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Vehicle tests
First driving: the new Lexus NX
Replacing a bestseller is not an easy task, much is at stake, the market is flooded with challenging competitors.
But Lexus knows what their customers are looking for and the new NX gives them just that
Tags
Lexus
Lex Motors
Crossover
Plug in
Hybrid
Keenan Cohen
Tuesday, 19 October 2021, 07:47
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The automotive industry of late 2021 is not exactly similar to that of 2014, the year the first generation Lexus NX was introduced.
So, electric cars were still a far-fetched craze, he was one of those few who insisted on offering a hybrid system in a luxury Jeep and when he came to compete against the elite of cars from Europe he did so on the then popular Toyota Jeep Harb 4.
What has changed since then?
Just about everything.
There is no manufacturer today that respects itself without some up-to-date tram on offer, they all offer hybrid propulsion or a socket rechargeable and the competition has become even more intense.
But for Lexus the NX still remains a role it was able to fulfill then and is expected to fulfill today, to hold the manufacturer's bestselling title.
More on Walla!
Road test: Lexus LS500h
To the full article
Maintains the general appearance associated with the model (Photo: Manufacturer's website)
In terms of exterior appearance, the overall direction still remains a very extroverted look relative to the Lexus.
When most of the attention is taken by the hourglass grill that has become even more extroverted, only then do you notice the design lines that retain the general lines of its predecessor, but add sophistication and sharpness to them.
From the sharp and narrow lighting units at the front to those connected at the rear a la Porsche.
The growth in the outer dimensions is not excessive with two cm along the overall length and width, half a cm in height and three cm at the base of the wheels.
The driver's environment is improved in every possible aspect (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
The first distinct, significant and most requested jump in the NX is in the cabin.
The design aligns with a very up-to-date look, mainly under the auspices of its huge 14-inch touch screen (the low trim levels will settle for 9.8 inches but it will only come to us with the generous version).
The display is sharp, fast and smooth.
The arrangement of the controls is excellent, very easy to navigate mainly thanks to keeping the important ones physically and large.
Some of the commands can be run through a voice operating system that is called "Hi Lexus", a bit like my eldest daughter sometimes has to repeat a sentence a few times or raise her voice, but in the end she does what she is told.
It bids farewell to the cumbersome and annoying touchpad of the outgoing generation, and we will not really miss this hazard.
The dashboard is less impressive, but for those who choose the top display option it will be less intrusive as it is detailed and rich.
The touchpad has been replaced with a convenient-to-use switch arrangement and large storage compartments (Photo: Manufacturer's website)
The quality of materials is very good, as is customary in the new Lexus models, things are mostly said above the midline of the cabin.
Beneath it is a standard, well-composed and radiating resilience, but it is not the pleasant softness of the materials in the places to which the hands usually migrate.
The front seats are excellent, with structure, directional option and excellent comfort.
To the hind ones is added a space that is manifested mainly in the knees and feet.
He will still seat two adults well, the third will not enjoy here.
The trunk has an excellent volume of 545 liters and a square structure, flat and easy to use.
The door opening mechanism is inconvenient, you do not always have to be smart (Photo: manufacturer's website)
The battery of safety systems is one of the most extensive if not the most comprehensive offered by the manufacturer.
Correction of deviation and maintenance of lane, adaptive cruise control that also takes into account curves on the road and accurately maintains the speed and position in the lane, automatic braking also in detecting cross traffic at the intersection, preventing opening a door in vehicle or bicycle rear detection and more.
545 liters comfortable to use in the trunk (Photo: Manufacturer's website)
Of the propulsion units of the new NX, two are relevant to us, new to it but ones we have met in the past in the manufacturer's product line such as the Camry and the regular Brab 4 and the plug-in.
Both are hybrids, but while the 350h uses a 2.5-liter engine with 244 hp (44 horsepower more than the outgoing version), the 450h has the manufacturer's peppered plug-in engine. "'That.
Here the power is 309 hp and according to the data sheet it is a fairly agile vehicle with 6.3 seconds per 100 km / h.
The engine is not exciting, but efficient, smooth and economical (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
In practice, already at the beginning of the journey in which two things are discovered, the first is that it is a very smooth, flexible and pleasant power transmission system.
In driving conditions he also showed that the statement of 70 km electric is definitely a number that can be reached, but we will examine this in depth when it comes to a full test. The second thing is that numbers on paper and reality separately. A sense of speed or a sensation in acceleration, unlike most of its competitors, with the end of its battery, the NX functions as a hybrid car and does not suffer from the problems of a heavy vehicle carrying a weight in the form of empty batteries.
The dynamic capability is higher than before, but he will prefer relaxed conduct over attacking inquiries (Photo: Manufacturer's website)
We talked about the jump and significant improvement in the cabin, but it has two more very strong cards up its sleeve when it comes to ride comfort and noise isolation in the new generation.
In both of these he literally leaps forward.
The types of roads at the launch site were somewhat reminiscent of the local paving level.
And on these roads it demonstrated very good ride comfort and left very much of the engine noise that arises under load due to the robotic box out of the cabin.
And all this is said when riding on the optional 20-inch rims that are best avoided.
Comfortable and spacious rear seat (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
This ride comfort comes at the expense of its dynamism and sharpness, again, its GA-K chassis and redesign say it is in a completely different place from the outgoing generation that was mediocre in this area, but even this time, despite faster steering, hardened chassis and other improvements, though A positive initial impression of him in the way he moves between inquiries.
This is not about the chassis, weight and feed that makes driving thrills or leaves a mark.
But what are we talking about, Lexus knows very well who their customers are and what they want in their car.
The 20-inch rims detract from the excellent ride comfort per se (Photo: Manufacturer's website)
To conclude from its previous generation, they wanted and found these things in it and made it the best-selling importer and quietly also the most dominant throughout its years of marketing in the entire segment. In its new generation, Lexus says that 95 percent of the components are completely new, as far as we were impressed by this first driving, Lexus was able to maintain the remaining 5 percent of the model's core features, improve each of the outgoing generation's weaknesses and generally present a significantly better tool . So true, it does not have any witty brilliance and uniqueness in the dynamic areas in relation to its competitors, which they too, each in the field of BMW X3, Q5 in Audi, Volvo XC60 and others did. But in each section of answering what the customers have liked so far he gets a very high score plus improvement in many of the other important sections.
When he comes to us at the end of the current year, we will also know whether his winning move over the competitors will be able to be reproduced by the importer in the price section as well.
If you do, and in the NIS 300,000 segment, it is exactly what it needs and its customers want.
Up to the electric model, Toyota sees the plug-in version as the best solution (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
On the technical side: Lexus NX 450h
Engine, propulsion:
petrol, plug-in, dual
volume (cc):
2,487
combined power (hp):
309
combined torque (kg):
missing
gearbox:
continuous
Dimensions:
length (cm):
466
Width (cm):
187
Height (cm):
167 (on 20-inch rims)
Wheelbase (cm):
269
Trunk (liters):
544
Performance:
Acceleration 0-100:
6.3 seconds
speed Maximum:
200 km / h
Competitors:
BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60
Price:
about NIS 300,000 (estimated)
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