Whistler, British Columbia, Canada – 

The new Lexus NX, a sharp-styled SUV aimed squarely at the likes of the BMW X3 and Range Rover Evoque, is a bold new cut for Lexus. The LF NX concept design debuted in Frankfurt in 2013, and the road-going NX looks almost exactly the same.

It looks a lot more lively than its big brother, the RX – it’s smaller, of course, but also appears as if a samurai with a wai-kizashi and a keen pen-eye went around hacking bits aesthetically and brutally out the bigger SUV.

While its underpinnings are derived from the current Toyota RAV4 and the slightly longer-wheelbased Toyota Harrier, assistant chief engineer Sunao Ishihara says they were used only as a starting point and the end result is more than 90 percent different.

Unlike the IS, which retained its refined and slightly boring nature, the NX packs something big for the party – the first Lexus turbocharged engine. Codenamed 8AR-FTS, it’s packed full of technology and a major step forward which is aimed at helping Lexus keep pace with its Teutonic rivals.

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Lexus will offer a number of different variants for the NX in Singapore – the turbocharged 200t, which comes in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive flavours, as well as the hybrid NX300h, which has hybrid-electric AWD by default (it’s an ‘e-tron quattro’ before Audi has done) and like the GS and IS, there will also be F Sport options for both drivetrains.

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The F Sport variant features a load of exterior and interior additions to sharpen it up even more in the looks department. There’s a different front bumper moulding in metallic paint, an F Sport mesh spindle grille, black mirror caps, two 18-inch wheel choices in 10-spoke design and dark finish and a different exhaust pipe design that’s modelled on motorcycle slip-on pipes. It all serves to improve the sense of menace the NX already has, nicely.

In the cabin there’s the now signature F Sport colour for the upholstery ‘Rose Red’ with matching stitching, a different instrument design, injection-moulded Sport seats and metallic trim elements. While the NX has a wheelbase significantly shorter than that of its rivals – 2,660mm versus 2,800+mm on the German cars – rear leg and head room is generous, and four adults won’t feel cramped aboard. Petrol heads will most enjoy the G-meter and boost gauge, which are integrated into the car’s 4.2-inch active TFT instrument panel nestled between the dials.

The version we tested here in the mountains near Whistler, British Columbia, was the all-wheel-drive NX200t F Sport. The AWD system operates as front-wheel drive the majority of the time, which helps efficiency, but is also capable of a torque split of 50:50 as required. AWD helps cut 0.2 seconds from the 0-100km/h time of the 7.3 second FWD-only variant, but also adds about 100kg to the kerb weight, for a total average of 1,847kg.

The company’s announcement of turbo power was big news, but the biggest impression the 200t drivetrain gives is of classical Lexus refinement. What’s more noticeable is that above 4,000rpm, or the beginning of peak power, the car begins to pull more strongly without becoming at all rough. As a 2.0-litre near 240bhp engine, it’s benchmarked to the usual German suspects, but also feels nothing like them.

As expected of an F Sport model, the suspension and steering has been tuned for improved dynamic driving, an impression which shows clearly behind the wheel of the NX200t F Sport, with increased feedback from the helm and even less body movement.

With stiffer suspension and less squat, the car even felt more sprightly under acceleration and composed under hard braking, although it was still very comfortable. Tyre noise was no different from before, and we found the tyres protest quite early, but without breaking traction. Like with the GS and IS though, the F Sport package will be a popular option to highlight the car’s natural eye-opening looks and up the driving ante slightly.

Lexus says it now takes 16 percent of the global luxury-SUV market and aims to increase that to 21 percent next year all with the help of its ‘NX big step’. It’s a rare Lexus, one that’s gone from drawing board to bold production model almost unchanged, and we’re sure the company understands that SUVs are nowadays all about the visual show, rather than where you can possibly go.

Lexus NX200t F Sport AWD

NEED TO KNOW

Engine                               1,998cc, 16V, inline 4, turbocharged

Power                                238bhp from 4800 to 5600rpm

Torque                              350Nm from 1650 to 4000rpm

Gearbox                           6-speed automatic

Top Speed                     200km/h

0-100kmh                         7.1 seconds                                 

Fuel efficiency                TBC

CO2                                     TBC

Price                                   TBC

Availability                       Early 2015