2nd Generation (2022+) Lexus NX Megathread (NX 200, 250, 350, 350h and 450h+)

[Kelvin2020]

THE NEW NX: LEXUS’ STAR SUV RAISED TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Lexus introduces significant mid-lifecycle upgrades in design, performance and equipment specifications for its best-selling mid-size SUVNX enables customers to “Discover your Edge”, supporting new lifestyle opportunities, giving responsive, rewarding performance and delivering a “just what you...

newsroom.lexus.eu

 

[Motor]

 

[DarkSpace6383]

the rear is a downgrade front is an upgrade

 

[ssun30]

Lexus once again diluted their model numbering. Now 350h is 199hp. They already downgraded it in the current model since 2025 in some EU markets, China will probably follow. At this rate a "600h" will have 300hp by 2030. The number is now completely meaningless.

A25 lost 36kW/48hp from Euro 7. It now officially has a lower power output than the 5S-FE from 30 years ago, available on the XV10 Camry 2.2.

Other brands: let's design a new ICE so we can still comply with new emissions without losing power and having to downgrade our product.
Lexus: fine, nobody will miss the 48hp and we will keep the product numbering.
Meanwhile at TMC headquarters: we designed this brand new 1.5T engine that has the best specific output and thermal efficiency in its class and complies with Euro 7, so of course it belongs on the Corolla, probably.

This is the company that people praise for "keeping the ICE alive". But if this company was the future of ICE, I'd rather see ICE die and embrace the BEV takeover.

 

[ssun30]

Again, Toyota kept getting away with this kind of behavior because legacy car brands from US and EU are completely defenseless as the world transitions to hybrids.

European brands are still trying to recover from the hangover after the BEV hype. Their lineup are still a patchwork of mild hybrids that don't work, plug-in hybrids that work half the time, and mountains of BEVs that nobody wants and keep rotting in dealer lots.

American brands just put their head in the sand because one president said climate change isn't real and suddenly the biggest country in the world no longer cares about emissions. Except that same president caused energy price to shoot up and won't drop any time soon, so consumers still want hybrids. Planning product strategy around a single presidential term is just a recurring theme for American companies at this point. 4 years ago it's all BEVs, now it's all ICEVs, in the next 4 years they will probably become "AI companies" and start building generator sets for AI data centers, no more cars because they don't deliver fat returns to shareholders.

Other Japanese and Korean brands are catching up but have no hope of matching Toyota in economies of scale and are one generation behind in efficiency.

Chinese brands failed to take over the world with BEVs, but they are on the right trajectory to do that with hybrids. Their hybrid-optimized ICE and "three-electric" components are very close to or on par with Toyota at this point.

 

[LCLFV]

I'm surprised how generally positive the reception is to the interior when it's a straight carryover from the new ES which was universally panned.

 

[bogglo]

I'm surprised how generally positive the reception is to the interior when it's a straight carryover from the new ES which was universally panned.

Different expectation. ES was marketed as the new LS. The NX is the NX

 

[LCLFV]

Different expectation. ES was marketed as the new LS. The NX is the NX

The complaints about the interior being too Tesla-like with everything on a central screen with almost no physical buttons and a minimalist bland layout would also be valid on this car. It's interesting because Mazda fans were mad at the interior of the new CX-5 for the same thing.

 

[Motor]

 

[mediumhot]

Lexus once again diluted their model numbering. Now 350h is 199hp. They already downgraded it in the current model since 2025 in some EU markets, China will probably follow. At this rate a "600h" will have 300hp by 2030. The number is now completely meaningless.

A25 lost 36kW/48hp from Euro 7. It now officially has a lower power output than the 5S-FE from 30 years ago, available on the XV10 Camry 2.2.

Other brands: let's design a new ICE so we can still comply with new emissions without losing power and having to downgrade our product.
Lexus: fine, nobody will miss the 48hp and we will keep the product numbering.
Meanwhile at TMC headquarters: we designed this brand new 1.5T engine that has the best specific output and thermal efficiency in its class and complies with Euro 7, so of course it belongs on the Corolla, probably.

This is the company that people praise for "keeping the ICE alive". But if this company was the future of ICE, I'd rather see ICE die and embrace the BEV takeover.

EU is the market with the least success for Lexus so they probably don't bother to properly meet Euro7 standards. Instead they just kill the engine off or they decapitate it to meet the compliance. Toyota in EU has complete opposite approach, can't meet the new standard just build a new one.

 

[gecko]

I am pleasantly surprised with this refresh... that early spy shot looked a little awkward but now that it's all out there, I'm happy with this update and think it's a nice and needed upgrade. I was expecting more ES influence on the exterior, but this is a pretty solid design from Lexus that mixes modern design with classic Lexus cues, and it works.

Front end looks good and the rear is pretty generic and Mazda-esque, but I actually really like the interior and think it's a vast improvement. The 2022-2026 models got significant criticism for the passenger side of the dash essentially being bare and trimless, but this fixes that issue and modernizes the entire cockpit but with nicer trim and finishes than the ES. Lexus is getting better with this interior design language. ES is still awful, but TZ has more wood, trim, and personality, and this NX is a step up over the ES for sure.

On the bottom "Touch Bar" across the dash, the NX has a choice of trims whereas the ES has cheap textured plastic. The NX also has a soft touch leather stitched trim section behind the screen that stretches across the dash where the ES is just plastic with no stitching. NX also has metal Mark Levinson speaker grills, ES just has door colored speaker covers.

NX: leather stitched back panel, trim across the Touch Bar/shelf

ES: No leather trim, Touch Bar/shelf has cheap textured plastic

NX: Nicer trim across the Touch Bar/shelf

ES: Cheap plastic across the Touch Bar/shelf

NX: Metal Mark Levinson speaker grills

ES: Basic trim-colored speaker cover

I still hate the steering wheel and airbag cover - both look like a late 90s or early 2000s economy car, and appear very cheap. I also dislike the gear selector and it looks extremely unsophisticated and pedestrian. If Lexus had done better on those two things, this interior update would be a knockout IMO.

In the last two years, Lexus has killed off both the NX 250 and NX 350 so I am curious if they have plans to increase 350h production to offset the volume loss of the gasoline models, but I've also heard and read that 350h powertrain production is capacity constrained. It feels to me like Lexus should have a new base level hybrid, mid-level hybrid, and top level PHEV/hybrid: NX 300h with something like 225hp, NX 350h with 280-300hp, and NX 450h+ with 330-350hp.

 

[Falcon]

The 2022-2026 models got significant criticism for the passenger side of the dash essentially being bare and trimless

That reminded me of the LC200 passenger side dash being pretty bare. The GX 460 has a more luxurious interior than the 200.

 

[Jezza819]

The one thing I don't like is it appears that they are removing the physical drive mode switch and moving it to the touchscreen. If you want to go to Sport mode quickly you first have to pull it up on that screen instead of just twisting a knob.

 

[mediumhot]

General praise of NX facelift interior comes from the fact that the original one was ass if I may use that word. It was economy car like but with a big tablet on top

 

[DarkSpace6383]

General praise of NX facelift interior comes from the fact that the original one was ass if I may use that word. It was economy car like but with a big tablet on top

I preferred the old screen and steering wheel but I like the newer dash. The front for me is give some take some, the side is identical, and the rear is comparatively hideous imo.

 

[ssun30]

My main problem with the interior design is how cheap it would look in black, which will be over 50% of their inventory. It's always hard to make black interiors look upscale, but Lexus did it really well in the old ES.

You also only get the illuminated/metal textured speaker grille with Mark Levinson speakers. The standard speaker covers look very cheap.

Overall I can't say I hate the new interior other than the lettered steering wheel instead of the L logo. I still prefer single piece curved dashboard-screen combo and I hope Toyota starts implementing it in the future. I think the main reason they haven't is that single piece units don't allow differentiation in screen size across trim levels. But I'd say trying to still milk customers for screen upgrades in 2026 is just stingy. Touchscreens are already cheaper than physical buttons and the supply chain for 14-17" automotive grade panels is a lot more mainstream than the smaller 7-10" panels these days anyway.

 

[spwolf]

General praise of NX facelift interior comes from the fact that the original one was ass if I may use that word. It was economy car like but with a big tablet on top

people say ES and NX had great interior only when new one comes out 🙂.

This looks a nice nip and tuck, especially on technology side, screens finally look good.