The 2015 Lexus NX is the latest in the growing premium compact crossover segment. When you first catch a glimpse of the NX from the side, it almost looks like any other in its class. Move to the front and the electric razor grille catches your attention. It is the boldest aspect of its styling. Overall the NX is not overdone with silly lines and creases that so many manufacturers use in their current cars or CUVs.
Unlike the Lincoln MKC I recently drove, my NX was done up in top-line F Sport trim. A little more my flavour for a CUV and sporty it is. Based on the Toyota RAV 4 body platform the rest is all Lexus and what a fine job designers and engineers have done.
Inside, the interior execution raises the bar compared to other manufacturers in the premium compact crossover segment. The MKC interior for example is nicely done, but comes off a little conservative. In the NX F Sport, textures, angled surfaces and rounded shapes come together in perfect symmetry. The seats look good but are also supportive if one drives aggressively and needs to be firmly planted behind the wheel. The lower portion of the seats is well bolstered. Note for those with wide butts, you will not be comfortable. The seats are a snug fit even for me. Consider another model of NX please.
The interior design and instrumentation is what I expected. Very good, with the layout of buttons, switches, digital displays or the track pad, everything is well positioned including the infotainment screen over the centre stack. The armrest covers a large storage bin underneath with a 12-volt adapter, auxiliary and USB inputs and an unexpected wireless charging pad. A new controller is in place on the centre console, which now mimics a touchpad you would find on a laptop. It responds very accurately to help with a number of functions from average speed, elapsed time, range, and litres per hundred kilometres to radio station presets and more.
A separate button on the centre console allows you select a drive mode; ECO, NORMAL, SPORT or S/S+ mode. Eco of course is set for achieving optimum fuel consumption. Sport mode firms up the dampers and felt a little too harsh on pothole roads, so I kept my tester in Normal mode. The S/S+ is only available in F Sport vehicles and gives the driver sharper steering and a more firm damper setting for aggressive driving.
Handling is a strong point with this vehicle. Even in Normal mode the NX is nimble with minimal mid-corner body roll. The 18-inch all-season tires had good grip and were very quiet and smooth around town and at highway speeds. The suspension consists of MacPherson struts in front and a double wishbone setup in the rear.
Driving performance is enhanced by a standard 2.0 litre 4 cylinder, direct injection, turbocharged engine putting out 235 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.
It outputs respectable numbers for the size of engine, which comes off as very smooth and powerful once RPMs build. Behind the engine is a six-speed automatic transmission. Seven and eight-speeds are the norm these days, but the NX does very well with a six-speed in terms of getting power to the tires and achieving optimum fuel consumption.
Fuel consumption in the F Sport is quite respectable; the EnerGuide rating is 10.8 L/100km in the city, 8.8 on the highway and 9.9 combined. Everyday commuting around the city if you drive normally should allow you to go 450 kilometres before having to fill the tank. That’s my experience anyway. There is an NX hybrid if you want to travel farther on a tank of fuel and could care less about performance.
In the rear, the NX doesn't offer quite as much cargo capacity as some of its rivals but at 500 litres behind its split folding rear seatback or 1,545 litres with the seat folded flat it’s good. Of course some competitors vehicles do offer slightly more space. I guess it comes down to what your most important priority would be in a premium compact crossover.
The 2015 Lexus NX 200t starts at $41,450 plus $1,995 for freight and pre-delivery preparation. If you have the income the NX also comes in Premium, Luxury, Executive, or one of two different F Sport trim levels. My F Sport 2 version is a $12,100 option so the final tab with GST came to just over $55,000. Definitely one of the most enjoyable and luxurious luxury compact crossovers I've driven. It stands out with bold, but tasteful styling and top-notch design execution and materials inside.
Garry Melnyk is a St. Albert resident and lifelong car buff who has written about new cars and trucks for radio and print publications since the ’70s.
