Lexus unveils its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

Lexus has unveiled a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of its NX crossover, which is due to arrive in the UK in the last quarter of 2021.

As the brand's first PHEV, the NX 450h+ features a four-cylinder 2.5-litre hybrid engine and 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery.

The plug-in system produces 302bhp and is expected to give 0-62mph acceleration in a little more than six seconds. Estimated CO2 emissions (WLTP combined cycle) of less than 40g/km and fuel economy better than 94mpg are set to be class-leading. The battery’s size and capacity and Lexus’s electrified efficiency know-how deliver a best-in-class EV range of 40 miles and enable all-electric, zero-emission driving at speeds up to 84mph.

The system maintains high efficiency even when the battery is depleted. In many competitor models, operation defaults to an internal combustion engine, but in the NX 450h+ the switch is to an efficient self-charging hybrid system. In these circumstances, the NX’s efficiency is expected to be as much as 20 per cent greater than its rivals.

Power is greater by 22 per cent compared to the current model, taking output to 239bhp and improving 0-62 acceleration by 15 per cent to 7.7 seconds. At the same time, CO2 emissions are expected to fall by around 10 per cent. The model will be available with front and all-wheel drive, both with a 1.5-tonne towing capacity.

The new NX will be launched in the UK and European markets during the last quarter of 2021. Details of UK model range, specifications and prices and will be announced nearer the launch date.