Lexus NX450h + "Version L" (4WD / CVT) [Test drive] I'm looking forward to it from here.

Didn't it ever happen?

The attention of the Lexus NX, which was reborn as the second generation, is the addition of the first PHEV as a Lexus. It is strange that it has not been lined up so far, and it may be momentum that those who claim that Toyota is behind in electrification may have seen it, but where is the main battlefield of Lexus? If you think about it, it's nothing strange. The main markets for the Lexus brand are still North America and China. The recently announced worldwide sales in 2021 were about 760,000 units (about 720,000 units in 2020, which was affected by the coronavirus infection, and 765,000 units in 2019, the highest ever), but by region. Looking at the above, the North American market (332,000 units) and the Chinese market (227,000 units) still account for more than 70% (compared to 72,000 units in Europe and 51,000 units in domestic sales). It is natural for businesses to prioritize models that are suitable for the best-selling market.

However, it is not possible to leave the middle class and below, which was thin, and the NX was released in 2014 to fill it, and now the SUV "RX" and the sedan "ES" It is one of the three pillars of Lexus that follows. The conventional type was a two-liter direct-injection turbo "300" (initially "200t") and a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated engine + motor hybrid "300h", but the new model that Lexus itself positions as a global core model , Doubled to four powertrains for different markets.

That is, the "NX250" with an A25A 2.5-liter 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine, the "350" with a newly developed 2.4-liter 4-cylinder direct-injection turbo engine, and the "350h" that combines a 2.5-liter engine with a more powerful motor than before. In addition to that, it is a PHEV 450h + lineup equipped with a charging function and a larger drive battery. FWD and AWD are available for 250 and 350h, respectively, and AWD only for 350 and 450h +. Whereas the 350 uses an electronically controlled hydraulic coupling, the hybrid system is a so-called "E-Four" in which the rear axle is driven by a motor.