Everything you need to know about the Lexus 450h + F Sport
The Lexus 450h + F Sport is ‘a stylish hybrid that offers a sumptuous motoring experience’.
With the current NX range introduced to South Africa in mid-2023, all that was left was for the local Lexus team to bring in the range-topping 450h + F Sport model. It’s just arrived and CAR Magaine’s Kyle Kock got behind the wheel in the Cape Winelands.
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Lexus NX 450h + F Sport fast facts
- Price: R1 336 200
- Engine: 2.5l four-cylinder and dual electric motors
- Transmission: CVT
- Power: 227kW combined output
- Torque: 227N.m + electric output
- Driven wheels: All
- Claimed fuel consumption: 1.3l/100km
- CO2 emissions: 29g/km
What are we driving?
The NX is the smallest SUV offered by Toyota’s luxury subsidiary, Lexus. Initially launched in 2015 following the global trend of making SUVs of all shapes and sizes to suit the bulk of buyers’ preferences, the NX is now in its second generation and was brought to South Africa in July 2023.
Why is the Lexus NX 450h + F Sport significant?
While we were awaiting the arrival of this particular model, the mantle of range-topper rested on the shoulders of its 350h F Sport sibling. The 450h + F Sport has a more sophisticated hybrid system and is slightly quicker in a straight line according to Lexus, though it must be said that despite the F Sport badging, these models are not exactly known for their sprinting prowess.
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What the NX 450h + F Sport brings is an impressive claimed average fuel consumption and an EV range between 60 and 70km, depending on driving style.
What does the Lexus NX450h + F Sport cost?
The NX450h + F Sport is on offer at R1 336 200. The price includes a seven-years/105 000km warranty and full maintenance plan. This model also has an additional eight-year/195 000km battery warranty. Its recommended service intervals are every 15 000km.
What are the Lexus NX 450h + S Sport’s rivals?
Another small SUV that has found favour not just abroad, but in South Africa too, is the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Its direct competitor to the Lexus NX 450h + F Sport is the Evoque P300e Dynamic SE that has total outputs of 227kW and 540N.m from its 1.5l turbopetrol three-cylinder and hybrid system – though at R1 737 600, there’s a significant price premium over the Japanese alternative.
Related: Lexus NX 450h+ Lands in SA – Pricing and Spec
There’s also the Volvo XC60 T8 Twin Engine AWD Ultimate Bright, with 340kW and 709N.m from its twincharged 2l four-cylinder. It’s more closely matched to the NX 450H + F Sport at R1 390 000.
What is the Lexus NX 450h + F Sport like to drive?
Heading out towards the N7 from Cape Town International Airport was an ideal time to put the NX 450h + F Sport’s EV mode to the test on the local launch. The system is capable of reaching well over the national limit if need be, but in a perfect world, you could cruise to work in urban environments and never need to use the petrol engine if its lithium-ion battery is charged at the office and at home. Speaking of which, this can be achieved in just 2.5 hours at a 32 A charging station.
The hybrid system worked extremely well, no matter what I asked of the system, or at least until around 135km/h when the petrol motor took over. The climb up the Bothmanskloof pass to Riebeek-Kasteel and Helhoogte to our lunch venue did reveal some of the Atkinson cycle motor and CVT’s weakness – and that’s full-bore acceleration uphill. The transmission whines and the 2.5l labours on climbs.
Luckily the experience wasn’t completely soiled, as the cars were recharged during lunch and we made for our overnight stay at Jordan Wine Estate under full EV mode once more. The broken tarmac and rough dirt road did little to unsettle the NX 450h + F Sport’s composure and the suspension soaked up all the bumps and dips on Stellenbosch Kloof road.
Verdict
A stylish hybrid that offers a sumptuous motoring experience and is backed by a class-leading warranty is my logic. The EV range speaks to those who keep a close eye on their budget. However, the real talking point is what the average fuel consumption will be when we put the Lexus NX 450h + F Sport through its paces during a full road test later this year. I suspect it’s going to be the best in its class yet again.
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