Lexus’ plug-in NX makes a strong case for reconsidering the EV route…
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Lexus NX450h+ F Sport Fast Facts
- Price: R1 336 200
- 0-100 km/h: 6.15 seconds
- Top speed: 200 km/h
- Power: 227 kW
- Torque: 450 N.m
- CAR fuel index: 1.6 L/100km
- CO2: 29 g/km
The term ‘best of both worlds’ is something of a misnomer. Whether it’s business dealings, politics, or relationships; more often than not, trying to get two opposing principles to gel winds up as a sticky compromise. But every once in a while two seemingly conflicting elements – with a little clever manoeuvring – can present a practical, or even pleasing, solution to a problem. It’s the same in the world of motoring. With fuel prices headed skywards and manufacturers under growing pressure to adopt EVs, there has to be a halfway point between electric and combustion-engined cars that can keep expenditure at the pumps in check without the caprices of our limited EV charging infrastructure. This is where plug-in hybrids such as the Lexus NX 450h+ F Sport, which combines eco-friendly electric motors with a more practical internal combustion primary powerplant, come in.
The 450h+’s powertrain comprises a 2.5-litre inline-four turbopetrol engine that develops 136 kW and 227 N.m of torque complemented by front- and rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous electric motors developing a combined 174 kW and 390 N.m, which are fed by an 18.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This equates to a combined system output of 227 kW and 450 N.m that’s managed via an intelligent AWD system that can apportion torque between the front and rear axles in accordance with drivetrain presets accommodating performance, economy, and light off-road traction requirements.
The hybrid setup is overseen by a switchable power management system incorporating three modes. EV mode favours pure electric propulsion at speeds of up to 135 km/h, past which the internal combustion engine joins the party. HV, or Hybrid Vehicle, mode utilises the electric motors at low speeds and light engine loads with the petrol engine doing most of the work of propelling the car and combining with the electric motors when hard acceleration is called for. All the while, the petrol engine powers the generator to trickle-charge the battery; an action that’s supplemented by regenerative braking. The auto setting monitors driver inputs and shuffles between the presets to best suit driving scenarios. These presets are dependent on battery charge, and the system will either block them out or favour the petrol engine when the onboard charge runs low. Working in the background is a sat-nav-linked module that uses a combination of gathered driver behaviour, route, and traffic conditions to optimise battery usage and charging.
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Often, all this stuff that sounds impressive on paper seldom translates to a deeply pleasing driving experience, but in the 450h+ it certainly delivers. The transitions between electric and combustion propulsion are seamless; the latter’s intervention only announcing itself with a distant snarl under hard acceleration. Despite its 2 000 kg kerb weight, the car performed strongly in our acceleration testing, posting a 6.15-second 0-100 km/h sprint on par with Lexus’ claims, and this F Sport model’s active suspension system strikes a great balance between well-damped comfort and sufficient tautness under hard cornering. Thanks to the plentiful electrically supplemented torque on offer, the CVT transmission – often the bane of driver enjoyment – doesn’t succumb to the slip and engine drone it can exhibit in other applications, instead smoothly transitioning between the eight virtual ratios without any fuss. Thanks to that wide operating speed spread (0-135 km/h) EV-mode driving is particularly enjoyable, allowing you to simply lean on the throttle without the combustion engine-inviting throttle balancing act you have in most hybrids.
With the performance, comfort and refinement provisos ably covered, the big question remains regarding actual efficiency, and the 450h+ pretty much delivers on that front, too. Without too much finessing, we managed around 58 km of all-electric range against Lexus’ 66.5 km claim. This sort of range means that, with some considered planning and driving, owners could realistically complete much of their daily driving on electric power alone. It’s fair to take Lexus’ ideal-world WLTP combined consumption claim with a fair pinch of condiment (1.3 L/100 km), but our fuel route’s 4.8 L/100 km return was still very respectable. We also carefully managed a 128 km round trip on motorways and B roads at 3.8 L/100 km, which is deeply impressive. Considered driving should see the 450h+ return around 1 000 km from a full 55-litre tank and battery charge. Charging the battery on a home 2.3 kW AC domestic charger takes around three hours, with that time dropping to around three hours when using a 6.6 kW public AC charging point. Home charging will cost between R45 and R50, while fast chargers run a more expensive tariff of around R6-7/kWh, taking the cost up to around the R120-130 mark. The battery carries an 8-year/195 000 km warranty.
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Barring its model designation badging, and this car’s 20-inch F Sport alloys, there’s little to suggest anything eco-conscious about the 450h+, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a pleasingly unconventional Nipponese air to the NX’s frame; the neat creases of the bodywork seeming to trail off that aggressive-looking spindle grille. That juxtaposition of forms continues the cabin, where the sharp details of the crisp 10-inch infotainment display and closely clustered controls are set against otherwise clean expanses with simple patinas; the perceived quality of which is deeply impressive. Road and powertrain noise is well suppressed, lending the cabin a serene air. Despite its reasonably compact form, there’s a respectable 590 mm of rear legroom and 320-968 litres of luggage space on offer.
With the inexorable move towards electrification, plug-in hybrids such as the 450h+ appear to be a good alternative to full EVs in that they can offer the convenience and cost-effective benefits of electric motoring in most urban driving scenarios and then switch to long-distance duties – and even entertain its pilot – without the range anxiety associated with the need to plan journeys around our country’s limited EV charging infrastructure. This technology does carry a price premium, and to make the most of the electric powertrain benefits you do still need to factor charging time into your driving habits, but such compromises aren’t as pronounced as with full EV cars. Given the recent curbing of overly ambitious product line electrification plans from the likes of Ford and General Motors (driven by a combination of waning EV demand in the face of high prices, charging infrastructure limitations, and the withdrawal of purchase incentives in certain markets) it will be interesting to see if more real-world-versatile PHEVs – especially ones as engaging and capable as the 450h+ – will gain further traction.
Find the full feature in the November issue of CAR Magazine.
