Follow Your Nose: We Drive the 2027 Lexus NX

Olfactory elements don’t typically headline a new-car introduction, but that’s the case for the 2027 Lexus NX. Five years after the arrival of the second-gen NX—currently the brand’s second-best seller—Lexus has treated it to an update that goes beyond the usual facelift, although many of the changes are hard to spot. Perhaps that’s why, at the new model’s introduction, Lexus started by showing off the new Sensory Concierge system.

With Sensory Concierge, Lexus follows Mercedes, Lincoln, and others down the path of the car as a wellness spa. Making its debut in the NX, but sure to spread to other Lexus models, this is a fragrance atomizer that can coordinate with music and ambient lighting. There are three moods: Inspire, Radiance, and Revitalize. All combine a perfume diffuser, music, specific ambient lighting, and a signature visual animation on the center display (those animations stop if you shift out of Park); some of the themes also open or close the sunroof shade and alter the climate control settings. The system is initiated via the touchscreen, and doing so requires a bit of a dive: Settings, then Vehicle, then Sensory Concierge.

Once the system’s running, there’s a tile for it at the top of the home screen. The moods can be customized as well. You can switch to a different fragrance, kill the scent entirely, or select from among three different music choices; it will remember your preferences. Those fragrance atomizers are ceramic cartridges, and the scent is emitted from an opening at the top of the dashboard. We’re told that under max usage (perhaps you’re a ride-share driver who wants to wallop your customers with smells), they last 180 hours. You can also fire up any of the three fragrances independent of the Sensory Concierge—say, if you’re carpooling a bunch of middle-schoolers fresh from hockey practice. To access the fragrance dispenser directly, tap the fan-speed indicator to open the climate-control menu, then select the scent in low, medium, or high (high, in this case).

Outside of the aromatic addition, there’s a redesigned interior, tweaks to the mechanicals, and a slimming of the product lineup. Most notably, after dropping the base 203-hp inline-four engine last year, Lexus is now axing the 275-hp turbocharged inline-four. That leaves the hybrid and plug-in hybrid, both of which have been revised.

The regular NX hybrid, the NX350h, upgrades to Toyota's sixth-generation version, seen also in the Lexus ES. The NX PHEV powertrain in the NX450h+ is the same generation as the current RAV4 PHEV, but it gets a more powerful front motor-generator. Both hybrids have a revised engine block for reduced noise and vibration. An updated powertrain management strategy leans more heavily on the electric motors during acceleration. This reduces the use—and the noise—of the 2.5-liter inline-four engine laboring under acceleration; the more the electric motor contributes, the less the gas engine has to. Additional sound deadening in the dashboard also helps reduce engine noise.

For the regular hybrid, horsepower inches up from 240 to 244 horses; that’s with front- or all-wheel drive, despite the latter having a third electric motor that powers the rear wheels. The four extra horses aren’t dramatic on paper, although we estimate the new car will reach 60 mph in 6.9 seconds with front-wheel drive and 6.7 with all-wheel drive.

Previously, in our testing, the outgoing model climbed to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds, and the new version feels similarly unhurried. Despite the electric side of the equation helping out more, the engine is still pretty vocal and holds revs when accelerating. The NX hybrid could do with a faux-shifting program for its planetary-type CVT.

As is the case with the current NX, the plug-in hybrid NX450h+ is notably quicker than its sibling, even though the PHEV carries an additional 400-ish pounds. The outgoing car hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, last time we tested one. For 2027, total system output increases from 304 to 324 horsepower, thanks to a more powerful front motor-generator and a revised higher-output battery.

As for that new, slightly larger battery in the PHEV: We estimate net capacity to be roughly 19 kWh. The plug-in moves to a DC-fast-charge-capable NACS port. The result for the NX450h+ is more EV range: now a manufacturer-estimated 45 miles rather than previous model’s 37 miles of EPA range. Fuel economy for the NX350h, meanwhile, is essentially unchanged. EPA combined estimates are predicted to be 38 mpg with all-wheel drive, versus a 39-mpg rating for 2026, and 40 mpg with front-wheel drive, same as before.

We drove the NX350h and NX450h+ on rural Ontario roads near the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) Cambridge North assembly plant, where the NX is built alongside its Toyota RAV4 platform-mate. The pavement in the area is almost Germanic in its smoothness, but over what few bumps we could find, the NX was blissfully unperturbed. That tracks with the current car.

Most of the roads are also arrow straight, although when we finally encountered a few sweeping curves, neither the Luxury model with its standard suspension nor the F Sport with its adaptive dampers and selectable Sport mode felt particularly athletic. In either car, the soft chassis tuning permits easy body roll. That, too, aligns with today’s NX. A 0.4-inch-smaller steering wheel and revised steering gear, however, do make the NX seem more responsive—to the point that we felt that the slightly higher steering efforts in Sport mode, which create a more defined on-center valley, should be the default setting.

We previously criticized the NX hybrid for its brake-pedal modulation, faulting it for unpredictable action as the system switches from regenerative to friction braking. We didn’t find that to be the case with this 2027 model.

The comfortable driver’s environment has been redesigned, bringing noticeable change even if you never fire up the perfumery (which comes only on the F Sport and Luxury trims). The cockpit-style dash has been jettisoned; the new design has a horizontal theme with a more airy feeling. That’s welcome, because the unchanged window area remains small. There’s a new center console, and the NX ditches the odd shifter with its double-J pattern in favor of a less-odd little flipper that you push forward or back.

The center touchscreen is now 14.0 inches in all models (no longer do lesser trims slum it with a 9.8-incher). Improved logic allows it to show more functions at once, and most-often-used features can be added as tiles easily accessed by swiping. In a minor but appreciated ergonomic improvement, the billboard-style screen integration means there’s now a ridge at its base, which makes a convenient spot to brace your hand when you’re tapping the screen. Below, there’s a row of buttons beneath a smooth piece of trim. As before, the NX cabin is nicely finished, several degrees above its RAV4 sibling.

You’ll notice we haven’t yet mentioned the exterior; that’s because there isn’t much new to talk about. The headlights, grille, and taillights have a different look, but everything else is familiar. The greatest dimensional change is a slightly greater front overhang, owing to the reshaped fascia.

The 2027 NX is offered in four trim levels, down from the previous five. The base version got the heave-ho, making Premium the new entry point. The starting price for 2027 will therefore be higher, but we won’t know how much higher until closer to the on-sale date in January. Our guess is a couple grand more, or just under $50K to start. Carefully evolved, the 2027 NX maintains its appeal as a cushy conveyance that delivers the expected whiff of luxury. Only now, that scent is literal as well as figurative.

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