LEXUS CRANKS UP CRAFTSMANSHIP LEVEL OF NX CROSSOVER
THE Japanese call them takumi, meaning “artisan,” and the work of these people is evident in the refreshed version of the Lexus NX compact crossover.
According to Lexus Manila, which earlier this month unveiled the 2018 lineup of the NX, the latest rendition of the model boasts of the “skill and attention” to detail for which the takumi is known. Cited in particular by the company is the revised needlework marking the leather surfaces of the NX’s cabin furniture, which it said are “stitched perfectly straight.” It also noted that the “intricate pattern” adorning the leatherwork “can only be executed with the help of hand- operated machinery equipped with special needles that are resistant to overheating and thread breakage.” “This is the essence of the
takumi way,” said Takeaki Kato, chief engineer of the NX model. “Even if this can’t be immediately seen, an acute attention to details, such as the way the stitching of materials create a subtle pattern, can be felt spiritually to make a difference.”
In the Philippines, the NX is available as the NX 300 ( formerly called NX 200t, which also comes in F- Sport trim) and the NX 300h hybrid. Lexus explained the NX 200t’s rechristening is the result of the brand having adopted turbochargers for other models as well, a move that will be seen on the rest of the Lexus range. The NX 300 is powered by a turbocharged 2.0- liter, 235hp, 350Nm gasoline engine while the NX 300h’s hybrid drive train combines a 153hp, 210Nm, 2.5- liter engine with two electric motors that together spin out 194hp. Output from the conventional engine is harnessed by a six- speed automatic transmission while