Lexus NX 300 refined

By RIZAL JOHAN | 5 February 2020


Lexus Malaysia has re-invigorated its NX 300 line of compact SUVs and now comes with more safety features and a price cut too.

The NX 300 variants start with the Urban which is now priced at RM313,888 whereas previously, it was RM326,000.

The NX 300 Premium now goes for RM333,888 instead of RM345,000. Finally, the NX 300 F Sport is now priced at RM349,888 from RM404,000, a reduction of a whopping RM54,112. All prices are on-the-road without insurance.

Regardless of variant, the NX 300 features the 2.0-litre turbo engine which produces 235hp and 350Nm of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

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Also, all NX 300 comes with the Lexus Safety System + or LSS+ which includes such features as Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Brake Collision Assist, Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) and Lane Departure Alert (LDA), Active Cornering Assist (ACA) and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC).

The review unit was the Premium variant with its latest colour option, Blazing Carnelian, a pleasing orange colour which is saturated without looking gaudy.

The Premium variant has extra safety features compared to the other two variants and they are the Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Other than that, all variants include eight airbags and reverse camera with dynamic guidelines.

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There are other features which are found only on the Premium variant such as the hands-free foot activated trunk lid, smart card key, leather upholstery, wood trim, electrochromic side and rear view mirrors, ventilated front seats, and a 10-way powered driver seat.

Looks-wise, the NX retains its facelifted exterior from before and the standout among the variants would be the F Sport and its black mesh spindle grille.

The Premium variant, while sharing the spindle grille design, has cascading slats instead of the mesh.

Compared to the competition, the NX has sharper and edgier design elements which makes for a rugged appearance without being too aggressive.

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It can be seen in the grille design, LED headlamp housing and the triangular creases on the body among others.

The interior of the NX is, in this writer's opinion, why you would buy this car in the first place.

Everything feels solid to the touch such as the push-start button nestled on the top left corner of the instrument cluster, the steering controls and paddle shifters, the drive mode dial and switches in the centre console and the soft leather and exquisite stitching which is orange like the car, simply speaks volumes.

With the combination of features like the powered steering adjustment, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear ventilation, electronic parking brake and auto hold, an eight-inch infotainment screen with remote touch controller and the Lexus Premium Audio system, makes it a really comfortable and enjoyable space to be in.

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Lexus has done a tremendous job of keeping the cabin as quiet as possible. As such, it is really relaxing to drive the NX 300 Premium. As the NX 300 is an all-wheel drive vehicle, it is a stable car around bends and corners provided you're not too fast.

It is also feels planted in straight line acceleration and would be very comfortable to drive outstation with. The NX 300 Premium is not too aggressive in Sport mode but that may be because of the noise dampening so there are no aural-cues to make it that much more exciting. It is a fast car nevertheless and does the century sprint in 7.1 seconds.

The NX 300 is about enjoying the finer things in life and appreciating the little details that went into making this car.

You're not going to find the latest trends in here ... there's no touch screen and the instrument cluster has analogue dials instead of a full digital cluster.

But that's okay. Luxury doesn't equal the latest trend.

What it lacks, it makes up for in safety with its collision mitigation and lane keeping.

And there is the convenient radar and camera-based active cruise control with low-speed follow so you can turn it on during a traffic jam and the car will follow and brake according to the vehicle in front of you.

The Japanese sense of luxury is more akin to piece of mind as exemplified here and that's why this fully imported SUV deserves your attention.




SPECIFICATIONS



Lexus NX 300 Premium



Engine: 1,998cc, inline 4, 16-valve, Twin-scroll Turbocharged

Maximum power: 235hp from 4,800 - 5,600rpm
Maximum torque: 350Nm from 1,650 - 4,000rpm
Transmission: six-speed automatic


Features: Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Brake Collision Assist, Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) and Lane Departure Alert (LDA), Active Cornering Assist (ACA) and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Adaptive High Beam system (AHS), eight airbags, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, 18-inch two-tone alloys (225/60 tyres), front LED fog lamps with cornering function, powered steering adjustment, dual-zone auto air con with rear vents, electronic parking brake, eight-inch screen with remote touch controller, Lexus Premium Audio system, smart card key, leather and wood interior trim


Price: RM333,888 (on-the-road without insurance)





Keywords

Overview

Styling
90%
Comfort
90%
Value
80%
Performance
80%
Safety
90%

CarSifu's Rating: 8.6