Test drive Lexus NX vs RR Evoque

This comparative test might not have happened - everything was decided in a split second. The brake is on the floor, the ABS is hopelessly chirping, the tires are trying with their last bit of strength to grab onto the dry asphalt, but I perfectly understand: another half a second, and the hybrid crossover will turn into an expensive sandwich ...

This comparative test might not have happened - everything was decided in a split second. The brake is on the floor, the ABS is hopelessly chirping, the tires are struggling to grab onto the dry asphalt, but I understand perfectly well: in another half a second, and the hybrid crossover will turn into an expensive sandwich. On the right is a wagon, and straight ahead is a snow-white E-Class. The moment I started counting the airbags, the girl who had forgotten about the mirrors returned to her row. The adrenaline rush immediately gave me a headache, and the inside of the Lexus NX smelled of burnt plastic.

A measured hybrid, of course, copes with such road situations, but this is not its native element. With smooth acceleration, linear braking and constant battery monitoring, the NX 300h teaches you how to drive. Calm and discreet. The top Range Rover Evoque behaves very differently. It has 240bhp, a 9-speed automatic transmission and an unsettling chassis, which, coupled with 20-inch alloy wheels, makes the crossover flinch on any bumps. The most expensive NX attracts with its economy and technology, the top-end Evoque takes with dynamics and excitement. The two opposites are hidden in a similar wrapper - stylish, glossy and incredibly attractive.

An unremarkable building in which 30 years ago the newspaper Pravda, pencils and sometimes balloons were sold, has turned into a fashionable place for teenagers. Now they sell donuts with chocolate sprinkles, cola in small glass bottles, and on weekends they offer fresh waffles with vanilla jam. And in the evening, a couple of hours before the cafe closes, the best cheesecakes with raisins are prepared there. The Evoque, shining after sunset, had to be parked right at the entrance to the establishment - there were no free parking spaces on the roadway. Thanks to this, for about twenty minutes more, chewing cheese cakes, through the window I looked at 20-inch alloy wheels, a dropping roof and tracery mirrors painted in red. The Evoque's design is almost four years old, but it still grabs attention. I jump into the crossover and drive towards the office for the hybrid Lexus NX. But on the way, I realize that there, in the bakery, I forgot the keys to the Lexus. Right on the table.

I put the “puck” into sports mode and, with all my strength, I press the accelerator pedal - only 20 minutes remain until the closing of the institution. Range Rover Evoque in the only petrol version is equipped with a 2,0-liter supercharged unit with 240 horsepower. With it, the crossover is noticeably faster than the DeLorean: Evoque overcomes the first “hundred” in just 7,6 seconds. But then the engine no longer impresses with dynamics - the high center of gravity still affects. Acceptable by modern standards, acceleration from a standstill provides a 9-speed "automatic" XF. The box changes gears at lightning speed, keeping fuel economy in the electronic mind. But I don’t want to drive dynamically in the city on the Evoque. And that's why.

First, the top crossover has 20-inch wheels with 245/45 tires. They look great, adding charm to an already charismatic crossover. But any unevenness, be it potholes on the asphalt or even embossed markings, is immediately felt on the steering wheel. Therefore, it is almost necessary to carry the crossover on hand through the "speed bumps", tiptoe through the sections with road repairs and very carefully park at the curbs. Secondly, the 9-speed transmission requires a certain "lapping". The operating algorithms of the box are radically different, you just have to push the accelerator a little harder. ZF can simultaneously throw three gears down or hold a certain step a little longer than usual - all for the sake of fuel economy or the most efficient start. For those who get behind the wheel of the Evoque for the first time, the car's behavior will seem too nervous and unstable, which in fact is far from the case. You need to get used to it.

I had to pick up the keys to the Lexus from the cleaning lady - I could not arrive on time. NX 300h amazed with its calmness from the first seconds. The Japanese engineers were faced with a difficult task: it was necessary to develop a compact crossover in such a way that it would not be inferior to the leaders of the segment, including the Evoque, either in terms of equipment or dynamics, but better to surpass them in all parameters. It almost worked out.

The main thing that surprises the hybrid NX is not 150 extra pounds in the trunk, but appearance. Boomerang-shaped navigation lights, narrow head optics, endless stampings on the body and an openwork fifth door - the Lexus world was divided into an era before and after NX. And it seems not only for me.

Our test Lexus came with a few deep scratches. “Give me 20 minutes and it will be like new,” a man in a bright tracksuit cordially offered to fix all the scratches right on the sink. “No, well, the rear scuff needs to be painted - I won’t decide there.”

The NX is especially good at bright blue. The snow-white Evoque with purple accents looks just as good, but its exterior, made in the style of a large Range Rover, has already become familiar. Inside, the English crossover also strives to be like its older brother, and the Lexus interior, on the contrary, is replete with small details - you sit like in a cockpit.

NX has a lot of newfangled solutions like a multimedia tablet screen, analog clock and digital instrument cluster. And although everything is assembled very efficiently and with minimal gaps, the interior looks certainly not at $ 40. Evoque has no problems with the interior decoration: all around is delicate leather, soft plastic and high-quality textiles. You can only find fault with outdated multimedia with a grainy screen and too large scales on the dashboard. But this problem was solved during the first restyling - the updated crossovers will appear on our market by the end of the year.

Range Rover has set a very high standard in the segment with its attention to detail: it is not enough to be very high quality - you have to offer something else. This can be a memorable appearance, new options or technologies. With the latter, Lexus hit the mark: there were no hybrid models in this class yet. And while this technology is over 10 years old, it continues to inspire excitement, turning NX controls into a PC game. The crossover is set in motion by a power plant consisting of a 2,5-liter petrol "four" and two electric motors. Internal combustion engine output is 155 hp. and 210 Nm of torque. One electric motor at its peak produces 143 hp. and 270 Nm, and the other - 68 hp. and 139 newton meters. The petrol unit and the 143-horsepower electric motor work exclusively on the front axle, and the 68-horsepower - on the rear. The total maximum output of the NX 300h power plant is 197 horsepower.

The Range Rover excels in tight corners with minimal roll and well-tuned dampers. NX also loves to dive in turns, but does not do it so confidently. At least a hybrid version with too heavy stern. Under the rear sofa of the crossover, there are 100-kilogram nickel-metal hydride batteries. The batteries are charged using the internal combustion engine or through regenerative braking. To be honest, I expected more from the efficiency indicators. In Greece, where we tested the NX for the first time, we managed to keep within 7-8 liters per “hundred” in the combined cycle. In Moscow traffic, the hybrid's appetites first rose to 11 liters, then dropped to 8, and finally settled at 9,4 liters. This is an excellent indicator in the class, but it is unlikely to surpass the figures of the same diesel Evoque.

NX likes to pretend to be quiet: it will not turn on the internal combustion engine until the last, even if the temperature outside is about zero degrees, and the interior has not yet fully warmed up. I move the selector to the Parking position and press the gas pedal - this way you can forcibly activate the gasoline engine. After working for a couple of seconds, it slowly goes out, like my Alfa Romeo with a faulty mass air flow sensor. And only when the battery charge was minimal, the internal combustion engine started up and no longer stalled. The Lexus Hybrid has an all-electric EVmode. It is better to activate it in traffic jams - in this case, the gasoline engine will remain in the shadows until the last, giving priority to the electric motor. But even with a full charge of batteries in EVmode mode, the NX will hardly travel more than ten kilometers - the battery charge replenished from the internal combustion engine and recuperation cannot be enough for more.

The equally glossy Cadillac SRX of the cottage community representative who helped us with the filming fit perfectly in the parking lot between the Lexus NX and the Range Rover Evoque. It has the latest options, and powerful engines, and visual appeal, but SRX cannot be called the leader of the segment, and it will not become one in the foreseeable future: the Range Rover Evoque is more thoroughbred and meaner, and the Lexus NX is more affordable and modern. And where are the German classmates there?

We express our gratitude to the family sports and educational cluster "Olympic Village Novogorsk" for help in filming.