Top Safety Pick

2024 Lexus NX Plug-In Hybrid

midsize luxury SUV / 4-door SUV

Plug-in hybrid

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Small overlap front
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: updated test

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Headlights
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0
Standard system
Front crash prevention: pedestrian
Standard system

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteria	Rating
LATCH ease of use	+

Other available safety features

Standard blind spot detection
Standard lane departure warning & prevention
Standard rear automatic braking

Key

Good
Acceptable
Marginal
Poor

Small overlap front

The small overlap front evaluation consists of a driver-side and a passenger-side component. If the results of the two evaluations differ, then the combined small overlap rating is equal to the lower rating.

Driver-side

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Lexus NX 250 4-door 4wd

The Lexus NX was redesigned for the 2022 model year, and the NX Plug-in Hybrid was introduced in the 2022 model year. Driver-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2022 Lexus NX conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall driver-side evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTN2110
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	2
Footrest (cm)	4
Left toepan (cm)	5
Brake pedal (cm)	2
Parking brake (cm)	0
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	0
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column	2
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	2
Upper dash (cm)	2
Lower instrument panel (cm)	2

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTN2110
Head
HIC-15	165
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.4
Extension bending moment (Nm)	12
Maximum Nij	0.24
Chest maximum compression (mm)	29
Femur (kN)
Left	1.0
Right	1.0
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	1
Right	2
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.28
Right	0.28
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	1.3
Right	2.0
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	41
Right	75

Passenger-side

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Lexus NX 250 4-door 4wd

The Lexus NX was redesigned for the 2022 model year, and the NX Plug-in Hybrid was introduced in the 2022 model year. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2022 Lexus NX conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall passenger-side evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2113
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	3
Footrest (cm)	4
Right toepan (cm)	2
Center toepan (cm)	2
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	0
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm)	3
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	4
Upper dash (cm)	5
Right lower dash (cm)	7

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2113
Head
HIC-15	83
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm)	15
Maximum Nij	0.26
Chest maximum compression (mm)	19
Femur (kN)
Left	1.0
Right	5.2
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	3
Right	8
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	5
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.47
Right	0.96
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	2.1
Right	3.2
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	63
Right	53

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2113
Head
HIC-15	130
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm)	19
Maximum Nij	0.23
Chest maximum compression (mm)	31
Femur (kN)
Left	0.8
Right	0.8
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	1
Right	2
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.24
Right	0.29
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	0.9
Right	1.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	37
Right	49

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Lexus NX 250 4-door 4wd

The Lexus NX was redesigned for the 2022 model year and the NX Plug-in Hybrid was introduced in the 2022 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2022 Lexus NX conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF2109
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	2
Left (cm)	4
Center (cm)	4
Right (cm)	4
Brake pedal (cm)	2
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	1
Right (cm)	1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	0
Rearward (cm)	0
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	0

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF2109
Head
HIC-15	166
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm)	13
Maximum Nij	0.19
Chest maximum compression (mm)	28
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	1.3
Femur force - right (kN)	1.4
Knee displacement - left (mm)	2
Knee displacement - right (mm)	2
Maximum tibia index - left	0.18
Maximum tibia index - right	0.45
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	2.1
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	53
Right	42

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: updated test

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2023 Lexus NX 250 4-door 4wd

The Lexus NX was redesigned for the 2022 model year, and the NX Plug-in Hybrid was introduced in the 2022 model year. Side 2.0 ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2023 Lexus NX conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis
Rear passenger head protection Part of the dummy's head moved beyond the rear portion of the side curtain airbag and contacted the C-pillar. The head protection is inadequate.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2233
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-21.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2233
Head
HIC-15	197
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.7
Compression (kN)	0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	14
Lateral force (kN)	0.9
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	25
Average deflection (mm)	19
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	1.57
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.23
Pelvis
Combined force (kN)	4.1

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2233
Head
HIC-15	252
Peak gs at hard contact	65
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.5
Compression (kN)	0.6
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	21
Lateral force (kN)	1.0
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	28
Average deflection (mm)	21
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	4.05
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.37
Pelvis
Combined force (kN)	3.0

About the side crash test

Headlights

Ratings are given for 2 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.

Trim level(s)

450h+ trim equipped with Triple Beam Headlamps package

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good in all 4 tests.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left curve and fair on the sharp left and both right curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway, on the sharp left curve and on the sharp right curve.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	450h+ trim equipped with Triple Beam Headlamps package
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating Applies to 2022-25 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	117.7 m	None
Straightaway left edge	59.9 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	70.6 m	None
250m radius left curve, right edge	71.7 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	56.7 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	58.0 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	147.4 m
Straightaway left edge	142.3 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	73.3 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	77.2 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	56.8 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	58.7 m

Trim level(s)

All trims

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	Yes
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the sharp left and both right curves and fair on the gradual left curve.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good in all 4 tests.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and on both left curves.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	All trims
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	Yes
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating Applies to 2022-25 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	96.4 m	None
Straightaway left edge	61.1 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	81.6 m	None
250m radius left curve, left edge	58.7 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	64.7 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	56.7 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	141.7 m
Straightaway left edge	139.7 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	86.6 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	83.5 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	68.7 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	68.0 m

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0

Rating applies to all 2024-25 models

System details

standard Lexus Safety System+ 3.0

Overall evaluation

Passenger car target

Test run	Speed reduction	Timely warning?
31 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
31 mph/target off-center	Collision avoided
37 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
37 mph/target off-center	Collision avoided
43 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
43 mph/target off-center	Collision avoided

Motorcycle target

Test run	Speed reduction	Timely warning?
31 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
31 mph/target off-center	Collision avoided
37 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
37 mph/target off-center	Collision avoided
43 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
43 mph/target off-center	Collision avoided

Semitrailer

Only warning is tested with the semitrailer.

Test run	Timely warning?
31 mph/target centered
37 mph/target centered
43 mph/target centered

About the front crash prevention test

Front crash prevention: pedestrian

Rating applies to all 2024-25 models

System details

standard Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Includes high-beam assist credit

Crossing child — day

In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Crossing adult — night

In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Parallel adult — night

In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 37 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams and a warning was issued 2.4 seconds before impact. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision and a warning was issued 2.4 seconds before impact.

About the pedestrian front crash prevention test

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation	+ extra LATCH positions
Vehicle trim	NX 350
Seat type	leather

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor and the ability to borrow lower anchors from the other seating positions.

Note: When anchors are borrowed, they aren't available to use in their designated positions.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation	+ extra LATCH positions
Vehicle trim	NX 350
Seat type	leather

Rating icon	Rating
G	Good
A	Acceptable
M	Marginal
P	Poor
	Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol	Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol	Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol	Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
	No hardware available

Details by seating position

Position	Rating
1
1	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	not too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors
2
2	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	Can be borrowed from 1 and 3
3
3	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	not too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors

Technical measurements for this test

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	14
Clearance angle (degrees)	92
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	12
Clearance angle (degrees)	86
Tether anchor
Location	Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present	Yes
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
Lower latch is shared for this seat position
Lower anchor B
Lower latch is shared for this seat position
Tether anchor
Location	Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present	Yes
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	7
Clearance angle (degrees)	90
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	10
Clearance angle (degrees)	90
Tether anchor
Location	Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present	Yes
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

About the child seat anchor evaluation