Lexus NX 450h+ long-term test: report 8

The car Lexus NX 450h+ Premium Pack Run by Will Williams, senior photographer

Why it's here To see if this plug-in hybrid can suit someone who covers a lot of miles, while serving as both family transport and a working vehicle

Needs to Combine the practicality and wow factor that you'd expect from a large, prestige SUV, with the low running costs you wouldn't

Mileage 14,051 List price £52,870 Target Price £51,043 Price as tested £57,370 Test economy 65.0mpg Official economy 256.8mpg

11 October 2022 – The best view in the house

I’m no Luddite, but in my view, any new technology needs to genuinely improve my life, rather than being a gimmick that I’ll use only once.

Step forward the clever Digital Panoramic View monitor on my Lexus NX. When it's in use, the infotainment screen shows an overhead view of the car, generated using cameras in the bumpers and door mirrors.

In essence, it lets me see what’s around my car from the point of view of a bird flying along above me. The Lexus system even lets you change the colour of the car that appears as part of the graphic to match your own, which is neat.

Digital Panoramic View means I’m immediately aware of when I’m getting too close to any surrounding objects, which is useful for keeping all the body panels of my Lexus NX scratch free. It means I can park more neatly, and as a photographer with a liking for orderliness, that makes me happy.

Now that's helpful technology indeed.

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