New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Specs, Interior, Release Date

New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Specs, Interior, Release Date  –  There are plenty of moments in life when one needs to know their audience. Pleading your case for a later curfew as a kid, for example, or speaking in public as an adult – or trying to justify buying more car parts at any age. Gauging what charms the person to whom you are speaking can be time well spent.

Lexus introduced the NX as an option for buyers seeking a small crossover carrying a prestigious badge. New for this year, the New 2026 Lexus NX300h F Sport Blackline Edition brings a sporty edge to the hybrid-powered model for the first time. And doing so does nothing to tarnish its appeal to its intended audience. In fact, it even enhances it.  New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Specs

New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Redesign and Update Plan

Exterior and Interior

No complaints are aimed at the front-row accommodations, where driver and passenger find a pair of exceedingly comfortable chairs providing heat and ventilation options. Even with a moonroof, headroom was more than ample for this 6-foot-6 author. Ditto for front legroom, but whatever chicanery robbed this crossover of some usable cargo space also nabbed a bit of rear legroom.

Materials and fit in the NX cabin are first rate, confirming why certain people use the term Lexus-like to describe a well-made vehicle. Easy-to-use buttons pepper the steering wheel, a tiller which features soft perforated leather on its heated sections. Lexus delivers on its promise of luxury.

New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Specs

As one would expect of any Lexus, the NX 300h is filled to the gunwales with standard kit, including handy items like a wiper de-icer and adaptive cruise control. The F Sport Blackline Edition package bundles niceties like a 10-speaker audio system, 10.3-inch infotainment screen, and built-in navigation. A power sunroof and tailgate, snazzy seats, and premium lighting are also part of the deal. Notably absent, however, is a wireless phone charger – a feature that’s standard in the New 2026 Toyota Venza that rivals the NX for ride quality.

Astoundingly, one can increase engine noise by using a feature dubbed Active Sound Control, which tries to mimic the sound of an engine and shifting gears by playing audio through a speaker hidden behind the dashboard. However, actual engine effort and the simulated racket don’t always sync, causing a headache-inducing cacophony. Like a snooze button on a smoke alarm, it’s rather pointless.

Engine and Performance

The brand’s standard hybrid drivetrain, housed in the New 2026 Lexus NX 300h, is a 2.5L gas-fired four-cylinder that collaborates with two front and one rear electric motor as well as a continuously variable gearbox (CVT). Together with the 1.6-kWh battery pack behind the back seat, the rear motor offers all-wheel drive and helps to somewhat explain, but not excuse, the somewhat tiny rear room.

Thanks to unique power delivery properties of each motor and the engine, the NX 300h is endowed with just 197 net horsepower. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, well, it isn’t. Acceleration from a stop can generously be described as leisurely, though keeping adequate pace in traffic is not an arduous task.  New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Specs

New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Fuel Economy

How much fuel was saved? We nearly matched the official city rating of 7.2 L/100 km published by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) in a week of mixed driving on high-friction winter tires. No quarter was given in terms of driving style, suggesting that kinder treatment of the accelerator pedal could result in even better returns at the pump.

The powertrain floats seamlessly in and out of electric-only mode when it’s available, working like a dutiful butler quietly doing background tasks. The 1.6-kWh hybrid battery isn’t huge, and its reserves can be quickly depleted, but they are replenished by the NX’s regenerative systems – one of those electric motor generators up front, or the braking system. This reduces the amount of time its gasoline-powered engine is running, saving fuel.  New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Specs

New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Safety Features

Lexus makes a lot of noise about its suite of driver aids, and with good reason. The latest version found here imbues the NX 300h with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping, not to mention various and sundry sensors that warn of impending doom. The NX can take evasive action if the driver has chosen to activate that functionality. The expected yaffle of airbags are on duty in case of calamity.

Most infotainment systems already require a thick user manual, so some users may find the Lexus remote touch interface to have a sharp learning curve. Rather than a rotary dial, the NX has a square touchpad upon which one traces their finger, controlling a pointer on the infotainment screen. Much like the trackpad on an old IBM laptop, haptic feedback is delivered through the touchpad when the user lands on a selectable function. Most of the menus are different, however, leading to varying haptic points on the pad. New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Specs

Lexus has wisely provided physical buttons for common items like heating and cooling. A quartet of rocker-style switches have a great tactile feel, while volume and tuning knobs are mounted low but within reach. A few controls were scattered around the interior, like the one for the heated steering wheel, which required a close examination of the area around the driver’s left knee.

New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Price and Release Date

Badge snobbery comes with a price. In this case, that price is just north of $60,000 before tax for what amounts to a compact all-wheel-drive crossover with a compromised cargo area and not enough power. However, the high-grade interior and care with which it is assembled do at least partially justify the NX’s sub-$50,000 starting price, for those willing to forgo the fancy F Sport package (there’s an even more expensive Executive pack that further adds to the poshness).

Drinking from the Lexus chalice has always been expensive. Only you can answer if the badge is worth the premium. With a head-of-class interior and gold-plated reputation, there’s no doubting the NX’s pedigree. That’s more than enough for some customers to pony up the cash. There’s something to be said for a machine that knows its audience and skillfully uses a playbook of features to broadcast its mission with clear intent. In this, the New 2026 Lexus NX 300h succeeds.   New 2026 Lexus NX 300h Specs