Lexus NX Hybrid Review & Prices

The Lexus NX is a practical family SUV with a pair of efficient hybrid engines, head-turning styling and comfort at the forefront of its mind. It’s a relaxing-to-drive, well-made alternative to the usual German choices, with a peerless reliability record - but it doesn’t feel as posh as them when you’re driving.

It’s the Goldilocks choice in the Lexus SUV range, because the smaller UX and LBX are definitely too cramped for family life, while the larger RX feels like overkill. The NX has enough room for a family and their luggage without feeling unnecessarily enormous.

Its closest alternatives include the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes GLC and Volvo XC60. You could also consider plush Chinese alternatives such as the Jaecoo 8, or less premium offerings such as the Toyota RAV4 or VW Tiguan.

The Lexus certainly stands out among that crowd in terms of styling. The huge grille looks like Predator’s mouth, while the whole body is covered in sharp, origami-style creases.

Inside, it’s also quite distinctive. The materials feel suitably expensive and well-built, if not quite as posh as those in the Volvo XC60. The seats are a real highlight, up there with Volvo’s as the most comfortable and supportive in this class.

The touchscreen is not the best, with lots of menus to scroll through. In particular there’s no quick way to disable the various driver aids, which is annoying - though at least wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.

Despite the NX’s sleek looks, there’s impressive headroom and legroom in the rear, with enough width for three passengers to squeeze in. Storage cubbies are decent front and rear, and the 549-litre boot is a useful size for a family SUV - and it doesn’t shrink if you opt for the plug-in hybrid model, which is rare for an SUV of this size.

Both engine options are hybrids. The base unit is a self-charging hybrid, capable of covering short distances on electric power and returning pretty good economy across the board. The plug-in hybrid is a better option for company car drivers or those who can plug in at home, though its 44-mile electric range is behind the rest of the pack these days.

Out on the road, the NX is extremely comfortable over bumps and doesn’t lean much through the corners. It’s better for taking things easy than carving up the corners, though - if you drive it hard, the gearbox lets the engine rev noisily. The BMW X3 is more entertaining through the corners, but like the Volvo XC60 the Lexus NX is very relaxing on a long journey.

Verdict

Combining striking styling with a beautifully-made interior, comfortable seats and efficient hybrid engines. It’s practical inside and relaxing to drive, though a bit noisy if you drive it hard and the plug-in hybrid is a bit off the pace compared with the latest models, especially cheaper ones from China.

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The NX range starts at about £47,000 for the self-charging 350h hybrid, while the plug-in 450h+ starts at £52,000. That undercuts the Volvo XC60, Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC by a few thousand pounds. The plug-in hybrid starts at £52,000, again undercutting all of those - the Mercedes GLC in particular costs from £61,000.

There are cheaper alternatives, however. The plug-in hybrid Toyota RAV4 uses a newer hybrid system than the NX with nearly double the electric range, but costs less than £45,000. The Jaecoo 8 or Volkswagen Tiguan are similarly posh-feeling and cost rather less.

The NX has a huge level of trims, though some are locked to the different engines. Still, there’s a baffling display of Urban, Premium, Premium Plus, F Sport, F Sport Takumi and Takumi to choose from.

Urban trim includes 18-inch alloys, heated front seats and an electric tailgate, and is limited to the 350h model alone. Premium adds electric seats, wireless phone charging and some extra safety kit, and the option of the plug-in engine. Premium Plus gets 20-inch alloys, seat ventilation, adaptive headlights and a 360-degree camera.

F Sport is the good-looking cousin of the range, with a bodykit and sports seats, plus adaptive suspension, while Takumi adds extra luxury kit including a panoramic roof, digital rear-view mirror and Mark Levinson stereo. F Sport Takumi combines those two trim levels. Prices for these top trim levels climb beyond £60,000, though, which is rather a big ask.

The Lexus NX is a comfortable and relaxing car to travel in, but others are better when the road gets twisty

In town

The NX may look quite big and bulky, but it’s actually shorter than a BMW 3 Series. Front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera are standard, so manoeuvring into a space is no hassle, despite the small back window.

It’s lovely and smooth, the suspension barely noticing most lumps and holes in the roads. F Sport models have adaptive suspension allowing you to choose between it being softer over bumps or firmer for less roll during corners. It’s really quiet, too, especially when driving on electric power. With light steering and an automatic gearbox, it’s really easy to drive.

On the motorway

The engine gets a bit loud if you stamp on the throttle to get up to motorway speeds but, once there, it settles into near-silence. Hardly a trace of wind or road noise gets through to the interior, either. It’s a deeply comfortable, relaxing car to spend a long journey in.

The plug-in hybrid NX 450h+ has more power than the NX 350h. It’s also capable of driving at 70mph on electric power alone, although the range will plummet if you do that. Once its electric-only range is used up, it continues running as a conventional hybrid.

On a twisty road

The steering is responsive, the body doesn’t lean over much and there’s tons of grip, so the car feels really safe and stable, soaking up bumps rather than being bounced off them.

But there’s not much enjoyment to be had from driving quickly. Even the sporty-looking F Sport model, with its adaptive suspension, doesn’t feel particularly sporty to drive. If you really enjoy a twisty road, an alternative like the BMW X3 is much more fun.

The Lexus NX is a great family car with a big boot and space for four, although a fifth passenger will struggle for foot space in particular

In the front seats of the NX there’s as much space as the vast majority of people need - leg, head and shoulder room are all really generous. The seats are supremely comfortable, too.

The door bins are large enough for a litre bottle, and there’s a deep cubby hole under the armrest with a two-way hinge, so it can be opened towards the driver or passenger. There are two cupholders in the centre console, a glasses holder in the ceiling and a biggish glovebox.

Space in the back seats

The outer two passengers will have lots of room in the Lexus NX. There’s a large hump in the middle of the floor, though, so anyone sat in the middle seat won’t have much legroom. Or headroom either because the seat is perched higher up.

Still, three adults will fit for a shorter journey. Two adults can lounge in considerable comfort. There are big door bins, cupholders, pockets on the back of the front seats and two USB charging ports.

Boot space

The NX has a boot capacity of 549 litres, enough to swallow a week’s worth of family holiday clobber. That’s slightly less than the BMW X3’s 570 litres, but more than the Audi Q5’s 520 litres. Significantly, choosing the plug-in hybrid doesn’t bring the reduction in luggage space you get with those alternatives.

There’s extra storage under the boot floor – a useful place to keep charging cables in the NX 450h+ plug-in model. There’s also a cut-out to stow the load cover away neatly.

The boot lid opens electrically, leaving a big gap to heave heavy stuff through. The boot itself is a square shape that’s easy to pack. The back seats fold down if you need to carry anything really big.

The interior of the Lexus NX is a really nice place to sit. It’s packed with luxurious touches, such as soft-closing electric windows and electric door latches that won’t let you open the door if it detects an incoming cyclist or pedestrian.

Build quality is peerless with no creaks or rattles anywhere, and there are posh materials used across every surface you touch. You have to look pretty hard to find any nasty, scratchy plastics.

Lower-spec cars get a 9.8-inch screen, but mid-spec and above there’s a good-looking 14.0-inch touchscreen. It’s clear and crisp and responds well, but it’s not as good as the Google-based system in the Volvo XC60 or the slick menus of the BMW X3 - there are too many options to scroll through and a confusing layout.

Equipment levels are good throughout but the NX does benefit from some of the kit on its higher trim levels - the panoramic roof lightens up what’s otherwise quite a dark interior, and the Mark Levinson stereo is fantastic. Unfortunately both are only standard on the very pricey top models.

Officially the self-charging NX can return around 48mpg - in the real world we found the mid-40s very achievable, which is great for a hybrid of this size. Crucially unlike a diesel alternative, you should still see great fuel economy on short trips across town.

The NX 450h+ is the plug-in hybrid model, and can cover up to 44 miles on electric power alone. That figure is a bit behind the pace now - the latest Toyota RAV4 can go up to 85 miles, the Jaecoo 8 up to 88 miles, and the latest Volvo XC60 promises over 100 miles of EV range. Even so, the 450h+ makes a lot of sense for company car drivers. The NX is also one of the more efficient PHEVs when the battery is discharged, still capable of over 40mpg.

The plug-in has the more favourable company car tax rates, but they’re still much higher than PHEVs with a longer range. All versions of the NX cost over £40,000 and so pay the expensive car supplement on the first five years of road tax in addition to the standard rate.

Lexus NX Euro NCAP score (2022): 5/5

Adult occupant: 91%
Child occupant: 87%
Vulnerable road users: 83%
Safety assist: 91%

Euro NCAP scored the NX a full five stars back in 2022. Standard safety features include automatic emergency braking, lane-tracing assistance, road-sign recognition and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are included from Premium upwards, while Premium Plus and higher grades have adaptive high-beam headlights. Takumi and F Sport Takumi add front cross-traffic alert and lane-change assistance.

It’s a shame Lexus hasn’t made it too easy to switch off all of the annoying beeps and bongs - there’s a shortcut menu, but this only silences some of them. You’ll still need to dive into the menu for the clean sweep.

Lexus finished fourth out of 30 brands in the 2026 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, a very encouraging result but a little behind Mercedes.

The NX has an enviable record for dependability, as do all Lexuses - keep them serviced regularly and you should have a car that easily outlasts its warranty. That warranty itself is seriously good, too - up to ten years and 100,000 miles, provided you keep servicing at an approved partner.

There have been recalls, however. The NX was among the models included in a UK recall reported in January 2026 covering a parking-camera fault, which could make the rear-view image freeze or disappear. The reported total of 20,855 cars covered several Lexus models, not just the NX.