CAST your mind back 15 years ago and the four-by-four market was just starting to properly take hold for manufacturers taking their first steps in the now ultra-competitive sector.
Having been previously dominated by the Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover before the likes of BMW with its X5 and the Porsche Cayenne was unveiled, other marques soon cottoned on to the fact people - admittedly often without taste - were eager to spend vast sums on the latest SUV.
Nowadays it’s much different - seemingly every manufacturer has a premium SUV in its line-up as it’s a market that’s been on a continual rise in the last decade and they know just how much money there is to be made, hence why Bentley and Lamborghini have released the Bentayga and Urus respectively and a Ferrari SUV is apparently on the horizon.
Lexus - who have for years been one of the go-to players in the luxury saloon market - have made forays into the SUV market in the past with its RX iterations but the NX300h brings something a little different to the smaller end of the sector.
When you see horrid BMW X3s and mind-numbingly boring Audi Q5s being lapped up by the gullible, it’s no surprise Lexus has staked its claim with the NX, a handsome, different and rather beguiling proposition thanks to its clever hybrid technology.
As opposed to shoving a diesel-powered motor under its bonnet, there’s a 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and battery pack, helping to reduce carbon emissions.
Open the door and if the handsome looks didn’t totally win you over, the interior and its quality will surely do so. Lexus designs strike the right tone from the off, whether you’re in an IS saloon or a premium SUV.
Thumb the starter motor and you’re met with no noise as it’ll use its hybrid technology until its driver is too heavy on the throttle. The automatic gearbox is perfectly admissible and although its handling won’t set its driver’s world alight, what can we really expect from a car of this type?
The ride, in £36,995 F Sport trim, can prove to be a little choppy on open, fast roads but its firmer set-up isn’t ever something to be too critical of.
It’s not perfect - the brake pedal has a tendency to feel grainy and putting your foot down befuddles the economical-minded powertrain as you get a huge dose of revs - but the NX300h is something different, something way more interesting than its rivals.
