We've seen the mad concept LF-NX, we've had the 'teaser' shots of the finished thing, but here is Lexus' new crossover champion, the NX, in all its glory, ahead of its world debut in China later this month.
Exterior
As m'colleague Mr Briscoe reported a few days ago, the radical styling of the original LF-NX has, unsurprisingly, not made the cut when it comes to the production version; hence the NX is much more 'everyman' so it can appeal to the widest possible cross-section of the populace. It's far from ugly, though, Lexus' trademark 'spindle' grille and wraparound rear light clusters giving us a crossover that's a lot less aesthetically challenging than Nissan's Juke. You can opt for 17- or 18-inch wheels in those flared arches, plus there's LED lighting all-round.
Interior
Developed on the premise of 'premium urban sports gear', the NX's cabin looks a lot like other Lexuses (Lexii?) in that it is aiming upmarket at the German brands. It features a control system called human machine interface (HMI) technology, which sounds a bit sci-fi scary but is in fact just a touchpad for infotainment on the centre console. Lexus says the NX is also focused on space, with the car boasting the lowest hip point in the segment to allow for more headroom, plus plenty of shoulder-room front-to-rear and a boot that is longer than any competitor's equivalent.
Mechanicals
There will be three models to choose from in the NX range, the NX200 normally-aspirated car, the NX 200t with a new 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a hybrid NX 300h, which will use similar running gear to the other Lexus hybrids, such as the CT 200h. There will also be the choice of front- or all-wheel drive on various models. The NX benefits from a stop-start system and an array of in-car technology with a multi-information display inside.
Anything else?
As per Neil's piece the other day, the Beijing International Auto Show starting on April 20 is the place to go if you want to see the NX in all its metallic glory for the first time.