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2022 Lexus NX gets new chassis, engines and even a PHEV

The Lexus NX is one of the more recent additions to the Lexus lineup, having made its debut for the 2015 model year. In that time, it's only received a couple of facelifts. Now, the small crossover is getting its first full redesign in the form of the 2022 Lexus NX. And while it may look evolutionary, it offers a load of new and welcome features. The new NX is now built on the TNGA-K platform, which also underpins the Toyota RAV4 and Camry and the Lexus ES among other small to midsize models. Lexus says it's structurally more rigid and offers a lower center of gravity. Fitted to this platform is a plethora of powertrains. The NX 250 gets a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It's available with front- or all-wheel drive. The NX 350h hybrid gets the same engine but with a couple of electric motors. That gives it all-wheel drive as well as 239 horsepower. The regular NX 350 gets a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder making 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, plus all-wheel drive. Topping the range is the NX 450h+ with the RAV4 Prime's 2.5-liter four-cylinder and larger electric motors making 302 horsepower. It's also only available with all-wheel drive and has a 36-mile electric range. The non-hybrid powertrains now come with an eight-speed automatic, but the hybrids continue to use CVTs. All of these new mechanical updates fit under a fresh but familiar-looking shell. It's short and taut with many curves and creases, but it's generally smoothed and softened compared to the previous model. The most distinct change is at the rear where the NX adopts a full-width taillight like the IS and UX. It also features the brand's name spelled out in letters just below the taillight. The inside is more significantly updated, and the focal point is undoubtedly the new infotainment system. The old touchpad and mouse designs are dead, and the NX will be the first to use this new touchscreen system. It was developed by a division at Toyota's North American headquarters, and seems much more intuitive, though we'll have to reserve final judgment until we try it ourselves. It uses either a 9.8-inch screen or optional 14-inch unit. The latter incorporates dedicated touch buttons for comfort controls and physical temperature dials blended into it. The smaller screen uses all physical controls for comfort functions. Both have a physical volume knob, too.

2015 Lexus RC 350 F Sport snarls in Switzerland with darkened demeanor

Lexus is finally ready to return to the coupe market with the new RC, and while we already saw it in Detroit, it brought the new RC 350 F Sport version for the Geneva Motor Show.
The car packs 306 horsepower and 277 pound-feet from its 3.5-liter V6 and is meant to sit between the standard RC 350 Sport Coupe and the full bore RC F.
Most obvious when you glimpse the coupe is the more aggressive spindle grille with a new mesh treatment and dark, 19-inch F Sport wheels. The interior also receives a host of upgrades with Rioja Red leather and Silver Performance trim, plus perforated leather trim on the steering wheel and shift knob. There is a bit of LFA inspiration as well with the F Sport getting its moving center ring instrument display. It is not all about better style though because the coupe also gets adaptive dampers and an optional four-wheel steering system.

Lexus Eco Challenge rewards schools for clean water, briquette press projects

Teams from one New Jersey high school and one Michigan middle school reversed the old adage by thinking locally and acting globally. And that strategy won them the grand prizes in the most recent edition of the Lexus Eco Challenge. The future is indeed bright. The Toyota luxury-vehicle division gave out a half-million dollars in this year's contest. One $30,000 grand prize was awarded to the Pinelands Eco Scienteers from Little Egg Harbor, NJ, which produced and distributed low-cost briquette presses to rural villages beset by deforestation. The other grand prize went to the E.T. Electrical Team from Byron Center West Middle School in Michigan. That middle-school group raised money to send water filters to Haiti, Kenya and the Philippines. Lexus also awarded eight $15,000 first-place awards, with the winners including high schools from California, Florida, Missouri and Pennsylvania as well as middle schools from Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas. A special shout out goes to Daniel Boone Area High School in Birdsboro, PA, where students created an educational and public-relations campaign to publicize algae-based biofuels. In all, Lexus has doled out more than $4 million in Eco Challenge awards in seven years. Check out Lexus's press release below. Students Get Dollars and Sense in Lexus Eco Challenge - $500,000 Awarded to Teams Who Learn About Environment and Community Empowerment Two Grand Prize Teams Earn $30,000 Eight $15,000 First Place Awards Given to Innovative High School and Middle School Teams Students Bring Ideas to a Larger Audience and Make a Positive Impact on the World TORRANCE, Calif., (Feb. 24, 2014) – It's a win, win situation! Communities become a better place, and students, teachers and schools have the chance to share $500,000 in scholarships and grants through the Lexus Eco Challenge. This year, the $30,000 Grand Prize winners are the Pinelands Eco Scienteers from Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, and the E.T. Electrical Team from Byron Center, Michigan. The Lexus Eco Challenge is an educational program and contest that inspires and empowers young people to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. High school and middle school teams nationwide define an environmental issue that is important to them, develop an action plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report on the results.