A conventional car review is supposed to tell you about a car. It is supposed to be objective, clear and simple. It is supposed to not push you in any given direction. At Countersteer we are anything but conventional, so this time we’ll tell you why you must drive the Lexus NX and why you have to consider it if you are buying a luxury SUV.
It looks great
30 years – that’s how long Lexus has been around. In those three short decades Lexus did two things. They proved to the world that Japan could build truly luxurious vehicles and more importantly they proved that luxury vehicles could be built with the same standards of reliability that gave ownership nirvana previously only associated with Japanese compacts.
What they didn’t entice us with was design. Up till recently Lexus has been about as exciting as watching paint dry. They seemed to be floundering in their attempts to marry “European luxury” and Japanese design ethos. The results were generally insipid. Inoffensive but rarely ever emotional or alluring.
It would seem that after 30 years, Lexus has found its identity. The NX is polarizing – let’s get that out of they way. It looks like it was styled by Charles Manson on speed with a katana. Imagine the madness of “Helter Skelter” played by a Kabuki character on a Shamisen with the soothing background of a “koto” orchestra, and you’ll get the picture.
For the longest time, you could spot Japanese design in cars because they never seemed to be able to lose what I call the “Ultraman-esqueness” – toyish, fussy and cheaply sterile. Not on the NX. This time, it looks like Lexus embraced their heritage wholeheartedly because it is Ultraman and it is fussy but instead of looking outlandish, it now seems complete. There is a resonant harmony to the nose with its spindle grille that defies the sum of its crazy individual parts. It comes across as striking and energetic but in a strange fashion, soothing.
The rest of the car is well proportioned with lines that hide the bulk of the big beast. The lines are taut, crisp and muscular, giving the NX (our test unit being the NX200t in F Sport trim) a sense of sculptural tension that isn’t “in-your-face”. Tick one.
It feels premium
Inside, the NX whispers premium. Ergonomics, seats, leather, metal, we found ourselves hard put to find things to pick on. You feel special the moment you step in and being stuck inside for long hours is not a bad prospect.
Its interior design isn’t groundbreaking in any meaningful way, but we appreciate the lines of the center console, which mimic the diamond shape of the car’s exterior, and we think the little techno-flourish provided by the touch-sensitive overhead lighting system is a good way to make a small statement that doesn’t get in the way of usability.
We never felt lacking for space inside the NX. The tale of the tape reveals that there is more room overall in the Lexus than in the BMW X3, albeit not quite as much as the Audi Q5. Tick two.
It rides well
The NX is firm without being uncomfortable, plush without feeling soft and cosseting without being floaty. Over a mixed bag of terrain, the NX was very well behaved and despite some rather suspect road surfaces, maintained its composure with a very even keel.
Lexus claims to have benchmarked its own IS to set the bar for the NX. The entire chassis boasts enhanced rigidity due to a high percentage of high-strength steel, additional welds and body adhesives, which allows the suspension to perform as its designers intended.
Up front are MacPherson struts, and at the rear is a new double-wishbone setup that separates the coil springs from the dampers. Instead of typical strut towers, the Lexus employs an oil-filled damper that connects the right side to the left, allowing for an additional level of tuning while taking up less space than a rigid metal structure.
Steering is a little bit video-game-esque, in that there are times when the driver can tell there are computers dissecting requested movements before turning them into reality. That said, the car tracks straight and true without needing minute corrections, and it responds quickly to directional inputs when driven with a sporty bent. Ultimate grip is decent, and when things do break loose, the NX is well composed, defaulting to very-slight understeer to go along with plenty of tire squeal. Tick three
It has a nice motor
Lexus’ first foray into forced induction is nice. At its heart, the 8AR-FTS 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine was designed with a 10.0:1 compression ratio and a new turbocharger designed in-house by Toyota. There’s a balance shaft to quell harshness and vibration, operated by resin gears. A maximum of 235hp is produced between 4,800 and 5,600 rpm. Torque comes in at 350Nm between 1,650rpm to 4,000 rpm. Lexus’ choice of transmission is a six-speed automatic, a cog or two short of some competitors, but you won’t miss them.
It’s not the punchiest performer but for a first attempt, it’s good. It takes a while for the turbo to spool up but not so long that you’re starting to hear the “are we there yet” question. Some German competitors definitely feel more sprightly when accelerating from a stop, but the Lexus mill comes into its own at passing speeds. Tick four.
It says you’re there…
Let’s break it down. You want a mid-size SUV and you’ve been working hard so you want luxury and you still like a sporty drive now and again. You want a little bit more flexibility in terms of space and are tired of a three-box. You like a slightly elevated driving position to compensate for the other areas in life where you lack stature. Most of all, you do not want to look like, be seen as or referred to in the same way as all your other work mates and friends. Enter the Lexus.
Says you’re there but you’re not like the rest. Tick five.
Lexus NX200t F Sport
Price RM 362,432.45 (w/o insurance)
Engine 2.0L turbo, 4-cylinder petrol, All-Wheel Drive
Output 235hp, 350Nm
Transmission 6-sp auto w/ manual mode & steering shift paddles
Performance 0-100km/h in 7.1 sec, top speed 200km/h
Wheels/tyres 18in alloys, 235/55R18