The brave and the bold

The Range Rover Evoque showed what was possible for a car maker prepared to gamble. Buyers in this segment want to make a statement.

Lexus certainly makes a statement with its new NX. The luxury arm of Toyota says its first entry into the premium compact SUV segment has been designed with a deliberately edgy design that captures the qualities normally associated with sports watches, expensive motorbikes and trendy fashion.

It has the massive spindle grille also seen on the more expensive RX but the body creases and flared arches are even more exaggerated. Everywhere you look there’s something unusual.

One thing is for certain: you won’t lose the NX in a car park.

ON THE ROAD: None of this would matter if the driving experience couldn’t live up to the looks. Thankfully, the NX drives just fine.

Chief engineer Takeaki Kato didn’t just benchmark other SUVs when his team were developing the NX. He selected the Lexus IS sports saloon as the target to aim for. That’s an incredibly brave thing to do because the NX - with its lofty suspension and chunky body - starts with the odds stacked against it.

Lessons learnt during the development of the IS were applied to the NX bodyshell. For instance, the bonded windscreen uses a special sealant which effectively makes it a load-bearing part of the chassis helping to resist body flexing.

The strengthened platform gave Lexus the option of increasing the front suspension spring rates - improving agility without ruining the ride.

Of course, the NX is at its best when you’re just cruising. The petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain is uncannily smooth with all trace of vibration and harshness expunged from the cabin. I covered 300 miles in one stint and only stopped to refuel. I reached my destination refreshed and ready to do it all again.

Total power output from the 2.5-litre engine/electric motor combo is 195bhp, but the NX always feels swift rather than fast. The 9.2 second 0-62mph time supports that, I blame the planetary gear transmission system, which drags its feet at times and provokes a drone from the internal combustion engine when you plant your right foot. The upside of this is a gear-change which is totally seamless and never jerks as it shifts or finds itself hunting for the right ratio.

With a bit of flex in the tyres the ride is comfortable but never sloppy. The NX feels planted and confidence-inspiring in all situations.

ON THE INSIDE: The NX has class-leading passenger room. Any adults forced to endure a long journey sitting behind a tall driver in an Evoque will be most impressed. The high roofline gives exceptional headroom, too.

Naturally the cabin is exquisitely trimmed with premium materials - the fascia is topped with leather, the ambient illumination changes according to the driving mode selected and touch-sensitive switches in the headlining operate the map reading lights.

WHAT DO YOU GET: There are surprise-and-delight features everywhere. The theatre starts before you even clamber aboard: approach the NX carrying the key and the door handles light up automatically.

NX300h Premier models get a 6.2-inch colour head up display which projects your speed, navigation instructions, audio information and engine revs on the windscreen.

For now Lexus is sticking with its ‘Remote Touch Interface’ albeit operated by a new touch pad on the centre console. The system, part of the optional Lexus Premium Navigation package (standard on Premium models), is ‘smart’ in that it jumps to the nearest selection as you move around the screen. Maybe it was my ham-fisted mitts, but I found it too sensitive and no amount of fiddling could entirely cure the problem.

Naturally, the 14-speaker premium Mark Levinson hi-fi is a cracker. It’s standard on Premier grade models. Other cars have an eight or ten-speaker Pioneer system.

HOW PRACTICAL IS IT?

Hybrids always lose out a bit on boot space (those batteries have to go somewhere) but the NX only gives away 25 litres to its conventionally powered NX 200t sibling. The luggage area swallowed six Sainsbury’s bags for life packed with groceries. A space-saver spare tyre is standard equipment.

RUNNING COSTS: The 2.5-litre petrol engine is a lean burn design and the NX can run on battery power alone for short distances but, in common with all hybrids, the really big fuel consumption figures come when you’re tooling around town on short trips. My marathon 300 mile trip returned 31mpg which is good for such a big vehicle but would be beaten by a diesel.

The Lexus fights back with excellent CO2 figures, however.

VERDICT: If you want to stand out in a crowd this is the premium SUV to buy. The NX offers excellent refinement levels, peerless build and the added attraction of a hybrid powertrain (if you buy the NX300h). But the Lexus is no fashion victim, thanks to its thoughtful design and a very roomy cabin.

The NX looks like a winner.

SPEC: Engine: 2,494cc petrol/electric motor Max power: 195bhp (total system output) Max torque: 210Nm Top speed:112mph 0-62mph: 9.2 seconds Fuel consumption: 54.3 mpg (official combined) CO2: 121g/km VED band:D

Price: £42,995 - it's not cheap, but it is quality merchandise.

• What do you think of the new look for Lexus? Let us know in the comments below