Introducing the Updated 2018 Lexus NX & NX F SPORT

[meth.ix]

Pretty impressed. The whole car looks a lot better on the outside, especially the grille on the non-F Sport model. And with the F Sport looking so good, I can only imagine how good the NX F would look.


The interior is a good improvement, and while the infotainment system isn’t fully redesigned like so many of us have wanted, the larger trackpad is nice and sure to improve the experience of operating the system.


And we were right, the 200t nomenclature is being ditched in favour of 300. But now I am curious what the IS 200t will be called since there is already an IS 300 in the lineup.


BTW, I am cringing at those bronze rims.

 

[Gruntus Aromalog]

I was really, really hoping that the floating C-pillar would be inherited from the RX. No such luck.

But, the photos do show Mark Levinson. I wonder if theres any hope for Mark Levinson in North America in 18? Or a HUD, perhaps?

No ML is a deal breaker for me.

 

[spwolf]

easily one of the best Lexus facelifts, especially since NX already looked good.

 

[DDas]

Such an amazing fix! I love the black out details too - very aggressive. The base/hybrid grille is finally not so atrocious. The FSport is just better than it already was. Lexus did a great job with this one. I do wish there were some updates to the interior, though (such as fixing the cheap plastic).

 

[Lexus Cohen]

I love everything except the naming, NX300 and it's a 2.0? Really Lexus? Stop following the germans

 

[Gecko]

I was not expecting the engine to change, but I was expecting Lexus to update to an 8AT from the 6AT. Quite frankly, I was expecting a little more from the interior refresh, but I do like what they did. The exterior of the standard model is much better, and the front end actually looks like a mini LX. F Sport is very sharp.

Has anyone caught on to the fact that Lexus has silently come up with something that's second to Cadillac's infamous Magnetic Ride Control? AVS now has up to 650 adjustments a second - that's incredibly impressive. I know it's in the LC and LS, but it's very impressive to see it here in the NX. This should help ride quality a lot.

While I like this refresh, on paper, it doesn't seem to me that Lexus has come close to dethroning the GLC. Competitive pressure is part of why I was hoping for more impressive interior changes, but maybe Lexus thinks this will do the trick for the next 2 years, until a TNGA-based NX arrives. With that said, new Q5 and X3 will be landing in the next few months, so Lexus has lots of competition from the Germans across the board in this segment.

 

[James]

Looks great have no complaints except was hoping to see a full F...the NX while I love it every day I drive it I wish it was faster...

 

[Alexander Li]

Finally! There are real improvements to up their game. The AVS was a good move, as well as a less punched in spindle grille. But will it deliver?

 

[LDeleuran]

I will have to see it side-by-side with the current car in order to spot the differences. However. There is also a very concerning change. When Audi recently refreshed the Q5, we all laughed at the downward facing exhaust pipe and completely fake exhaust tips.


Now Lexus copies that with the NX300h.


Of all the things you could copy from Audi...

 

[Dani]

Has anybody noticed that the navigation Screen shows us a Google Map with the option of satellite view (look at the bottom left)? I'm really interested in which direction it will go in the future and what this means to the whole Lexus Lineup. Maybe Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is not too far away . I guess the whole System gets an upgrade step by step through the entire Lineup. I'm really hyped!

 

[Benito]

When do you think we'll find out what changes are coming to the North American NX 300?

 

[mwyf]

I really do hope that North America doesn't get an ugly non-F-Sport grille like the pre-facelifted version. I live in outside of the US, so I'm used to seeing the other version. Gotta admit, the pictures make the old one look ugly enough. Don't know how bad it'd look in real life. But I do think that there is a 99.99% chance that the non-F-Sport grille as pictured will land on US shores, based on the fact that Lexus didn't have to make a stupid CAFE-compliant grille for the current RX.

However, comparing the new non-F-Sport grille with the old, I'm really disappointed. I didn't like the RX grille because it had way too many horizontal slats. They're shuffling along the same path with the NX. I think the pre-facelifted version looks much cleaner and youthful. I don't know how to describe the new grille. Perhaps 'overworked' comes to mind. Similarly, I think the faux/ducts look like a tacky afterthought. The pre-update version was much more pleasing with its minimalistic design (non-NA version of course). Maybe I'm speaking with bias because the first NX is my favourite Lexus design after the L-Finesse revamp in 2011.

I figured, though, the front vents may actually be a design cue taken from the UX concept. Their general shapes are pretty similar.

Updates to the rear are quite nice. Glad they made the taillights a tad bigger. Rear underguard or whatever you call that silver bit is quite cool.

Oh and... NX300. What the heck???

 

[mwyf]

Has anybody noticed that the navigation Screen shows us a Google Map with the option of satellite view (look at the bottom left)? I'm really interested in which direction it will go in the future and what this means to the whole Lexus Lineup. Maybe Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is not too far away . I guess the whole System gets an upgrade step by step through the entire Lineup. I'm really hyped!
View attachment 2223

What's the source of that pic?

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

I really do hope that North America doesn't get an ugly non-F-Sport grille like the pre-facelifted version. I live in outside of the US, so I'm used to seeing the other version. Gotta admit, the pictures make the old one look ugly enough. Don't know how bad it'd look in real life. But I do think that there is a 99.99% chance that the non-F-Sport grille as pictured will land on US shores, based on the fact that Lexus didn't have to make a stupid CAFE-compliant grille for the current RX.

I was just about to post this. Like you, I hope that the facelift's non-F Sport grille complies with all that front departure angle for trucks nonsense U.S. law and that we don't get an uglified version like we did when NX launched.

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

And we were right, the 200t nomenclature is being ditched in favour of 300. But now I am curious what the IS 200t will be called since there is already an IS 300 in the lineup.

Good question. Given that 500 can refer to either a 5-liter naturally aspirated V8 (LC 500) or to a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 (LS 500), it wouldn't surprise me if 300 also acquired the dual meaning of a 2-liter turbo 4 (for RWD applications) or a detuned 3.5-liter V6 (for North America-only AWD applications).

 

[Gecko]

When do you think we'll find out what changes are coming to the North American NX 300?

What you see here is what we will get in North America - only equipment levels might change, with things like Mark Levinson audio maybe/not being available. Is that what you meant?

 

[Benito]

What you see here is what we will get in North America - only equipment levels might change, with things like Mark Levinson audio maybe/not being available. Is that what you meant?

I hope you're right because that would be a huge improvement for the non F sport versions of the NX.

I haven't read anything about ambient interior lighting changes. The competition has really nice interior ambient lighting and I was hoping to read that Lexus had added some new interior lighting.

 

[Gecko]

I hope you're right because that would be a huge improvement for the non F sport versions of the NX.

I haven't read anything about ambient interior lighting changes. The competition has really nice interior ambient lighting and I was hoping to read that Lexus had added some new interior lighting.

Ah - I forgot about the front bumper issue with the current NX for non F-Sport. I guess we'll see about that!

 

[spwolf]

Has anybody noticed that the navigation Screen shows us a Google Map with the option of satellite view (look at the bottom left)? I'm really interested in which direction it will go in the future and what this means to the whole Lexus Lineup. Maybe Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is not too far away . I guess the whole System gets an upgrade step by step through the entire Lineup. I'm really hyped!
View attachment 2223

unfortunately European nav system has already had google street view and panoramio for a while. Graphics do look updated over even latest ones for GS in Europe.

 

[krew]

krew

20 images of the updated compact crossover.

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