All-new Lexus NX 300 - Variant comparison

It was only a few days ago when Lexus Malaysia officially introduced the 2019 NX 300. To everyone's delight, the new range comes with improved equipment, especially on the safety front and that too, with a lowered price tag. Thus, making the Lexus car an attractive option for a prospective buyer.

Here is a little heads-up on the standard features of the Lexus NX 300 lineup for the year 2019 -

• Lexus recently updated the NX 300 lineup, and it has dropped the previously available hybrid variant, NX 300h
• Now, available for the customers are three variants namely, Urban, Premium, and F Sport
• The dimension specs sheet reads 4,640 mm in length, 1,845 mm in width, 1,630 mm in height. The wheelbase and ground clearance stands at 2,660 mm and 190 mm, respectively
• The boot capacity is 500-litre with the rear seat in the upright position and 1,545-litre with rear seat folded

• All three trims are powered by the familiar and trusted 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo mill that generates a maximum power of 235 hp at 4,800 to 5,600 rpm along with peak torque from 1,650 to 4,000 rpm
• The 8AR-FTS twin-scroll turbo engine is coupled with a 6-speed conventional automatic gear with shift paddles and Dynamic Torque Control AWD
• On the performance front, the Lexus car cover the 0 to 100 kmph mark in 7.1 seconds, and it can hit a top speed of 200 kmph

• As mentioned, the most significant revision is seen on the safety side, the NX 300 now features LSS+, i.e., Lexus Safety System +. It’s standard in all variants and addresses three key areas of collision/accident protection - enhancing visibility during night driving, preventing or mitigating frontal collisions, and keeping drivers within their lane
• Included in the LSS+ kit are features like Active Cornering Assist (ACA), Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Brake Collision Assist, Lane Departure Alert (LDA) and Lane Tracing Assist (LTA). Also, there is a Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) system that is a camera and radar-based active cruise control, has low-speed follow and operates from 0 kmph

• The three-beam LED projector headlamps now get an Adaptive High Beam system (standard fitment). The said system uses eleven independent LED chips that turn off and on as per required and helps maintain maximum brightness while not bothering the other motorists. Note that this feature can not be experienced by the buyers in the showroom
• The 2019 NX 300 range features sequential signal lamp both at the front and rear, they move along the car’s signature tick-shaped LED daytime running lamps

Let’s now see what the individual variants have on offer, which will make their comparison easy — starting with the Lexus NX 300 Urban trim.

• At the front, it gets Ultra Compact 3-Beam LED projector headlamps with AHS, leveling, and washer. It also gets LED DRLs comes with a sequential signal lamp. The wiper gets rain sensors, and the OVRMs are power retractable with heater. Smart entry, rear wiper, power back door, and rear spoiler are also present in the base trim.

• The cabin showcases a premium finish thanks to the leather and silver film finish. The driver’s arena features multi-functional steering with power tilt & telescopic adjust and shift paddles.
• Other features in Lexus NX 300 specs sheet are smart start system, three drive mode (eco, sport, and normal), dynamic radar cruise control, dual-zone air-con, rear duct, electric parking brake, Lexus Premium Audio System with 8-Speakers, AM/FM Tuner, MP3, USB, Bluetooth, ALAC, WAV, 8 Channel Class D Amplifier, OGG Vorbis, and compatible with Miracast, 8-inch display screen, touchpad remote controller, 2 USB ports, and many storage compartments
• On the safety front, it gets LSS+, Lane Keeping System, Active Cornering Assist, Anti-Lock Braking System, Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Control System, Traction Control, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Hill-Start Assist, front & rear parking sensor, and a rearview camera. The passive kit includes 8 SRS airbags and whiplash injury seats

Coming to the Lexus NX 300 Premium, while most of the specs remain the same as the Urban variant. Below mentioned are the features that rank it a position up -

• The exterior gets ORVMs with not just heater but with memory function as well. Also, they come with auto fold & retract and are electrochromic
• The back door comes with a handsfree kick-open function, and there is a smart card key entry system
• The interior finish here is done in leather and wood, and the seats are wrapped in smooth leather and not Nuluxe leather
• Like the ORVM, the IRVM too is electrochromic
• The safety kit here is the same as Urban except it includes blind spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert

The last but not the least is the Lexus NX 300 F Sport trim and as the name suggests it comes with some extra sporty appeal. Let’s check it out -

• It gets F SPORT emblem both on the inside and outside
• F SPORT leather seats
• F SPORT type pedals
  F SPORT leather wrapping on shift lever knob
• Meter panel with boost meter and G-Ball
• It also gets performance rods, adaptive variable suspension and the drive mods here include a Sport S+ and Customise apart from the standard ECO, Normal, and Sport mode

• Its exterior feature is the same as the Urban trim
• The cabin is also the same as the base model except that it features F SPORT leather & film on the steering and other F SPORT layout as mentioned above
• The safety kit is the sale as the NX 300 Urban trim and likewise misses out on blind spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert

Lexus NX 300 color options -

• The Urban and Premium are available in Blazing Carnelian, Amber Crystal Shine, Graphite Black Glass Flake, Red Mica Crystal Shine, Sonic Titanium, Sparkling Meteor Metallic, and Sonic Quartz
• The F SPORT comes with two additional splashes Lava Orange and Heat Blue

Lexus NX 300 price -

• NX 300 Urban - RM 313,888
• NX 300 Premium - RM333,888
• NX 300 F Sport - RM404,000

Conclusion -

So, while the three variants are basically the same, with the F SPORT one getting a few sporty beautification elements. On the feature front, it’s the Premium that showcases a few new cabin and safety elements. Our suggestion is to see if the additional features or F SPORT touch are of use, if not then go for the base trim.