With plug-in hybrid gross sales rising in Australia, Lexus has reintroduced the NX450h+ PHEV, making its return for the primary time since March 2023, when a halt was positioned on the favored SUV’s gross sales.
The pause was attributed to provide points and a two-year ready checklist extending into 2025. The NX450h+ is now out there solely within the flagship F-Sport grade, outfitted with the Enhancement Pack 2.
Gross sales of the NX450h+ are up by 100% for 2024, though this development is from a restricted base. The mannequin returns simply months forward of a vital Fringe Advantages Tax exemption for plug-in hybrids being eradicated.
Costs begin at a considerable $95,000 plus on-road prices, reflecting a $5,910 improve in comparison with the worth in March 2023.
For this value, patrons obtain an SUV that makes use of a platform and powertrain much like that of the Toyota RAV4 PHEV, which isn’t out there in Australia. The NX450h+ combines a 136kW/227Nm 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine with a strong 134kW/270Nm entrance electrical motor and a secondary electrical motor producing 40kW and 121Nm for the rear, permitting it to speed up from 0 to 100 km/h in simply 6.3 seconds.
Extra importantly for premium plug-in SUV prospects, the NX450h+ boasts a big 18.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which the producer claims can ship as much as 87 km of pure electrical driving primarily based on ADR 81/02 (NEDC) lab assessments. This vary surpasses that of opponents just like the Mazda CX-60 (76 km), Volvo XC60 (81 km), and Mitsubishi Outlander (84 km), which have turn out to be benchmarks within the plug-in hybrid section.
By way of gas financial system, the NX450h+ claims a notably low determine of simply 1.3L/100km, though that is typical of plug-in hybrids and sometimes inflated by lab testing requirements.
Knowledge from VFACTS signifies that 5,619 Lexus NX automobiles have been offered between January and November of this yr, representing an 11.8% decline in comparison with the identical interval in 2023. Nonetheless, regardless of inventory shortages, the NX450h+ and NX350h mixed made up 74.4% of whole NX gross sales in 2024, with the bottom NX250 comprising the remaining 25.6%.
Even with the downturn within the medium SUV section above $60,000, the Lexus NX stays the second best-selling mannequin in its class, trailing solely the Tesla Mannequin Y, which offered 12,516 items.
Lexus Australia CEO John Pappas expressed gratitude to prospects for his or her endurance, stating that efforts have been made to make sure sustained manufacturing volumes shifting ahead.
Moreover, Lexus revealed that the petrol ES 250 mid-size sedan can be discontinued for 2025, leaving solely the hybrid ES 300h+ of their lineup, which at the moment accounts for 90% of deliveries. As of late November 2024, 74.5% of Lexus car gross sales have been hybrid, PHEV, or battery electrical, holding the model heading in the right direction to realize 100% electrification by 2030.
Source link
