Lexus accidentally leaked the 2022 NX crossover, and it looks great

As reported by Motor1 via Reddit, Lexus accidentally uploaded a YouTube video showcasing the not-yet-revealed second-generation NX crossover, revealing its exterior and interior design in full. The video was swiftly taken down, but it has been reuploaded by AvtoCorp for our viewing pleasure. And yes, the new NX looks good.

The exterior styling is fairly familiar, but the new NX is a lot smoother and more attractive than the outgoing model. The spindle grille is still present and has an interesting mesh pattern and a faux skid plate element, while the LED headlights are sleeker and no longer have a separated light strip. The fender flares have been made less aggressive, but the new NX has some great crisp side surfacing and a kicked-up line that merges with the pinched D-pillar.

At the rear the new NX has a ubiquitous full-width LED light bar and some fake vents in the bumper. The taillights have a nice 3D shape to them, and overall the rear looks a lot less fussy. The NX in this video seems to be a standard model, so expect an F Sport trim to have more aggressive styling.

We’re most excited about the fully redesigned interior, though. The first thing you’ll notice about the new NX’s cabin is that Lexus finally ditched that godawful touchpad infotainment system, replacing it with a huge touchscreen in the center of the dash. There are physical knobs for the climate controls, what seems like a digital slider control for audio volume and a couple of other buttons at the base of the screen. There’s also no analog clock, though having one has been a Lexus hallmark for decades.

The steering wheel is a new design, and behind it sits a fully digital gauge cluster. The gear shifter is smaller and seems to be electronic, and the center console has a wireless charging pad, a drive mode selector, buttons for some off-road controls (and an EV mode I’ll get to in a sec), and both a USB and USB-C port. I particularly like the two-tone color scheme of this NX, and there’s some intriguing trim pieces on the door panels that are reminiscent of the LS sedan’s kiriko glass option.

The new NX will surely ride on the modular TNGA platform that underpins basically every new Toyota and Lexus product, and it should grow in length and wheelbase and offer more passenger room and cargo volume. While the NX in the exterior shots is badged NX 200, pointing toward a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the video proclaims “The new Lexus NX 350h,” meaning there’s a new hybrid model coming to replace the current NX 300h. (Thus the EV mode button on the interior.)

But most interestingly, the video mentions an NX 450h Plus that will be Lexus’ first plug-in-hybrid model — something already hinted at in patent filings. We bet the PHEV NX will share its powertrain with the Toyota RAV4 Prime, with a naturally aspirated four-cylinder mated to three electric motors for an output of around 300 horsepower and an EV range of over 40 miles.

Given that this leaked video seems to be made for the NX’s debut, it seems like an official reveal is imminent. Expect Lexus to fully announce the new NX within the next few weeks, though there’s a chance it might hold off on showing the PHEV until a later date. The NX should go on sale in the US by the end of 2021.