Lexus launches NX 200t, luxury compact SUV in the Brazilian market

1. Introduction


Lexus Launches NX 200t line, first compact SUV from Toyota's luxury brand. Available for sale from March 13, NX reaches the Brazilian market in its regular version, for R $ 216,300.00, and the F-Sport package for R $ 236,900.00.


NX symbolizes the new generation of Lexus models, for consumers seeking modern design, superior performance, high-tech equipment and refined finish, defining features Lexus Amazing in Motion.


SUVs lines refer to a multi-dimensional body, diamond-shaped carved from a single piece of metal. The front grille Spindle type, combined with the aggressive lines of the front and the optical assembly fully LED, convey the impression that the car will bite.


Inspired by sporting high performance, NX is designed to provide agility and excitement to the driver. Equipped with the 2.0L turbocharged engine with unprecedented direct injection accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 7.2 seconds, yielding 238 horsepower and features low fuel consumption, with combined average of 9.2 km / l.


All development and construction of NX 200t carries the experience of Takumis, master craftsmen of Lexus, specializing decades in the production of the brand's vehicles. This differential ensures personalized and unique quality to each model detail.


The interior of the NX provides the comfort of a living room, combined with high-tech equipment that redefine the interaction of the driver with the vehicle, such as the Lexus Remote Touchpad Interface ™ and G-Force ™ Lexus, unheard of force accelerometer G.
With the release of NX 200t, Lexus hopes to expand its presence in the Brazilian luxury market. In 2014, even acting in only 15% of this segment, the brand sold 240 units in the country, 19% increase compared to 2013. With the new model, the potential participation of Lexus cover 40% of the premium car market, with expectation to achieve monthly sales of 100 units in the medium term.


2. Design external


The whole body of the NX has rigid body formatting, assembled from digital technology and laser welding, using steel and aluminum for high strength and structural reinforcements, strategically positioned to achieve the desired level of lightness.
To ensure balanced and striking presence, without losing the aggressive and sporty profile, strong, innovative and bold lines NX suggest a body carved from one solid piece of metal, like a work of art, referring to the diamond look.
The imposing front grille type Spindle highlights the aggressive lines that run throughout the body. The side give the model a muscular look with creases extended to the rear, in a multidimensional format.


The front optical assemblies have three projectors lamps L-shaped, with Full-LED technology. In addition to improved energy efficiency, the full-LED provides only light use, ensuring constant lighting in high visibility to the driver angulation. Headlamps NX 200t were defined in more than 3000 tests, performed by hand by Takumis.


The fog lamps, also in LED, integrated into the front bumper, contribute to excellent visibility, both at night and in low light conditions.


The doors have handles with meticulous design, providing a safe and smooth opening. Full-LED lights turn on automatically when the driver approaches the vehicle.


The rear optical assembly, also in Full-LED has highly articulated lamps with the trunk, designed to refer to a gemstone when lighted. The L-shape, again, emphasizes the logo Lexus firmly expressing the innovative design of the mark, in addition to ensuring a perfectly continuous lighting up the edges of the body.

The Lexus NX 200t has the following dimensions:


• 4.63 m long
• 1.845 m wide
• 1,645 m high
• 2,660 m wheelbase
3. Mechanical and transmission
NX is designed to symbolize a new era for Lexus. For the engineering team responsible for the project, it was not enough just to provide the perfect combination of high performance, pleasure and driving emotion. It was necessary to go further and deliver a powertrain really able to deliver performance and fuel economy.


After careful evaluation, with more than a million miles of testing under various conditions, including extreme environments, engineering opted for a new technology in brand car: 2.0L turbocharged engine with direct injection, which has an advanced and differentiated system control valves on Otto-Atkinson cycle.


The reduced opening time of the valves improves model performance, offering responsive steering and pleasant acceleration. On the other hand, reduces emissions and fuel consumption guarantee the efficiency.


The new engine delivers maximum power of 238 hp at 5,600 rpm and torque of 35.7 Nm reaches up, between 1,650 rpm and 4,000 rpm, combining cylinder water-cooled and integrated head to the exhaust manifold.


The leakage NX has dual output in chrome finish, enhancing the sportiness of a turbo engine and combining refinement to aggressive behavior.


The automatic six-speed transmission is equipped with artificial intelligence, with the turbo engine and all-wheel drive ensures a unique sense of direction. It presents a new logic demand for torque control, which calculates the strength to maximize rapid response acceleration, also helps to reduce fuel consumption.


The compact and ultrarrígida front suspension is McPherson type, and left a fine calibration of springs, dampers, stabilizers and bushings. At the rear, which features the Double Wishbone configuration, the engineering work was also detailed, providing a precise handling to NX.


The same attention was used in the calibration direction with electric assist, which can be light at low speeds and direct and firm in road use.


4. Design Inside


NX has been carefully crafted so that both conducting and passengers feel at ease inside, with ease of use, practical and space technologies at hand, as if they were in your living room. Its construction is the most perfect translation of omotenashi, Japanese word meaning hospitality that makes the guest feel at your own home.


All Lexus vehicles are created with masterful skill. In NX, was no different. The finishes refer directly to the premium and combine the urban feel of the vehicle with the structural and functional beauty of a high-performance machine.


The attention goes from the carved style analog clockwise until the subtle Lexus logo engraved in the center console side of the screws.


With decades of experience and expertise in car assembly, the Takumis care of every detail, ensuring the NX personalized and unique handmade quality finishes, without losing the remarkable robustness of an SUV.


Based on the concept that the interior of a sports should eliminate unnecessary movements, Lexus explored diligently functionality intuitively on your dashboard and in every one of its controls, so that the driver only concentrate on driving.
The instrument panel is divided into two distinct areas: information and operation, representing an evolution in the design concept. The functional layout was organized based on the frequency of use and the driver's actions, such as the position of levers, buttons grouped by function and convenient compartments for smartphone, glasses and sunglasses.


The use of modern technologies, such as welding laser adhering to the body, increases the stiffness of the joints of the panel, gives good stability and provides a more responsive to driver input.


Following the Lexus standards, offering refined comfort customers, NX has internal finishes made of fine materials such as leather details standard on the steering wheel, the banks, the handle transmission, the panel and center console, and coating the panel central and doors in standard wood.


Protectors of knees, located on both sides of the body structure, serve as support for driver and passenger, providing greater comfort for occupants.
NX is on top of its category also in terms of internal space for rear seat passengers. Are 2,660 mm wheelbase, 970 mm (front) and 968.4 mm (rear) of headroom and 1,452 mm (front) and 1,403 mm (rear) of space for the shoulders.


The quilted pattern of the seats and the varied thickness padded express the vehicle's style.

5. Comfort and convenience


NX 200t has items that prioritize and increase the comfort and well-being of the occupants, from the smallest detail to unprecedented capacity on board a Lexus.


In the information area, the driver is refined clarity on the odometer and speedometer, with the circles in silver in three-dimensional format. White light in numbers and pointers gives safe visibility for the driver.


Between the odometer and speedometer, the driver has available on-board computer with color screen on the liquid crystal, measuring 4.2 inches. In it are revealed information of cell phone calls, fuel consumption, range, average speed, outside temperature, gear indicator, tire pressure, audio and GPS information.


The multimedia system, installed in the center of the panel to mitigate to the maximum the driver's gaze deviation, has 7-inch screen that plays the trip computer information, and data from the navigation system, AM / FM radio, DVD player, MP3 / WMA, digital and devices connected via Bluetooth® TV. A touch screen, next to the handle of the exchange, optimizes control of the multimedia system functions. In it, you can operate the same way as in tablets. This technology, called Lexus Remote Touchpad Interface ™, is another innovation of the model.


In the operations area, NX has start button, air conditioning dual zone digital, dial direction modes Eco, Normal and Sport, heating and cooling of the seats, electrically operated sunroof and assistance button on ramps.


Complement the NX functionality, steering wheel controls to operate the on-board computer, audio and cell phone in addition to the Cruise Control and butterflies for shifting. Mirrors, equipped with LED lighting systems, have electric drive, direction indicators and Tilt Down command. The banks of the driver and front passenger have electric adjustments away, tilt, height and Return & Away function, and the driver can store up to three positions.


To ensure ultimate comfort experience, Lexus NX has storage compartments in the center panel and side and rear doors, armrests and central coasters for driver and passengers.




6. Safety


The NX line is packed with safety features, and equipped with 10 airbags (two front, four side, two curtain and two for protection of the knees, these for driver and front passenger seat).


The model also has front and rear ABS brakes with electronic brake distribution and assistance, electronic traction control and stability, emergency brake light, reverse camera, rain sensor, washers and height adjustment of the headlights, seat belts three points with height adjustment, pre-tensioner and force limiter for all occupants and ISOFIX anchoring system for child seats.


The complete security package includes departure warning, blind spot monitor, rear foglamp and extended headlamps that increase the driver's field of vision.


7. F-Sport Package


The F-Sport package is a variant of NX 200t, which refers to a sporty design and offers unique visual elements such as the design of 18-inch aluminum wheels, exterior mirrors in black and front grille Spindle type honeycomb form (Mesh). Highlights also include doors and center panel with brushed steel finish and banks and interior mix records leather pattern in red and black colors.


In F-Sport panel were added ornamentation, seams and perforations and exclusive sport seats that hug the driver, aluminum pedals, emblem and perforations in the steering wheel and shift.


Other exclusives F-Sport package are the multi-information panel with Head-up display and the panoramic sunroof. The advanced technology, superior to that used in competing models, allows the driver even under extreme lighting conditions, the clear viewing direction information without looking away from the traffic, including speed, audio system, ECO Driving Indicator and system navigation.


System variable adaptive suspension (AVS), strength of accelerometers G and boost pressure and the Sport + driving mode, with the calibration of the hardened suspension, are also exclusives F-Sport package.


To further increase the comfort, the driver's seat in NX 200t F-Sport has lumbar adjustment and eight memory locations.


8. Colors


Common colors for the NX 200t and its F-Sport package are White Sonic, Nebular Grey, Platinum Silver, Titanium Grey, Solid Black, Black Obsidian and Red Matador. There is variation in shades of blue (Meteor, for 200t version, and Metallic, in the F-Sport) and Brown Agate (200T only).