The all-new Lexus “NX” breaks the mold. It’s the first Lexus compact crossover SUV, and the first Lexus vehicle to offer a turbo model. Production has begun, marked by today’s line-off ceremony, and soon the NX will be on its way to dealers all around the world.
Built to the highest standards
Owners can expect uncompromising quality. The Miyata Plant, where the NX is being built, won the Gold Plant Quality Award in the 2014 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM published by J.D. Power and Associates.
Production of the NX is also rejuvenating the neighboring Kanda Plant, which will be producing the turbo engines for the NX. According to Iwao Nihashi, president of Toyota Motor Kyushu (TMK), “When the Global Financial Crisis struck, we had to shut down one of our two lines. But now that we’re producing the turbo engine for the NX, the line is open again and we’re back to full operation.”
Wide-ranging input
The NX combines sporty urban driving performance with the power of an SUV. Two variants－the NX 200t, the first Lexus fitted with a turbo engine, and the NX 300h, powered by a hybrid system－both offer responsive, engaging drives and excellent environmental performance.
Describing the development of the NX, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Executive Vice President Masamoto Maekawa said: “The ideas that drove the creation of the NX didn’t just come from the development team. We made ‘Team NX‘ as broad as possible, including inputs from marketing, sales planning and production.”
Flying start
The NX is already attracting a lot of interest. As TMK President Nihashi noted, “People all over the world are excited about the NX. Dealers understand its potential, and they’re asking us to give them as many as possible, as soon as possible… We believe the NX will sell well around the world, and that it will become a core model in the Lexus lineup.”
In Japan, Lexus has already received 6,500 preorders for the NX. TMC Executive Vice President Maekawa described this as “significantly more than we originally expected. What’s more, initial feedback is extremely positive.”
