In an advance event prior to yesterday’s reveal, Autocar spoke with Lexus LF-NX design manager Nobuyuki Tomatsu about how the concept might translate into a production model:
“We want this to be a very influential car — one to make its rivals look boring,” says design project manager Nobuyuki Tomatsu.
The design of the production car is still to be decided. “This isn’t one of those show cars that is 95 per cent representative of something finished,” Tomatsu says. “We have taken a risk, and we hope the reaction will be positive. If it is, there is no reason why our production car couldn’t look like this.”
It’s rumored that the production model will debut at next year’s Geneva Motor Show in March — if true, this gives Lexus just five months to finalize the design.
Tomatsu-san also shared some details on the proposed LF-NX engine:
Power comes from an adaptation of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system from the American market’s Lexus ES300h saloon. That means the front wheels will be driven by a combination of a 156bhp 2.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, serving up 200bhp in total. “We haven’t ruled out four-wheel drive for the finished car,” says Tomatsu. “The powertrain is just a starting point for us.”
The hybrid system in the ES 300h is an excellent powertrain, and should be well-suited to the smaller crossover — excited to hear what other engines might be used as well.
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