What's New for 2015

Introduction

Lexus affiliates around the globe have called on the Japan mother ship to fill a growing need in the brand's lineup: a compact crossover, like those offered or planned by its premium-badge rivals, designed to court young buyers seeking a small, active-lifestyle craft with a measure of indulgence. The corporate lords will respond with the 2015 Lexus NX 200t.

The small SUV will slot in under the RX model, a mainstay of the Lexus line. More important, it needs to start around $30,000. The NX 200t will likely use the same platform as the Toyota RAV, but the chassis underneath the current CT 200h hatchback might also work, a theory given minor credibility by spy shots showing the NX 200t wearing CT 200h sheet metal.

More significant is that the NX 200t will use Toyota's first turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Now a staple of compact performance cars and small-to-midsize crossovers, the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder design typically straddles the best of both worlds: inspired turbo performance with better fuel economy than the smaller six-cylinder engines they often replace.

Watch for Toyota's new engine to migrate along with six- or eight-speed automatic transmissions to other Lexus models, including future IS sedans and the RC 250, the latter essentially an IS coupe and possibly the first to arrive with the new engine.

The NX line will also feature a hybrid model, the NX 300h. Following the logic of the Lexus ES 300h sedan, the new NX hybrid could get a 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired with an electric motor and continuously variable transmission, as well as all-wheel drive.

We're not likely to see the first of the NX models in the U.S. until early 2015, making Lexus a late arrival to a party that should by then be in proper form with the currently available BMW X1 and forthcomers like the Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class. Check back for more on the 2015 NX 200t, including specs, driving impressions and buying advice as it becomes available.