Gateway To The Future

The Lexus NX350h is proof that the sensational and the sensible can be blended together in the same package.

- Parth Charan

The LEXUS NX350H T isn't what you'd call a common sight on our roads, but it ought to be. Especially the new one, which looks sharp enough to cut through the ozone like a hot knife through butter. Thankfully, it harbours no such ambitions. In fact, it's arguably one of the most planet-friendly SUVs in the market and, south of an actual EV, is one of the most economical and sustainable ways to get around in proper luxury. Unlike an EV though, the NX350h-a self-charging hybrid isn't going to run out of charge and leave you stranded. Which is reassuring, given the country's moribund charging infrastructure.

The NX's green credentials aside, it's still a delicious slice of Japanese engineering. The new model is still very much like the old one, except that a bit of Botox, airbrushing, and some shoulder pads have resulted in a crossover that looks beefed-up and period correct. The latter is particularly applicable to the interiors, which, in the case of the previous model, suggested that the NX was getting on in years. And historically, in the world of cars, that means Lexus either had to launch a new model, or take the old one to the back of a shed and have it put down.

LEXUS NX350H

ENGINE 2.5-litre petrol engine

POWER 240 bhp

TRANSMISSION CVT

PRICE Starting at ₹54.9 lakh

+ Packed with tech

+ Looks