Lexus NX 450h+ wins Best Large Hybrid SUV title in the What Car? Electric Car Awards

The NX 450h+, Lexus’s first plug-in hybrid electric model, has won the Best Large Hybrid SUV title in the 2022 What Car? Electric Car Awards.

It is the second top honour for the model from What Car?, following up the Plug-in Hybrid of the Year title it received in January this year.  Together, these awards recognise the all-round strengths of the all-new NX in one of the most fiercely competitive parts of the premium car market.

In bestowing the award on the NX, the judges remarked: “This may be Lexus’s first plug-in hybrid, but it’s so good that you’d swear the brand had been making them for years.”

In their appraisal they highlighted the all-electric driving range – “farther than rival large SUVs” – which helps deliver lower running costs. When the petrol engine is brought into play, they admired its “impressive smoothness” and “plenty of punch.”

It’s a defining characteristic of Lexus’s plug-in hybrid technology that, when battery power is depleted, the vehicle automatically shifts to highly efficient self-charging hybrid performance, where competitor models default to the internal combustion engine.

The judges also praised the car’s “soothing ride and reassuring handling” and braking that’s free from the “grabbing” feel that afflicts many other plug-in hybrid models. “Add in a classy interior with some of the comfiest seats around and the NX is a superb all-rounder,” they concluded.

The second generation NX opened the next chapter for the Lexus brand, heralding new directions in design, new powertrains and a significant step forward in dynamic performance. The NX 450h+ is the halo model of the range, equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that produces 305bhp/227kW, giving 0-62mph acceleration in 6.3 seconds. This level of performance is balanced with combined cycle (WLTP) fuel economy of 256.8 to 313.8mpg and 21 to 25g/km CO₂ emissions. Thanks to its powerful lithium-ion battery and all-round efficiency, the Lexus can cover up to 46 miles on electric power – and up to 61 miles on the urban cycle. It also comes as standard with Lexus’s E-Four all-wheel drive.

ENDS