Lexus NX going hybrid and PHEV-only

The Lexus NX is losing its petrol powertrain, with the luxury brand confirming on its Japanese website it has axed the NX350.

We've contacted Lexus Australia for comment and will update this article when we hear back.

The move will see the mid-size premium SUV lineup reduced to the NX350h hybrid and NX450h+ plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in its domestic market.

Lexus in Japan has also announced the discontinuation of the petrol-powered LS limousine, ahead of a planned – and likely final – update for the current-generation flagship sedan.

The NX350 uses the same turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that was also phased out of the Australian-market Toyota Kluger lineup in 2024. It remains in the related Lexus RX large SUV, as well as a wider range of Lexus and Toyota models not offered in Australia.

A hybrid powertrain using this engine is offered not only in the RX, but also in the LM500h people mover.

Available exclusively with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission, the NX350 produces 205kW of power and 430Nm of torque.

Should the NX and LS lose their petrol options in Australia, they'll join the LM and the UX small SUV in being offered only with hybrid powertrains.

Lexus launched the second-generation NX in Australia early in 2022, with two petrol-powered variants included in the range.

The entry-level NX250 used a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, and was axed in 2025.

Petrol-powered NXs accounted for just over half of all NX sales in Australia in 2022 and 2023. However, in 2024 their share dropped to 22.1 per cent, and then fell again in 2025 to 16.8 per cent. The vast majority of NXs sold here are hybrids, with the plug-in NX450h+ having faced supply issues since launch.

In the RX lineup, the petrol-powered RX350 accounted for 15.6 per cent of total RX sales in 2025 and, as with the NX range, hybrids account for the majority of this nameplate's sales.

MORE: Explore the Lexus NX showroom