2015 Lexus NX 300h: Hybrid Winter Blues

Canadians have a love/hate relationship with hybrids, and it's easy enough to understand why. The promise of improved fuel efficiency in a country where gasoline has traditionally been an expensive commodity is a tempting lure dangled by battery-assisted automobiles, but our harsh winter climate and regular bone-chilling temperature dips wreak havoc with the ability of a hybrid automobile to deliver, year-round, on its fuel-sipping promise. The 2015 Lexus NX 300h is no stranger to this dichotomy, for while the luxury brand claims that its newest compact hybrid crossover will offer the utmost in frugality at the fuel pump, all bets are off once the mercury drops below zero.

Brave New World

Despite the spectre of unfulfilled efficiency lurking in the background, I'd like to talk about what the 2015 Lexus NX 300h does well, and it's a rather long list. For starters, the all-new Lexus NX (which is available with a gas-only engine as well) is a sharp looker, and I mean that in every sense of the word: it's hard to find an angle on the small SUV that couldn't slice you open. That the NX resembles a knife-fight on wheels is in fact a boon in a segment of the market where small people movers are more often styled after the appliances they imitate in function and personality.  In building its first-ever entry-level crossover Lexus has decided to make a bold statement with styling, and regardless of whether you like or loathe the NX 300h's aggressive visage you certainly can't ignore it.

• Also: Lexus’ LF-SA Concept Set To Hit Geneva
• Also: 2017 Lexus NX 200t: a Flashy Crossover that Makes a Statement

It's Bigger On The Inside

Lexus has resisted the temptation to push the NX 300h's exterior dimensions too far in the direction of its best-selling RX mid-size SUV, which means the vehicle remains small enough for easy parking, even if you happen to live in a city environment like I do where space is at a premium. Fortunately, the NX's cabin has been pushed out to the very edges of the possible, making the most of its interior volume to offer a spacious rear seat (that reclines in the hybrid model) as well as a useful amount of cargo room that can be expanded via the back bench's power folding feature. Up front things are a bit more snug, but in a positive way, as the NX offers more of a cockpit feel than its larger RX sibling. The hybrid 300h also comes standard with every single option in the NX portfolio, making it exceptionally well-equipped.

Remote Touch Needs To Be Jettisoned

It's not all smiles and cupcakes inside the 2015 Lexus NX 300h. While the vehicle's wood-and-metal trim and heated leather upholstery (and heated steering wheel) do impart a premium experience to those along for the ride, its Remote Touch infotainment system has evolved to the point where it's almost unusable. In replacing the plastic mouse found on past versions of the setup with a new touchpad, Lexus has rendered its navigation, communications, and entertainment menus very difficult to use, especially when the vehicle is in motion. Twitchy, and with an annoying haptic feedback feature that can actually bump your finger off of the pad if it's turned up too high, I was routinely frustrated in my attempts to get Remote Touch to perform the simplest tasks. The system's graphics and on-screen logic are also woefully dated, and mark the low point of the NX's interior.

Above Average Handling

Lexus has never been noted for building SUVs that prioritized driver engagement, but the 2015 NX 300h is an exception to this rule. The amount of communication between the NX's chassis and the driver is commendable, especially for a hybrid, and while I wouldn't label the crossover 'sporty' it's certainly not dull out on the road. All-wheel drive is standard, which means the crossover gets three electric motors (with one dedicated to the rear axles) to complement its 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine. Total output for the crossover is 194 horsepower, and I found acceleration to be almost as quick as the 200t turbocharged edition of the vehicle. In the snow, the 300h was masterful, keeping its footing even through deep drifts in my alley and on icy stretches of the autoroute surrounding Montreal.

I really enjoyed driving the Lexus NX 300h. What I wasn't so impressed with was its casual disregard for its advertised fuel efficiency rating. The luxury automaker claims that the NX 300h will return 7.1 l/100 km in city driving and 7.7 l/100 km on the highway, but I saw double that consumption in combined driving. It's no mystery as to why: with the heat cranked up and the temperatures outside hovering around -20 C, the Lexus was unable to shut down its gas engine for more than a few seconds on a given commute, as the climate control system, heated seats and steering wheel, and other various features drew too much power from the hybrid setup to rely on the battery alone.

Do Hybrids Make Sense For Canadian Drivers?

I don't mean to vilify the 2015 Lexus NX 300h's fuel consumption in particular, as the inability to meet expectations in colder weather is an across-the-board problem for hybrid vehicles. Still, with a price tag of $58,850 (a near-$15k jump over the NX 200t base model) it's hard to justify spending so much cash on a vehicle that will only operate as intended eight months out of the year.

The NX 300h simply doesn't make sense economically as a compact crossover option. However, if you want to sample the same well-tuned chassis, practical interior, and eye-catching exterior design without paying too much for efficiency you'll never see, then the battery-less NX 200t presents a strong alternative - and even if you pump it up with options it's still cheaper to buy than the NX 300h hybrid.