Lexus NX officially launched in Japan, featuring Lexus’s first turbo [+Video]



Debuted a few months ago at the 2014 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Lexus’s new Compact Crossover SUV now goes on sale in Japan. The new 2.0-litre turbo also makes its first appearance in this new SUV bearing the NX200t badge.

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The sharply styled Lexus NX looks well, sharp especially from the front with the spindle grille and Lexus IS-aping separate LED daytime running lights. Although the whole L-finesse design has been toned down quite significantly from the LF-NX concept, the production Lexus NX still appears as one of the most adventurously-designed vehicle in its class. Measuring 1,645 mm tall, 1,845 mm wide, and 4,630 mm long with 2,660 mm wheelbase, the NX sits below the RX in the Lexus SUV range.

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Inside, there’s a new Remote Touch Interface with touch pad functionality, and a wireless charger for mobile devices. The Panoramic View Monitor with Cross Traffic Detection should help the driver as the screen displays everything around the vehicle, captured by four separate cameras mounted on each corner of the vehicle. Another driving assistance featured is the Radar Cruise Control with All-speed Tracking that helps to maintain the gap in traffic with the vehicle in front.

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The japanese market Lexus NX is offered with two engine options, a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle hybrid in the NX300h, or an all-new 2.0-litre turbo in the NX200t. The 2,493 cc 4-cylinder petrol in the NX300h is combined with an electric motor to generate a total of 194 hp. The Nx200t on the other hand is powered by a turbocharged 1,998 cc 4-cylinder producing 235 hp at 4,800 – 5,600 rpm and 350 Nm of torque at 1,650 – 4,000 rpm.

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The NX200t transfers the power via a new 6-speed auto while the NX300h uses a CVT box. Both can be had in either front wheel drive or all wheel drive version, but the NX300h uses an E-Four All-Wheel Drive system as opposed to the Dynamic Torque Control All-Wheel Drive in the NX200t. There’s also the F Sport variant equipped with specially-tuned suspension including performance dampers and a Navigation/Artificial Intelligence-Adaptive Variable Suspension (NAVI/AI-AVS) system that is said to provide an increased “ride comfort and handling stability”.

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Assembled by Toyota Motor Kyushu in its Miyata Plant, the NX200t is priced from ¥4,280,000 to ¥5,180,000 and from ¥4,920,000 to ¥5,820,000 for the NX300h. Over there, Lexus targets to sell 700 units of the new SUV per month.

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