NX is long overdue. And a leaked video suggests the next-generation NX will debut sooner rather than later. The video appears to be official but don’t be surprised if it gets taken down. Somebody at Lexus is probably going to get into trouble over this.
The revealing video shows the new Lexus NX completely undisguised for the first time, showcasing the SUV’s evolved design language and “Tazuna” interior concept. “Our next chapter begins with a new icon”, Lexus announces in the video.
A close-up of the slimmer headlights reveals the SUV’s new integrated L-shaped daytime running lights, while the rear now features an LED light bar. Elsewhere, the prominent grille has been updated with a new pattern that makes it look more refined. Overall, the new NX looks larger, sharper, and more muscular than its dated predecessor. We also get a good look inside the revamped interior, which features a new digital instrument cluster, a much larger infotainment screen, and redesigned switchgear. Lexus also claims the interior is more comfortable than its predecessor’s, which suggests there will be more space inside the cabin.
No technical details are revealed in the video, but Lexus claims the new NX is more powerful, dynamic, and agile than the outgoing model while offering more advanced technology and “more driver focus.”
The video implies we’re looking at the new Lexus NX 350h. For the first time, the Lexus NX will also get the plug-in hybrid treatment, which the video confirms will be badged as the 450h+.
Since the new Lexus NX will most likely be underpinned by the same TNGA-K platform as the new Toyota RAV4, we’re expecting it to share the same plug-in hybrid powertrain as the RAV4 Prime, which uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and a pair of electric motors producing a combined 302 hp. The 350h could also borrow the RAV4 Hybrid’s electrified 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that’s rated at 219 hp, but we’ll have to wait for the full reveal to find out. Now that the video has leaked, the debut could be just a few days away.
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Lexus
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