Page 24 · Richmond Review
Friday, July 11, 2014
DrivewayCanada.ca
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Edgy Lexus looker enters crowded crossover market Where has the modern station wagon NX 200t doesn’t have as large a front gone? Nowhere, it’s just called somegrille but the side accent lines, swept thing else–a crossover or small SUV. front windshield and defined rear lights The traditional family station wagon all make a statement. Other than the has been replaced with taller, more bigger grille, the F-Sport model also practical SUVs that provide similar gets larger wheels, a sportier suspeninterior space but add functionality, like sion and LED headlamps on both low a power rear lift gate, all wheel drive and high beam where the base model (AWD) and better outward visibility. gets LED lamps only in the low setting. Automakers have taken notice and, Inside with a few exceptions, have abandoned The exterior might be an acquired taste the traditional station wagon and but the inside is a refined and practical produced a small SUV place to spend time. The instead. This market has same “spindle” motif is exploded in popularity carried into the centre to the point that it is the console, with aluminum fasted growing segment accents pieces that in the market today. frame the high-mounted This is a tough battlecentre stack. The shifter ground but Lexus hopes and computer controller its track record of building are placed to perfection As the small SUV making it easy for the high quality products will attract a new buyer to driver to interact with market continues to the NX. the NX without having to grow and this new Looks look down. The base conNX certainly is one of troller is a rotary knob, “Bam, look at me. No, look at me,” screams this the most eye-catching similar to Audi’s MMI new NX. The edgy design to come along in a system, the optional will turns heads and garRemote Touch system while. ner attention but I have has a track pad that come to realize two things Zack Spencer lets the driver scroll and about the car business. press the pad, the same First, when a design is rather edgy, it way we all use a laptop touch pad. can date quickly. The second is that the Above the controller is a 7-inch screen initial “bam, look at me” wears off, and that displays the information and is the product just becomes part of the positioned well, helping to keep the vehicular landscape, losing the initial attention on the road ahead. The inside pop. of the cabin might not look that invitIf you squint your eyes, just a bit, you ing because of the sweeping roofline can see the Toyota RAV4, the vehicle but in practice, it really is a comfortable the NX is based on. The “spindle” 5-seat vehicle with standard 8-way grille that has now migrated across power and heated front seats. The rear the Lexus family is very prominent, seats sit higher off the floor for good especially the F-Sport version of the outward visibility and the headliner has NX. The F-Sport is the upscale, sportier been scooped out to help maximize model that Lexus hopes will attract the the interior space. Cargo is on par with same youthful buyers that have moved others in this class and a power litigate into the Lexus IS compact car. The base is optional.
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Question of the Week Driveway test driver Zack Spencer says today’s crossover vehicles have replaced the popular station wagon of yesteryear. Do you agree? Is there something about the station wagon that appeals more to you?
Lexus joins the compact crossover lineup with the all-new NX.
Go to DrivewayCanada.ca to submit your answer. QUESTION
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OF THE WEEK!
Drive The worldwide launch of the NX was held right here in B.C., driving between ultra modern Vancouver and the rustic resort of Whistler. International guests were exposed to the two sides of the NX, the polished city vehicle and the weekend getaway SUV. Powering around the mountain resort, I got my first shot at the all-new 2.0L direct inject turbocharged 4-cylinder that Lexus will use in a number of its vehicles. With 235hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque this new power plant does a good job once the NX 200t is in motion; it is getting away from a stop that could use a bit more snap. AWD is standard across the lineup but the system is designed to run in front wheel drive as much as possible to help save fuel. Lexus has made no bones about its target; it sees the Audi Q5 as the benchmark in this class. Audi has been at the small turbocharged game a lot longer and it shows, plus the handling of the NX isn’t sharp at all. In fact, all the passengers inside the base model test vehicle noticed the top-heavy body roll. Verdict What Lexus (Toyota) has been up to over the past ten-plus years is
producing hybrid cars in numbers nobody else can touch. This new NX is also available as a hybrid, but don’t expect any kind of show-stopping performance. Rated at just 194hp, the heavier NX 300h hybrid might be outclassed by just-as-thrifty diesel options in the market. The price of the NX 200T has not been set but if you look at the Audi Q5 as a target, expect the price to start at roughly $41,000 when it goes on sale at the end of 2014. Fuel economy has also not been set but with a direct injection turbocharged 4-cylinder under the hood, this new Lexus should be better on fuel than the larger RX350 equipped with a V6 engine. As the small SUV market continues to grow, and this new NX certainly is one of the most eye-catching to come along in a while. The Lowdown Power: 235hp 2.0L turbo or 194hp hybrid Fill-up: N/A Sticker price: N/A
Safety Tip: There are some quick safety checks you can make on your vehicle to protect yourself and your passengers. For starters, make sure the head restraints are at least level with the top of the head and as close as possible to the back of the head to help prevent injury.
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