2022 Lexus NX leaked – all-new design, NX 200, NX 350 and NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid, no more Remote Touch!

After nearly seven years on the market, the Lexus NX is due for a replacement, and its successor was outed in a hilarious fashion yesterday. Toyota’s luxury offshoot appears to have accidentally posted a reveal video on YouTube long before the car was supposed to be unveiled; it was eventually taken down, but not before a few enterprising individuals managed to duplicate and reupload it.

The film shows a car that’s both an evolution of the outgoing model and a complete sea change for Lexus. The NX remains recognisable on the outside, retaining the litany of creases and sharp angles that defined the original. However, the design has been softened for a more homogenous look, particularly around the body side where it looks less like it was shaped using a katana.

The more mature aesthetic has been complemented by details such as the one-piece headlight and daytime running light assemblies, a tweaked spindle grille shape and full-width taillights consisting of L-shaped corners and a broad centre strip. Lexus is fast making the latter a signature, having already fitted the smaller UX with a wide U-shaped taillight.

While the exterior has been gently refined, the interior has been completely remodelled, with the infotainment system being markedly different from the current car. The display itself is much larger than before and mounted on a paddle-shaped panel sticking out from the rest of the dashboard.

The bigger news here, however, is that Lexus is finally ditching its much-maligned Remote Touch interface and the dreaded centre console touchpad. The company is finally moving to a full touchscreen experience, it seems, although it appears to have introduced another two touchpads on the steering wheel to ensure current owners remain familiar (and possibly fume as they overshoot their intended selection yet again).

The jettisoning of the central touchpad and the fitment of an electronic gear shifter has freed up space for a large wireless smartphone charger, surrounded by a wraparound trim piece that houses the drive mode selector. Elsewhere, the climate controls now sit above the centre air vents as part of the touchscreen, which also contains physical temperature and volume knobs. Slender door handles sit low down on the door panels.

Also revealed in the video are the variants that will be offered on the second generation. The car in the video is badged the NX 200, which likely utilises the 2.0 litre Dynamic Force naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine from the ES 200 and UX 200. In those cars, the mill makes 174 PS and 209 Nm of torque and is mated to a Direct Shift CVT; expect a similar configuration for the NX.

An NX 350 was also mentioned, expected to be powered by 3.5 litre V6 from the ES 350, pushing 306 PS and 362 Nm through an eight-speed automatic. Lexus has reportedly also trademarked the NX 250 moniker, which should get the 2.5 litre Dynamic Force mill from the ES 250, churning out 207 PS and 247 Nm.

The new NX will also apparently mark the debut of Lexus’ first plug-in hybrid, the NX 450h+. This variant will likely share its innards with the Toyota RAV4 Prime, also riding on the new GA-K platform – a 178 PS/228 Nm 2.5 litre Atkinson-cycle engine and an electric motor producing a total system output of 306 PS. The RAV4 version has an all-electric range of 60 km.