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2022 Lexus NX touchscreen infotainment review

The all-new 2022 Lexus NX’s most important change, improvement and missed opportunity is its equally new Human Machine Interface infotainment system. It also has implications for the entire Lexus brand, because it signals the demise of the unloved Remote Touch tech interface. That such an important development arrives on one of the brand's cheapest vehicles may seem surprising, but it's consistent with the brand's product cycle: Remote Touch's first major upgrade, the infernal touchpad, actually debuted on the original NX. We didn't like it 2014 and that never changed. The new "Human Machine Interface" touchscreen isn't perfect, but it's still a vast improvement. Or rather, both touchscreen choices are vast improvements: a 9.6 unit base unit and a 14-inch widescreen upgrade included in Luxury and F Sport trims. Both share a common, all-new interface developed in the United States that will spread throughout the Lexus lineup. Regardless of size, the screen's lowermost portion is devoted to the climate controls, with physical temperature knobs sticking around along with defroster buttons. The touch icons are large enough, don't omit frequently used choices and always remain on the screen. So does the row of menu icons on the screen's left side, making it easy to go back and forth between screens. Unusually, though, there is no home screen, nor the ability to split the screen to show two sources – for instance, Google Maps on the left and radio information on the right. This would be one of the aforementioned missed opportunities, especially on the 14-inch unit, as split-screen functionality is usually a key benefit of a widescreen format. Not only do rival brands like BMW and Genesis offer this, so do the widescreen displays of Lexus Remote Touch and some Toyotas. According to Technical Communications Lead Chris Pedregon, the decision to only show one thing at once was to highlight the new natural voice command functionality and to "minimize the touch-touch-touch" of using a touchscreen. She also noted that people did not like that the old Lexus NX only had a split screen. Another Lexus representative noted that secondary information, say that radio information, can be shown in the instrument panel. That's the argument, here's the refutation. First, saying "Hey Lexus" followed by a command can be just as frustrating and/or futile as it is with any other voice recognition system.

2016 Lexus GS F First Drive [w/video]

Performance cars used to be about horsepower and chassis tuning. Lately the question isn't so much what's under the hood, but how many buttons are on the console. We're overwhelmed with individual settings for engine response, transmission, exhaust, steering, and ride. When did these cars turn into a choose your own tuning adventure? The Lexus GS F represents an attempt to step back from this over-adjustable madness and return to more bygone sports car values. It has a special engine, unique bodywork, and a chassis tuned for high performance. There are only two settings you need to play with. The first setting is the Drive Mode Select dial on the center console, which mainly controls the response of 5.0-liter V8 engine and the shift behavior of the eight-speed automatic. The engine is the same V8 found in the RC F, making the same 467 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque. New this year are small balancing weights on the crankshaft pulley that cut down on internal vibration. Drive Mode Select also changes the electronic power steering, air conditioning, and stability control (you can also turn it all the way off via a separate button). The engine is the same V8 found in the RC F, making the same 467 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque. You will use two settings in the GS F: Eco when you want to get somewhere, Sport S+ when you want to get somewhere fast. Normal and Sport S modes offer intermediate steps you don't really need. Eco mode softens the throttle and reduces the use of air conditioning for slightly better fuel economy. It also makes the center-mounted tachometer switch into an eco-driving gauge. S+ puts everything into sport mode, including a heavier steering weight and a higher stability control threshold. While Sport S mode shifts the noon position of the tachometer to just below the horsepower peak of 7,000 rpm, S+ goes a step further and turns the rev indicator into a solid bar that grows around the edge of the display. It also adds oil and coolant temperature to the readout. And how could we fail to mention G-Force Artificial Intelligence (or grin at such an overwrought name)? That's the shift logic the transmission uses in Sport S+. It's designed to hold revs in corners and downshift during hard braking. "Our goal with F is to make a driver's car, not a drag race winner." The other button in the Lexus GS F that you need to pay attention to is next to the Drive Mode Select knob, labeled TVD for Torque Vectoring Differential.

Lexus RC 350 F Sport ready to take on Europe's coupes

Rumbling into the slot between the Lexus RC 350 Sport Coupe and the RC F is this, the RC 350 F Sport. Debuting at the Geneva Motor Show next week, the intergalactic malevolence of that spindle grille is given further aggression with a mesh treatment and 19-inch F Sport mesh wheels in dark metallic. Traditionally, F Sport models have also brandished unique fascias, but the standard RC is so visually aggressive to begin with, it still ought to throw quite a scare into rivals like the BMW 4 Series M Sport.
Bigger identifiers come in the cabin and under the skin, foremost being the redrum-reminiscent Rioja Red leather treatment and Silver Performance trim, perforated leather wrapped 'round the steering wheel and a moving center ring in the dash cluster inspired by the LFA. When the coupe is put into Sport+ mode, the included adaptive damping will kick in, and buyers can optionally order the four-wheel steering system when the car goes on sale in the US this fall.
There's a press release with info and specs below, a high-res gallery above and a bright lights, big city introduction on March 4 in Geneva.