- Exterior – Far more matured looks, but which one to pick?
- Safety – No compromise between variants
- Conclusion – The NX 350 F Sport is the pick of the range
If you’re in the market for a compact premium SUV (or if you insist, crossover), you’re spoilt for choices as there are not less than 4 different SUVs to choose from.
Joining the list of compact executive crossovers is the recently-launched, all-new 2022 Lexus NX, codenamed AZ20.
NX 250 pictured
For its second generation model, Lexus Malaysia is offering two variants, NX 250 Luxury and NX 350 F Sport. As before, the model is imported (CBU) from Japan.
The second-generation Lexus NX is priced between RM 370,888 to RM 389,888. Question is, which variant should you go for if you had RM 400k lying around?
Powertrain – NX 350 F Sport has more power than a base Porsche Macan
At the heart of the NX 350 F Sport lies a newly-developed turbocharged 2.4-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine (T24A-FTS) that does 279 PS and 430 Nm, considerably higher than the previous generation NX’s turbo unit (8AR-FTS) which did 238 PS and 350 Nm.
In fact, this engine is far more powerful than the base Porsche Macan, which does 265 PS and 400 Nm from a turbocharged 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine.
As for the Lexus NX 250, it gets a more familiar unit – a naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol unit that does 207 PS and 243 Nm that’s also found in the updated XV70 Toyota Camry, albeit with slightly different output figures.
Both engines are hooked up to an 8-speed Direct Shift torque converter automatic that sends power to all four wheels.
Exterior – Far more matured looks, but which one to pick?
Differences on the outside are rather subtle. Between the two, the NX 350 F Sport offers bespoke F Sport front fascia, front and rear skirts, body-coloured fender mouldings, and black roof rails.
White Nova Glass Flake is an F Sport-only colour
Additionally, the NX 350 F Sport is available with 2 additional colours, namely White Nova Glass Flake and Heat Blue Contrast Layering. Other colours for the 2022 Lexus NX include Sonic Quartz, Sonic Titanium, Sonic Chrome, Graphite Black Glass Flake, Madder Red, Blazing Carnelian Contrast Layering, and Terrane Khaki Mica Metallic.
NX 250 shown
Although the pricier NX 350 F Sport gets all the visual upgrades, the cheaper NX 250, in our opinion, is still a decent looker.
Both SUVs offer 3-beam LED projector headlights with L-shaped DRLs, LED tail lights, rear spoiler, as well as keyless entry with Lexus Key Card. Both SUVs also wear 20-inch alloy wheels, with the NX 350 F Sport getting wheels finished in bespoke Super Gloss Black Metallic; the regular non-F Sport model gets Dark Grey Metallic with Bright Machined Finish wheels instead.
Interior – Prefer comfort or sportier driving experience?
If red isn't your fancy, you can opt for a full-black interior as well
A red-themed interior can be had for the NX 250 or NX 350, with the difference being the seat design. The latter gets body-hudding, sportier seats, while the former's seats are more comfort-biased.
The NX 350 F Sport gets a subtle emblem at the bottom of the steering wheel
The F Sport treatment is also applied to the steering wheel and pedals. If you’re not a fan of red leather seats, both SUVs can also be optioned with a full-black interior.
Common to both variants is a massive 14-inch infotainment display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, the latter can be connected wirelessly, a first for Lexus. Audio is routed through a 10-speaker Lexus Premium Audio Sound system. Sorry, unlike the previous generation Lexus NX, there’s no Mark Levinson sound system to be found here.
To keep your devices fully charged, the 2022 Lexus NX is fitted with 3 USB-C ports, as well as a wireless charging pad with sliding tray.
Safety – No compromise between variants
Regardless of which variant of the Lexus NX you pick, you’ll get the Lexus Safety System+ ADAS suite as standard, encompassing features like Front Pre-Collision System (PCS), Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go Function, Lane Keeping System with Lane Tracing Assist and Lane Departure Alert, and High Beam Assist.
Road Sign Assist (RSA) also makes a debut on the Malaysian-spec NX, whereby this new compact luxury SUV is able to recognize speed limit signs and displays the information on the HUD and multi-info display.
Conclusion – The NX 350 F Sport is the pick of the range
And this is where it gets tricky, as the price difference between the NX 250 and NX 350 F Sport is just RM 19,000, marking a less than 5 percent difference. For buyers at this price range, a RM 19k difference is largely negligible.
For all intends and purposes, the NX 350 F Sport is the pick of the range, as it offers a far more powerful turbo engine wrapped in a sportier outfit. The NX 350 F Sport also offers an Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) system with front and rear performance dampers, additional drive modes, and Active Noise Control.
In fact, the NX 350 F Sport, as mentioned earlier, is more powerful than the base Porsche Macan. With prices of the base Macan starting from RM 433k, the NX 350 F Sport is also cheaper than its German rival.
If aggressive looks are not your style, rest assured that you are not being short-changed by the NX 250 either. After all, it still offers 90 percent of what the NX 350 offers, including the comprehensive ADAS suite and infotainment system.
Keyword: Only RM 19k difference in price, should you get the 2022 Lexus NX with a 2.5NA or 2.4 Turbo?