Lexus NX Sport on sale priced from £36,500

The Lexus NX has gained a new variant called Sport that adds sportier exterior and interior features but sticks with the standard hybrid engine.

Priced from £36,500, the model slots between the entry-level SE and mid-spec Luxury variants. It gets new 18in wheels, a bespoke grille and a two-tone interior.

The rest of the car is based on the specs of SE, but even that car comes with a 10.3in touchscreen infotainment system, 10-speaker audio system and DAB radio, as well as power-adjustable front seats, a reversing camera and dual-zone climate control.

The new Sport version joins the recently updated NX range, which comes exclusively with Lexus's 300h powertrain that combines a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a twin-motor electric hybrid system to offer a combined 194bhp.

During the update, Lexus made changes to enhance the ride and handling of the NX — two areas that our reviewers deemed needing improvement — to give the car different suspension settings and adaptive variable suspension derived from the system in Lexus's flagship LC 500.

Additionally, Lexus increased the NX's sound deadening and introduced a raft of new safety kit in a bid to boost the attractiveness of its rival to the BMW X3.