Lexus NX 300h revealed in India with starting price of Rs 60 lakh; launch in January

Luxury automaker Lexus unveiled its compact SUV NX 300h in India today. The smallest SUV from the Japanese carmaker is likely to cost upwards of Rs 60 lakh in Indian markets. Lexus has introduced the NX line-up for the first time in India with two variants on offer, the entry-level Luxury trim and the top-end F-Sport trim.

It will be the 2018 Lexus NX 300h facelift coming to India which was first seen at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year. The Lexus NX will be the third SUV line-up by the Toyota-owned car company to be launched in India after the mid-size RX crossover and full-size LX SUV. Apart from these, Lexus also markets its mid-size sedan ES in India.

Lexus NX 300h F Sport

Both variants of the Lexus NX 300h will be powered by the 2,494cc 16-valve DOHC VVTi engine which can take the cars from 0-100 km/h in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 180km/h. The 2.5-litre engine can dish out 194bhp of max power and 210Nm of max torque and comes with all-wheel drive. It will be coupled with an E-CVT transmission. The Lexus NX300h runs 18.2 km for every litre of fuel. It comes with a stop and start system which turns of the engine whenever the car is stationary to save fuel.

The Lexus NX300h will come with a hybrid motor with max output of 105kW to the front wheels and 50kW to the rear wheels. The accompanying battery-pack is a 204 cell NiMH unit. Although companies like BMW, Audi, or Mercedes Benz have priced their same segment vehicles lower than the Lexus NX300h, none of the competitors are offering hybrid options in the segment either. Another reason for the higher price than rest in the segment is that the car will be sold in Indian as a CBU. At low speeds, power will be drawn from the electric motor.

The sharp lines seen on Lexus cars will also be on the Lexus NX300h which has been built on the L-finesse design language. The headlamp cluster will get LED lights with the iconic L-shaped clearance lamps under it. It will also come with full-size panoramic roof with fixed glass. Inside the car will be a 10.8-inch infotainment system and a wireless charging dock for Qi compatible smartphones.

For security, the Lexus NX 300h will have eight SRS airbags lining the cabin, along with wide-angle cornering lines, EPB, VSC, ABS, traction control, hill start assist, and rear view camera.

The commercial launch of Lexus NX 300h has been scheduled in January next year, when it will be sold out of the four Lexus showrooms in Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Bookings have already begun for Rs 5 lakh, however, the final price will be released later.