SPONSORED SERIESFrom City Chic to
Country Charm
The sleek Lexus NX300h powers an eco-friendly R&R road-trip.
BY JOE CUMMINGS. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES DHARAPAKLexusAsia.com/TastefulTravels
that suggest a muscular agility which, I
soon discover, matches the car’s driving
character perfectly. The car’s unique
spindle grille evokes the ravenous maw of
a jungle cat, a design that gives Lexus its
bold identity—but to the casual passerby
just looks super cool. Our car’s Sonic
Titanium skin gives off a soft, silvery glow
that takes on different hues depending on
the ambient light, speaking volumes about
Lexus’ artisanal craftsmanship.
After pushing the car’s power button,
I was greeted by total silence. At startup,
the NX300h is powered by an electric
motor for a silent, zero-emission drive,
an experience that I began to appreciate
immediately. There’s an incredible burst
of electric torque upon acceleration,Sprawling Metro Manila can be an
overwhelming place to navigate as a
driver, but the Lexus showroom occupies
a block in North Bonifacio, a planned city-
within-a-city boasting gleaming hotels and
condos, public art installations, upscale
bars, trendy restaurants, pocket parks,
and walkable sidewalks. I’m picking up a
brand-new 2019 Lexus NX300h and our
mission is to pilot this hybrid machine into
the greenest heart of Laguna Province, and
a cluster of water-filled volcanic craters
known as the Seven Lakes of San Pablo.
The neighborhood’s easily navigated
streets make the perfect launching point,
and soon I’m headed south on elevated
South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Passers-
by admire the subtly chiseled curves