Lexus, the Japanese Toyota-owned luxury car brand, which began its operations in India in March 2017, is quietly making its inroads in the highly competitive 40,000 unit plus luxury car market in the country.
Lexus has introduced a hybrid crossover called the NX300h which is well-equipped, comfortable, very stylish and an eye catcher everywhere you go.
This most affordable Lexus NX300h SUV like the ES300h sedan and the RX450h crossover, is also a hybrid and that will be one of its key USPs (unique selling proposition).
The Lexus NX300h SUV comes in two variants – the F Sport (Rs 59.11 lakh) and Luxury (Rs 56.71 lakh) models. I took the Luxury model for a long drive through different terrains to test what it promises.
The Exterior
In terms of dimensions, this car is a bit shorter and narrower than a Mercedes-Benz GLC. But it will attract potential buyers of Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3, Audi Q5, and the Jaguar F-Pace.
Undoubtedly, the Lexus NX300h looks unique and the exterior design is quite simply stunning from certain angles. The oversized spindle-shaped front grill, sharp cuts and creases all along the exteriors and rather unconventional design cues really make it stand out from the crowd.
The front grill is a bit different in the F-Sport variant, and the Luxury variant, and also the bumpers. However, both variants get 18-inch wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights with dynamic turn indicators, a roof spoiler and a large fixed panoramic glass roof.
The Interior
The dashboard, a mixture of different styling elements, is very pleasing to the eyes. The black and white theme with contrast stitching looks very tasteful, but what is even better is the quality of materials on the inside and the fit-finish.
The soft-touch materials, aluminium panels, the soft synthetic leather seats, all feel truly lovely and the steering wheel is also great to hold. However, look hard enough and you will find some switchgear shared with Toyota cars and the key fob looks especially low-rent for a car of this price.
There is ample leg and knee room in the back seat but for some taller folks, the rear headroom is very limited. Also, limiting this car’s practicality is the rather tiny boot space due to the raised boot floor, below which sits a full-size alloy spare wheel, which eats up a significant portion of the cargo area.
The drive
This SUV is powered by a 2.5-litre petrol motor churning out 197hp at 5,700rpm and 210Nm of torque at 4,200-4,400rpm. This NX300h is all-wheel drive, so there is one electric motor powering the front wheels, one powering the rear wheels and one generator that works as an engine starter as well as recharges the battery packs.
The combined battery and petrol power results in excellent initial responsiveness to throttle inputs.
However, try speeding this car and it begins to feels sluggish but builds speed without any urgency. Actually, in a way the NX300h wants you to drive in a sedate manner and that is when you really begin to appreciate its relaxed and silent nature. The engine is extremely silent and devoid of any vibrations or sounds at cruising speeds. You can choose between Eco, Normal and Sport modes to alter throttle and gearbox response using a rotary knob on the console.
Interestingly, the NX300h comes with what Lexus calls ‘adaptive variable suspension’ that continuously adjusts damper stiffness based on the conditions.
Despite the large 18-inch wheels, the 225mm tyres do well to flatten bad surfaces and this SUV has a nice and absorbent ride for the most part. The steering is very light, and really sharp so it inspires confidence while driving in a spirited manner.
Should I buy one?
Although this NX300h might seem a bit pricey, there is a great deal going in it favour. It has very stylish, sports unique design and high quality interiors and long list of equipment to get your money's worth really. This SUV, a family luxury car, is both for the city as well as for the weekend getaways, will surely temp you to own it.
