Lexus NX SUV - Interior & comfort
Lexus has reworked its infotainment setup for a more intuitive experience
While Lexus interiors have long impressed owners with their build quality and materials, the brand's infotainment has come in for some criticism. For a long time, it has used a touchpad and mouse-style cursor, which can be tricky to use while driving. Over the last few years, our Driver Power owner satisfaction survey has seen Lexus score well across the board, except for the fiddly media system.
Lexus NX dashboard
It's all change for the new NX, however, which now gets a large 9.8-inch touchscreen. Premium Plus Pack, F Sport and Takumi trim levels see this upgraded to an even bigger 14-inch screen, sitting next to a 10-inch display for the instrument panel. Both setups also come with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, so familiar smartphone-style apps can be used.
Equipment
The NX is generously equipped as standard, with features including a rear-view camera, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, LED lighting and a powered bootlid. There’s even a 10-speaker Pioneer audio system, which you’d normally expect to be an optional extra.
Specifying the Premium Pack adds keyless entry, privacy glass, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging and extra safety features (plus electric front seats for the plug-in hybrid). The Premium Plus Pack adds even more comfort and convenience features like heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, a wider-view reversing camera, a head-up display and customisable ambient lighting, along with the ‘Digital Tazuna’ cockpit with its larger digital screens.
The F Sport model has a sportier look that’s bound to prove popular with UK buyers, plus adaptive suspension and 20-inch alloy wheels. The top-spec Takumi adds a 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, automated parking assist, a sunroof, lane-change assist and a digital rear-view mirror. You can add these features onto the F Sport by choosing the Takumi Pack option.
Technology
Sit in the front seats, and the interior has been designed around the Japanese philosophy of ‘Tazuna’, where everything is easy to reach and within your eyeline. It’s a success, with most controls on the centre console very easy and comfortable to reach, but the big highlight is the large touchscreen. The Lexus Link Pro is a big step forwards over the fiddly old Lexus infotainment setup, which is clear, responsive and easy to use. It’s aided by a shortcut bar that stays on the screen, and the fact there are rotary dials mounted below for the climate control to avoid complication.
