Lexus South Africa added another electrified SUV to its local portfolio in the shape of the Lexus NX 450h+. We got to grips with the newcomer a few days ago.

Lexus built its reputation on producing luxury saloons, which were among the best in the business. As times have changed the company has diversified its portfolio to include a number of SUVs. As a result, more than half its range now consists of SUVs. Lexus SUVs includes the UX, RX and large LX. The NX sits in the middle of the range and the NX 450h+ (as reviewed here) leads its line-up.

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Sharp Suit

The mid-size contender has the design hallmarks of its siblings. Most prominent is that large front air intake, which Lexus refers to as a ‘spindle grille’. Angular headlamps and a highly detailed front bumper give it a technical and modern appearance. The same can be said of the rear-end with its dynamic looking taillamps. The 450h+ is sold locally solely in F-Sport guise. This means the exterior appearance includes gloss black alloys that are 20 inches in diameter. Overall the appearance comes is one of athleticism. The NX is this guise seems sporty, as though its going fast just standing still.

Lush Interior

Lexus has always been lauded for its high-tech and luxurious cabins. The NX 450h+ is no different. The facia consists of a digital instrument cluster that can be tailored to the driver’s preference. In addition, there is a heads-up display to keeps one’s focus on the road ahead. Lexus interior designers have also kept physical controls for the multi-zone climate control – smart. The infotainment system dominates the facia with a 14-inch touchscreen. The full-colour interface (see pic in image scroller) also features voice controls for most features.

High quality materials are used across the cabin with all touchpoints feeling quite premium. This includes the electrically powered seats and the leather-wrapped heated steering wheel. Oddly, the seats feature a cooling function, but no heating option. A roof-length glass roof helps add natural light to the cabin, making it feel airy inside. Standard features abound and the list is almost too long to go into here. Suffice to say that the range-leading NX lacks for nothing.

Party Trick

BEV, Hybrid, PHEV, SOC… there are many new terms for car owners/buyers to contend with since the integration of electrification into the modern automobile. As this isn’t a primer on EVs (electric vehicles), we’ll stick to the description of the car we had for review, which is a PHEV. The Lexus NX 450h+ is a PHEV or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Hybrid means there is a blend of propulsion at play. In this case there is a 2,5-litre petrol engine that is mated with two electric motors. The latter are placed up front and on the rear axle. The front unit offers 134 kW while the rear adds 40 to the equation. All together there is 227 kW of power on offer. An 18 kWh battery pack mounted below the luggage area powers the two electric motors.

The battery can be charged by plugging in the car to a charging station or a regular wall socket, as the ‘plug-in’ part of its name denotes. Naturally, a wall socket takes far longer to replenish the battery. ‘Regular’ hybrids simply use their internal combustion engines (ICE) to recharge their batteries. The Lexus NX 450h+ can be driven over 70 km purely on battery power. You could drive to and from work daily provided you work within that distance from your office, and charge it at both stops. Potentially, this means daily commuting without using any petrol at all. However, when the battery runs out of charge the petrol engine seamlessly kicks into action so there is no fear of being stranded roadside with a flat battery. It really is the best of both worlds.

In Action

We received the test unit with about 50 km of range on the battery. That meant we drove the Lexus NX 450h+ for a bit without the petrol engine firing up. It was great to glide silently through our commute, the cabin being well insulated, purely on electric power. Unfortunately, we don’t use a traditional office space or have access to a garage overnight which meant we could not fill-up the battery with Eskom’s finest. We’ll bet that anyone who can afford the sales price of the PHEV will not be plagued by the same issues. But a lack of recharging options was not an issue as we simply drove on petrol power for most of our test period. The battery is also recharged when the Lexus is coasting and/or on steep downhills. That, however, doesn’t generate enough power to completely recharge the battery, but it does add a few km worth of travel.

Summary

PHEVs really do offer the best of electric motoring, albeit for shorter distances, and none of the range anxiety of a full battery powered vehicle. However, new tech doesn’t come cheap and most PHEVs tend to be on the pricy side. The subject of this test is north of R1,3m, not an insignificant sum. For that hard-earned cash you get a highly spec’d SUV that looks good and has a sumptuous ride – which are all good things.

Model: Lexus NX 450h+
Price: R1 336 200
Engine: 2,5-litre, inline four petrol with 134 kW front and 40kW rear electric motors
Transmission: CVT, AWD
Max power: 227 kW
Max torque:  n/a
0-100 km/h:  6,3 sec
Top speed: 200 km/h
Consumption: 1,3L/100 km (claimed)