Lexus is currently aiming to reopen local orders of its sought-after NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV by the end of this year following a lengthy order pause.
The company announced it was suspending orders of the Lexus NX 450h+ back in March 2023 and has still only been taking expressions of interest since.
Lexus Australia claimed at the time that orders for the NX 450h+ stretched all the way into 2025 as a result of tight supply.
John Pappas, Lexus Australia’s CEO, told CarExpert this week the company is still trying to confirm how many NX 450h+ examples it can secure for Australia.
“We’re trying to get increased production to cater for all our customers and deliver their vehicles,” he said.
“So then we can take the [order pause] off, and we can open up orders.”
The all-wheel drive Lexus NX 450h+ is the first PHEV the Japanese carmaker has offered in Australia. It’s currently only available in a single fully loaded F Sport trim that costs $95,248 before on-road costs.
It’s powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, mated with two electric motors, an 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack and an electronic continuously variable transmission (eCVT).
Total system output is 227kW of power, also making it the most powerful variant in the current lineup.
Lexus claims the NX 450h+ has an electric-only range of 87km and combined cycle fuel economy of 1.3L/100km.
The Lexus NX 450h+ comes with a Type 2 AC charging port with charging the high-voltage battery from 0 to 100 per cent at 240V (21A) claimed to take 2.5 hours.
Last year Lexus delivered 415 examples of the NX 450h+, accounting for just six per cent of total NX deliveries.
The NX 450h+ was nevertheless the 10th best-selling PHEV in Australia last year, outselling the likes of the Audi Q5 55 TFSI e, Range Rover Sport P460e, and Peugeot 3008 GT Sport PHEV.
MORE: Everything Lexus NX
