Lexus Add Jalopnik on Google: Google Discover The face of efficient, reliable, and somewhat affordable luxury motoring has a new face, because for 2027 the Lexus NX is getting a mid-cycle refresh. Its new front end has an even more stark interpretation of the company's spindle grille, and other details like the headlights and taillights have been tweaked, but the biggest changes arguably happen under the skin. The big powertrain-related news is that the 2027 NX will be hybrid-only. This means the NX 350 will no longer be made; it's either the NX 350h regular hybrid or NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid, and each of those will be available in three main trims: Premium, F Sport, or Luxury. The NX 450h+ gets a new lithium-ion battery with 30% more capacity and 8% more output, resulting in more than 40 miles of electric range, but only on "select grades," per Lexus. Hybrid programming and battery power management have been refined, and DC fast charging is standard, though charging rates are still a mystery. All new NXs benefit from retuned suspension, steering, throttle, and brakes. The chassis has been made more rigid thanks to new reinforcements front and rear, a new floor cross member, and redesigned suspension towers. Developed on both Toyota's own test track in Shimoyama and, yes, the Nürburgring, the new NX is said to handle sharper while riding quieter and softer. Interior like the new ES Lexus Whereas much of the old NX can still be seen on this car's exterior, the interior gets a more thorough overhaul, inheriting a cabin that's very reminiscent of the redesigned ES sedan. Its new steering wheel is 0.4 inches smaller and says "LEXUS" across the airbag cover, the shifter is now a much smaller nub, and the major buttons on the dash do the ES thing of still being hard, pressable buttons but look like capacitive touch controls. The biggest change, though, is the 14-inch touchscreen that's now standard across the board, running Lexus' new-gen software. This is obviously bigger than the old base model's 9.8-incher, but actually the same size as the screen you got in higher trims previously. But having used both systems in the old NX and the new ES, this newly standard screen should feel bigger thanks to its much sleeker bezels and improved layout. Those problematic electronic door releases, by the way, are sticking around. We'll literally program scents in our cars before going to therapy, huh Lexus One thing that caught our eye in the press release was the availability of what Lexus calls a "Sensory Concierge." Optional with the Luxury and F Sport trims, this is said to use ambient interior lights, music, the climate controls, and smells to "tailor the cabin environment to occupants' moods, helping them feel relaxed or energized depending on the moment." There are three modes: Inspire energizes, Revitalize relaxes and soothes, and Radiance gets you, uh, "more engaged and comfortable." Independent of those modes are three fragrances: a citrus-y Shinmei, a floral Seiyo, and a musky Hanya. It all reminds me a lot of Lincoln's relaxation modes that similarly use scents, graphics, and the car's climate systems to supposedly put its occupants in a more serene state of mind. The things we'll resort to just to mildly decompress from that job that lets you afford a Lexus... Aaaanyway, the 2027 Lexus NX should be available by the end of this year.