Version française

 Getting around

The Lexus NX300h literally catches the eyes. Its lines are aggressive as if the Lexus had been pruned. Its huge front grill gives it a sporty and luxurious look. Everyone looks at it in the street.

Its large two-color rims give it a luxurious appearance.

The lines formed by its angular headlights further enhance its sporty look.

The brushed aluminum straps on the grill, around the windows, mirrors and on the rear bumper are very classy.

There are currently a lot of SUV on the market, every brand has his own and it's hard to  find one that stands out from the others. With this NX300h the bet is won by Lexus.

Life on board

The Lexus NX300h offers a very high-end comfort. The finishes of the cabin are perfect.

The NX300h is so well equipped that it's hard to find an option it doesn't have.

The support of the seats is both sporty and comfortable. The leather is soft and of good quality.

The space reserved for the front seats is remarkable. But this space does not reduce the livability of the rear seats that can accommodate without any worries passengers over 1m80. The audio system is provided by Mark Levinson. It delivers a perfectly clear surround sound of great quality.

The entire multimedia system of the Lexus NX300h is controlled by a track pad with force touch. The handling is easy and seems very natural after only a few hours of use.

The NX300h is equipped with plenty of connectivity. The bluetooth system allows you to quickly connect your phone. Once connected, the music it contains can be played directly on board. The control screen of the NX 300H will even display the album cover.

The center console contains two USB ports, an auxiliary socket, a cigarette lighter socket and also the ability to recharge your phone by induction simply by placing it on the plate reserved for this purpose.

The radio is equipped with the DAB system and a wifi hot spot.

The front seats are heated and cooled.

The steering wheel is also heated, a real must have for winter trainings ...

Driving

Lexus has done everything possible to offer with this NX300h a driving experience that is both sporty and comfortable.

The NX300h is keyless, no need to take the key out of your pocket to start the engine. A simple press of the start key will be enough to start it.

The car starts on its electric motor and then decides when it's necessary to switch on the gasoline engine.

The adjustment of the seats and the steering column are electric. You will be able to find in a touch of fingers the ideal driving position. Once the position is found, you will only need to store it in one of the 3 memories reserved for this purpose.

Each time the vehicle is turned on and off, the driver's seat moves back as far as possible and the steering column retracts to facilitate the ascent and descent of the vehicle.

The Lexus NX300h offers 3 driving modes, Normal, Sport and Eco. The driving modes can be selected by pressing a nice brushed aluminum button located on the center console.

The dials of the dashboard adapt to the selected driving mode.

If you are in sport mode, the left dial will show a Rpm counter. While if you selected the eco mode, this Rpm counter will instantly be replaced by a power meter.

The suspension is firm to offer a precise driving without affecting the comfort.

The insonirisation of the car is perfect, no hissing or rolling noise.

The traction of the NX300h is very efficient thanks to its 4 wheel drive. The front wheels are powered by the gasoline engine while the rear wheels by the electric motor.

The Adaptive Cruise Control combined with the Lane Assist maximizes safety while traveling on the highway. The Lexus detects the speed of vehicles in front of you and automatically adjusts the speed of your vehicle. Even if the vehicle in front of you comes to a complete stop, your Lexus will brake and avoid it and then restart autonomously to return to the initially set speed.

I found this system particularly effective on highway exit lanes.

Even if the vehicle in front of you is moving left and right on the lane, the radar does not lose it and continues to adjust its speed accordingly.

Concerning the Lane Assist, it will bring back your vehicle on the lane when it detects that the car is cutting a white line, continuous or not, without having previously activated your turn signal.

The Lexus NX300h is also equipped with Blind Spot Detection. When a vehicle is in your blind spot, your mirror displays a flashing logo signaling its presence.

The Head Up Display shows you the speed, the direction to follow by GPS or also your consumption mode.

The Led headlights offer a very sharp and bright lightning for a clear night vision.

There is also an automatic mode. When your vehicle detects a vehicle in front of you, it automatically lowers the big headlights to regular mode.

The wipers also adapt automatically to the amount of rain on the road.

The GPS is in 3 dimensions. All the information it broadcasts is extremely complete, traffic, fixed radar and many others POI.

The NX300h is equipped with a front and rear camera, as well as a 360 ° mode all around the vehicle. With such a peripheral view, it's almost impossible to hit an obstacle accidentally.

The consumption of the vehicle throughout this test was 9.5l per 100 kilometers. This is reasonable considering the weight of the vehicle and the tendency of the tester to have a heavy right foot ;)

Practical life for a triathlete

The NX300h is designed to make your life on board as enjoyable as possible.

An impression of comfort and luxury fills the entire cabin.

The opening of the trunk is electric and can be controlled either on the dashboard, with the key or by pressing the trunk release button.

The trunk volume is more than enough. But it also has a compartment located below the bottom plate. Extremely practical to keep your valuables out of sight while you're training .....

Every triathlete knows how important it is to be able to carry your bike in the back of your vehicle. The Lexus NX300h fulfilled this role perfectly ... you don't even need to remove the front wheel. It fits in completely and you even still have enough room to store your bags and transition boxes.

But what I love in this NX300h is the electric folding of the rear seats. No need to contort yourself to fold the seats. A simple push of a button is enough to lower them and to put them back in place.... It's just great.

In addition Lexus thought to place several switches to handle the seats. Either on the dashboard, on the side of the rear seats or directly in the trunk.

You can not imagine the joy of getting to your vehicle with your bike in your hand and being able, with to push of a button, open your trunk and fold down the rear seats.  All you have to do is slide your bike in .... A real treat;)