Lexus might have been the first to bring hybrid drivetrains to the softroad SUV market – but it is the last to bring them to the one that matters most, the compact segment. Its new NX, sort of a scaled-down version of the RX, will be here in October, chockablock with whizzbang bits and pieces like a wireless phone charger (Apple iPhone users will need a special adapter), and a Harman Kardon sound system that audiophiles say reproduces almost original quality music files. 
analysts say the delay in bringing the NX to market was partly due to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, when Lexus’ parent Toyota shelved development of many new models, and partly because of the US$3 billion or so fallout from vehicle recalls and unintended acceleration lawsuits Toyota was hit with in the US between 2009-11. The lawsuits are cialis 20mg
still being filed. Lexus says it designed the NX to straddle the gap between the main players, the Audi Q3 and Q5, BMW X1 and X3 and Range Rover Evoque. If it believes there’s a gap in that market, it must ask itself if there’s a market in that gap. It has been conspicuous by its absence and now it is trying to make up for lost time in New Zealand by bringing in seven – seven! – of 10 variants Lexus builds for the global market. 
charges when the car is on the move. Output is 145kW/210Nm. The boosted 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit makes its first appearance in the NX, but it will go into other models. It uses a twin-scroll turbocharger to deliver 175kW between 4800-5600rpm, and 350Nm between 1650-4000rpm. Both engines are mated to six-speed transmissions. An eight-speed unit will follow later in the production cycle.
