By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(March 16, 2015) The NX 200t is much better looking in person than in photographs, and the F-Sport version is better looking still. Perhaps the small size of the NX, like that of the IS sedan, is better suited to the spindle grille and exuberant detailing than Lexus’s larger offerings. The new styling language seems particularly suited to the IS, and NX takes these same lines and forms and drapes them over a small crossover shape. It works.

LED low beam headlamps paired with halogen projected-style high beams are standard, though you can drop $1,160 for triple element LED low and high beam headlamps, like the ones on our test car. Our tester came with the standard setup, and I continue to feel that LEDs provide the sharpest beam cutoff and whitest light available in the mass market.

In addition to the addition of  LED high beams, the full LED lighting package features 23 LEDs in each daytime running light, 16 in each turn signal, and intelligent high beams that use the Lane Departure Alert camera to detect oncoming lights (or taillights ahead) to dim the high beams. Which allows even the most inattentive drive to keep his high beams on at all times without blinding those in front. Lexus also makes a lot of noise about the LEDs in the door handles. They incorporate puddle lamps and highlight the handle’s silhouette.

This attention to detail extends to the structure, which started out as a Toyota RAV4, but has been suitably modified for its use here. The platform is a mix of high-strength steel and aluminum that uses adhesive bonding, laser screw welding and an increased number of spot welds to create a stiffer structure. In addition, the engineers added a front bumper reinforcement, a front suspension brace, tunnel bulkheads, more rigid mountings for the rear suspension arms, and more.

To reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), urethane insulator panels were added to the hood and front fenders, a rubber sheet was added to the dash panel sound deadener, and a new vibration dampening coating has been added to the floor. Plus, the NX 200t receives a computer-controlled system that adds back pleasing yet sporty notes to the cabin in concert with engine speed. This makes the powertrain sound sporty without being excessively loud.

The suspension features MacPherson struts in front, and a double-wishbone rear suspension with separately located coil springs and dampers. Vehicle speed-sensing steering is used, and features a torque sensor mounted on the steering column near the motor and reduction gear of the electric power-assist unit. Ordering the Comfort package replaces the manual tilt-telescope adjustment with a powered system. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, Brake Assist, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Smart Stop Technology are standard.

Under the hood is an new turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 235 horsepower from 4,800-5,600 rpm, and 258 lb.-ft. of torque from 1.650-4,000. It features a 10:1 compression ratio, a cylinder head with integrated exhaust manifold, a Toyota-developed twin-scroll turbocharger, an air-to-liquid intercooler mounted directly to the engine, piston cooling jets, a three-stage oil pump, and it can switch between an Otto and Atkinson combustion cycle for greater fuel economy. It mates to a six-speed automatic gearbox, and the driver can choose between Eco, Normal and Sport modes.

In addition, the all-wheel drive system uses an integrated, electronically controlled coupling to provide on-demand all-wheel drive. The front:rear torque split is 100:0 in most situations and 50:50 when maximum use of the all-wheel drive capability is needed. However, you have to have the front-drive version if you want to hit Lexus’s published 0-60 time of 7.2 seconds. Adding all-wheel drive brings this time closer to eight seconds.

Moving inside, the interior seems a bit tight at first glance, a consequence of the combination of a low windshield that slopes back toward your head and a high cowl, but you soon get used to it. Interior space is about what you would expect from a compact crossover, though the materials and design are not. As with the exterior, the interior mimics the styling, features and craftsmanship of the IS sedan.

Two-tone Rioja Red leather seats brighten what otherwise could be a dark interior, and choosing the F Sport trim level adds a G-meter and boost gauge to the display located between the tachometer and speedometer. It seems silly — I certainly thought so at first — but the G-meter gave me confirmation of the severity of the full-ABS panic stop made to avoid an errant deer. Of course, it didn’t seem as silly as the pull-out hand-held mirror located between the wrist rest for the infotainment system’s trackpad and the center arm rest.

With the visor vanity mirrors most every car has these days, an item like this seems painfully redundant, and smacks of last-minute desperation to fill an unexpected slot in the center console. On the plus side, those with Qi-compatible digital devices can use the optional ($220) phone-sized wireless charger located just under the center arm rest.

The eight-way front seats are comfortable and provide good lateral and under-thigh support. Styled to look like sport seats, they do not constrict movement or cause winter clothing to bunch and bind. Order the Premium package, and you also get heat and ventilation. The reclining rear seats are relatively flat, but ordering the F Sport package adds a modicum of lumbar support to seats that also split and fold to increase cargo space.

Smaller items can be hidden in the compartment under the load floor. Rear seat leg room is pretty good if the driver and front seat passenger are not excessively long-legged, and the center portion of the backrest can be folded to provide an arm rest with built-in cupholders when there is no center passenger. The NX 200t works best as a four-passenger vehicle.

On the road, the NX fitted with the F Sport package has the same firm ride you get in every other F Sport Lexus makes. On broken pavement, dips and swales, the ride is a bit harsh, but in keeping with the character of the vehicle as it feels lively. (This is not that case in larger F Sport-equipped cars like the GS.) However, these abrupt ride motions suggest a sportiness that does not appear when the NX is pushed into a corner.

The steering has a pleasing heft and linearity, the brakes are responsive and the pedal reasonably firm, but serious understeer eliminates any playfulness. With all the work done elsewhere to make the RAV4 platform worthy of Lexus duty, you would suspect that some effort would have been expended to make the AWD system an active participant in the proceedings. By taking control over the rear differential in order to send torque as need to the rear wheels when cornering briskly, the engineers could have made this a small luxury crossover that is as much fun to drive as it is interesting to look at. But they didn’t, and Lexus lost a golden opportunity to build a budget answer to Audi’s, Mercedes’ and Porsche’s small SUVs.

There’s a lot to like about this vehicle, and — if Lexus was still selling its wares as equal to but different than the competition — it would be enough. However, its focus on performance, especially in F Sport form, has raised the bar to a level that “good enough” just isn’t good enough. Though reasonably priced and tastefully outfitted, the NX 200t does not push the envelope far enough. Boost and G-meter gauges suggest an all-around sporting capability the little Lexus lacks.

I was not expecting a crossover that would hunt down sports cars while dealing with inclement weather as if it didn’t exist, but I did expect it to be more fun to drive in all conditions.

The Virtual Driver