Men_s Health Australia - April 2016__

MOTORING

What is it?

Lexus’s compact SUV

(it’s more midsize in reality)

What’s different about it?

It’s a petrol-electric hybrid in a market

full of diesels, though Lexus also

released a variant with their new

small-capacity turbo-petrol engine

(the 200t) last year.

Certainly looks different...

Lexus’s new design language, with that

signature spindle grille, has divided

opinion, particularly on the IS range.

Those bold, distinctive lines give the

NX a handsome individuality in the

fairly bland SUV field.

What about the interior?

Big ticks. Typical top-shelf Lexus

materials and quality. The Remote

Touch touchpad works well...once

you get the hang of it. A wireless

phone charger is a clever first.

Passenger space is okay, but it’s pretty

roomy when it comes to load space

• two large suitcases could be placed
  flat next to each other in the boot.

And the drive?

Definitely comfortable, though not

overly sporty, even in the F Sport

variant tested. The CVT gearbox does

its job quietly and efficiently.

The verdict?

Worth a look for those who dare to

be different. Also unbeatable value

against its premium German SUV

competitors when you factor in the

long list of inclusions.

MAKE CONTACT

Eyecontact,thatis.Atan

intersection, ensure you make eye

contact with the driver of the

nearest car giving way. “It’s an

attitude thing,” says Richards. “You

can potentially avoid misfortune.

It also gives you a better idea of

what’s happening on the road.”

BRING SIGHT TO THE BLIND

Adjust your side mirrors properly.

“In a race car we adjust the

mirrors out so we can just see

the side of the car,” say Richards.

Do the same on the road and

you’ll remove the blind spot

b e hind your c ar ’s re ar c o r ne r s.

A move to front-drive architecture means
the X1 can now be had in front-drive only
(sDrive in BMW-sprachen), bringing with it
less weight and better economy. MH tested
the 2.0L diesel, which sits higher up the
food chain and gets an all-wheel-drive
syste m (xDrive) that ap p ortions torque to
the rear wheels as needed.
As befits a brand that stakes its
reputation on driving enjoyment, on road the
X1 offers sp orts-sedan han dling in a m uch
taller vehicle. It sits flat, turns in
sharply and grips impressively. The only
caveat is that the ride part of the ride/

han dling e quation suffers. Even in Co mfort

setting on the car’s adaptive suspension,

small road imperfections are easily felt.

Likewise, on our test car’s 18-inch Pirelli

Cinturatos, coarse road surfaces introduce a

roar into what is otherwise an im pressively

quiet cabin. It would be easy to blame the

stiff sidewalls of the car’s run-flat tyres,

but other models in the BMW range don’t

exhibit the same problem.

If road noise can occasionally be an

issue, you can’t say the same for the engine.

BMW’s latest diesel is a cracker, offering

power aplenty (140kW/400nM of torque) with a

very quiet engine note. Married to a slick-

shifting Aisin eight-speed auto, it’s also

fun and responsive, while offering diesel’s

usual economy advantages.

For the driver, the dash layout has all

the familiar understated BMW elements,

freshened up by the wraparound central

console. There’s a long list of standard

features, now including a rear camera. But

then, for $56,500 (MLP) you’d expect that.

However, if you want a digital speedo and

head-up display you’ll need to hand over

$2700 for the Innovations Package or move to

the top-of-range xDrive25i ($59,900).

Quick Spin

LEXUS NX 300h

APRIL 2016^59