Being the little sibling isn’t always easy. You’re usually stuck doing what your older, bigger siblings want to do, and end up with hand-me-downs you don’t even want. The 2026 Lexus NX450h+ PHEV is one of the few younger siblings that actually wears its hand-me-downs better than the original, older sibling.

Out of the shadows

You see, the Lexus RX has been around since 1998, and the newer, smaller NX started life back in 2015. The RX was a game-changer in the luxury crossover space when it debuted, whereas the NX was more of a fill-a-space-in-the-lineup type vehicle. It started off life as a fancier RAV4 with slightly awkward styling and less than exciting powertrains, but this latest one changes all of that. It’s come into its own and quite possibly stepping in front of its bigger brethren.

The latest NX looks particularly fantastic, with a tidy profile characterized by sharp lines and a spindle grille that is quintessential modern Lexus.  Despite its smaller size, it looks like a premium product, something that couldn’t always be said about previous generations. The Infrared paint looks good in pictures but is simply stunning in person, and works well with the blacked-out F-Sport grille, 20-inch wheels, and other blacked-out elements as part of the overall F-Sport package. Although rear light bars are so cliche, I’m a fan of Lexus’ implementation and how it integrates into the sharply designed tail lights. Nothing looks overdone on the NX, and like its bigger brother, it wears its digs handsomely, coming off both premium and surprisingly athletic for Lexus.

Not everything is handed down

The interior of the NX is a nice place to be — par for the course for a Lexus. It doesn’t offer the same level of luxury as the bigger and pricier RX, but does manage to steal the excellent 14-inch infotainment display with physical dials for the primary climate control functions. Sadly, the sound system doesn’t follow; the NX’s sounds rather boomy. The seven-inch digital gauge cluster feels a generation behind and doesn’t offer the customizability of some competitors, but it’s otherwise clean and clear.

There’s a lot more plastic in the NX, although it feels fine and offers some interesting textures on the doors. At night, colour-adjustable ambient lighting helps spruce things up. The shift lever looks and feels great, and I love Lexus’ left-and-up for reverse and left-and-down for drive; it almost feels manual-like. Up front, the F-Sport-specific front seats are attractive, well-bolstered, and comfortable for long trips, although space isn’t particularly generous, especially out back where I had to move the passenger seat too far forward to ensure my toddler wasn’t kicking the back of it.

It still works for a small family, but just so. For younger couples without kids, or even empty-nester retirees, the NX is perfectly sized with enough space, height, and cargo space for daily living. Even with one child, the NX is fine. But with two kids or more, you’ll want something a touch bigger, like an RX. The RX gives you a bigger-overall back seat and 838 litres of trunk space, versus the shorter-and-tighter NX’s 643 L.

The family heirloom

The best part of the RX and other Lexus and Toyota products, the excellent plug-in hybrid powertrain, has been passed down to the NX 450h+. It’s powered by a 2.5-litre four cylinder hybrid powerplant feeding all four wheels. It isn’t cut off at the knees, either, making the same 304 horsepower as the RX. This means where the RX feels adequate in the power department, the NX feels athletic. It’s still not a rocket, but because it’s lighter and shorter, the NX is appreciably more fun to drive on backroads, no doubt aided by the stiffer F-Sport adaptive suspension. The steering feels sharp but as usual, it’s light and devoid of much feel. The ride is a little firmer than non-F-Sport models, and there’s more road and wind noise permeating through the cabin versus the bigger, more luxurious, and evidently better-insulated RX.

The NX 450h+ is hyper efficient, though, returning an average of 6.7L/100 km in deeply cold weather during my testing. Officially the plug-in hybrid motor and 18.1 kWh battery pack can do about 59 km of EV-only range, oddly the same as the heavier RX. I suspect the real-world EV mileage of the lighter and smaller NX is slightly higher.

Into the spotlight

The 2026 Lexus NX 450h+ PHEV now stands confidently on its own merit, out of the shadows and into the spotlight as a well engineered, attractive, efficient and fun option in the compact luxury crossover space. The $73,740 as-tested price tag is about $5,000 short of an RX, so it really comes down to whether you prefer the slightly more luxurious and spacious interior of the bigger RX, or the more athletic and agile performance of the NX.  It’s a tough decision, which just proves that little brother has finally made it.