Lexus has confirmed it will unveil an entry-level crossover aimed squarely at the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque at the Beijing Motor Show that will open its doors to the press next month.
Tentatively called NX, the crossover is essentially a toned-down version of the LF-NX concept that was presented in Frankfurt last September and again in Tokyo last November. A image of the production NX briefly displayed at a press conference shows the crossover wears a more conservative version of Lexus' trademark spindle grille and a softer front end but the concept's chiseled silhouette appears to remain roughly intact.
Tentatively called NX, the crossover is essentially a toned-down version of the LF-NX concept that was presented in Frankfurt last September and again in Tokyo last November. A image of the production NX briefly displayed at a press conference shows the crossover wears a more conservative version of Lexus' trademark spindle grille and a softer front end but the concept's chiseled silhouette appears to remain roughly intact.
Interestingly, both concepts accurately previewed the production crossover's drivetrains. When it goes on sale, the NX will be offered with a 220-horsepower gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain consisting of a small electric motor and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and a brand new gas-burning 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine fed with a turbocharger. Power will be sent to either the front or all four wheels via an automatic transmission.
The turbo four will be Japanese automaker's first turbocharged engine. After debuting in the crossover, it will be gradually replace the existing 2.5-liter V6 and find its way under the hood of a wide variety of upcoming Lexus vehicles.
The crossover will boost Lexus sales around the world but company executives are not looking to catch up to German rivals.
"We don't want to copy BMW and we are certainly not chasing BMW and Mercedes volumes. Our focus is to keep the brand very individual," explained Richard Balshaw, the director of Lexus' British arm, in an earlier interview with Auto Express.
After debuting in the Chinese capital, the NX will go on sale across the United States and Europe next summer as a 2015 model.
Read more: http://www.leftlanenews.com/lexus-nx.html#ixzz2vGuzPtwn
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