Stronger electric-pure range for flagship PHEV and a design refresh that delivers change to cabin.

ONLY Lexus nerds will likely spot every design change, but the overall effect of an update to the most popular model Toyota’s snob brand sells here is nonetheless major.

New styling, a new interior, and a new long-range plug-in hybrid are the major talking points out of the international unveiling, which precludes the new model’s early 2027 entry into NZ, with local prices and specs set to be announced around then.

The design tells distinguishing new from old start with a more prominent grille that, like that of the bigger RX, now leans forward a little more at the top, and new headlights that wrap more around the edges of that grille.

At the rear, there are new, slimmer brake lights with a ‘Double-L’ signature and a full-width light bar, and a racier-looking rear pillar that forms almost the shape of a racing yacht’s sail from some angles. Sportier-looking F-Sport variants get piano black exterior trim and lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels.

The interior delivers a big new 14-inch central touchscreen for the infotainment system and a new 12.3-inch driver’s digital instrument panel. There are fewer buttons on the dashboard, as more and more controls and functions have moved to the screen.

There’s also a new steering wheel, which not only features the Lexus name picked out in letters, instead of the old stylised ‘L’ badge, but also features multi-function controls that stay hidden under translucent panels until needed.

The wheel is 10mm smaller in diameter than before, a result of the car achieving a variable-speed steering rack.

There’s also a new toggle-style gear selector for the automatic transmission, ambient cabin lighting, and the option of an ear-splitting Mark Levinson audio system. Interior colour options of dark burgundy seat upholstery or a striped bright red look for F-Sport versions are new.

There’s also a function whereby the cabin lighting and a fragrance dispenser can combine to either jazz you up or calm you down with Radiance, Inspire, and Revitalise settings.

Powertrain-wise? Everything is hybrid, because that’s how Lexus and its parent rock these days.

The standard hybrid version, the NX350, develops 244hp and has a claimed fuel economy of 7.1 litres per 100km.

Of perhaps more importance is the new NX450h+ plug-in hybrid, which develops a rather sporty 303hp and will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.0 seconds, while the NX350h hybrid takes 7.1 seconds.

The plug-in car has a new, larger lithium-ion battery pack with one third more energy storage than before for a total of 23kWh, and which gives the NX PHEV an electric range of more than 100km on a full charge, according to WLTP testing for Europe.

All-wheel drive comes as standard for the NX450h+ plug-in hybrid, while it's optional for the NX350h hybrid.

The battery pack has also been modified so that it has a lower centre of gravity, and it plays a part in body rigidity and stiffness. So do new suspension towers, and new body stiffeners mounted low between the transmission tunnel and the door sills.

Lexus says that the new NX’s steering and handling have been ‘exhaustively’ tested at both the company’s home test track in Japan as well as at the famed Nürburgring race track in Germany.

Even the engine block has been made stiffer, which helps with handling, but also with refinement.

There’s a revised braking system and better aerodynamics than before, while the safety systems have been given an upgrade and now include collision detection sensors with a wider field of view, more responsive radar-guided active cruise control and lane-change assist, and a blind spot monitor that can detect motorcycles and bicycles. There’s also an active towing assistant, which helps with the maximum 1,500kg towing weight.

In supplied comment, Lexus NZ vice president Andrew Davies said the NX had cemented as the national operation’s best seller because it balanced luxury with practicality.

“New Zealand customers have really embraced the NX because it works for everyday life. This new generation takes a vehicle our customers already love and moves it forward again, with a bolder design, a more refined drive and some genuinely exciting new technology.”