India-bound 2018 Lexus NX Unveiled

The Luxury wing of Toyota, Lexus, has unveiled the 2018 NX facelift at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show. The new entry-level luxury SUV features minor tweaks to its exterior and interior, along with improved handling ability. The chances of the 2018 Lexus NX being introduced in the Indian market are high. It competes with the Mercedes-Benz GLA, BMW X1 and the Audi Q3 in the international market, which are quite popular entry-level luxury SUVs in India too.  

The front fascia of the 2018 NX has been refreshed. The upper part of the grille and the front bumpers has been redesigned and now they blend more fluidly with the hood and front doors. It also features triple projectors headlamps similar to the LC luxury coupe, modified fog lamps, bigger air intakes and tweaked tail lamps.

On the inside, the 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system has given way to a larger 10.3-inch unit and the touchpad controller has been enlarged and redesigned for easier operation. The switches and controls have been coated in metal, and it features a larger wireless smartphone charger and an automatic tailgate which can be opened by the wave of a foot under the rear bumper.

The NX 200t will be known as the NX 300 now. It has a 2.0-litre inline-four turbocharged petrol engine. The hybrid variant, the NX 300h, has the same 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle engine coupled to electric motors which produces a total output of 194PS. The NX carries the same set of engines and transmission from the outgoing model, however, according to Lexus, the ride and handling of the new NX has been improved. Lexus has retuned the springs, stabilizer bars and bushings on the new NX to improve cornering response. It also features Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), similar to the LC 500, which allows for instantaneous compression and damping adjustments. This should certainly enhance the ride comfort and handling.

The new NX also gets Lexus Safety System as a standard feature. It includes active safety features like Pre-Collision System (PCS), Dynamic Radar Cruise Control System, Lane Departure Alert (LDA) and Automatic High Beam (AHB). Lexus officially entered the Indian market on March 24, 2017, with the introduction of the Lexus RX 450h, ES 300h and the LX 450d.