Lexus has an NX for everyone - ICE, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid variants with trim lines under each ranging from simply nice to the full-on luxury tour de force and a dash of sporty spice. For today’s NX review, we’re looking at the 2026 NX 350h F Sport. So, a luxury compact crossover, with a fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain, and F Sport aspirations. That’s a fairly broad Venn diagram for any vehicle to overlap with, and yet, I’d say this NX pulls it off.
The Swiss Army Knife Lexus
Luxury? Check. I mean, it IS a Lexus. Fuel-sipping hybrid? There is some history here. See: Toyota Prius (circa 20001). F Sport aspirations? Mission accomplished. No, it is not a member of Lexus’ factory hot rod paddock of F-branded fire breathers. It is merely suggesting that F life with a bunch of cosmetic touches and a few performance-focused features. This is standard practice among the luxury automaker set, leaning on the internal screamers to imbue their more pedestrian brethren with a more aggressive air.
Coated in the new-for-2026 Infrared paint and leaning forward with that big ol’ spindle grille in gloss black, the NX is transformed from elegant cruiser to quite a looker. The F Sport treatment continues outside with black 20” rims, more gloss black bits, and color-keyed wheel arches. This latter feature helps turn the style dial up on the NX350h, and I must say, the Triple Beam LED headlights are pretty nice too.
As for actual performance tuning, these NX variants feature an interesting chassis system developed by Yamaha. Dubbed the lateral performance damper, these individual shocks are mounted front and back to help with sub-1 mm deformations in the chassis and improve ride comfort. As for the traditional dampers, they are of the adaptive variety and come with an F tune. Having not driven a base NX back-to-back with the F Sport, I can’t say whether or not there is a noticeable performance benefit. But the F Sport is definitely composed around corners and practically erases harsh impacts, which is all the more impressive given those 20” tires.
On the hybrid front, the EPA rates the NX350h at 39 mpg combined. I saw 32 in mixed driving, but that was only across 1 week. I have no doubt that with daily driving and a tighter focus on stretching a gallon of gas, the observed figure would go up. And considering Lexus recommends 91 octane, hypermiling would be a good idea. Besides, that F Sport badge doesn’t extend to the engine bay, so pushing it hard isn’t recommended.
Not Fast, But Plenty Efficient
Blending a naturally aspirated 2.5L inline-4 with hybrid running gear, the 2026 NX350h F Sport offers 240 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque. It’s not fast - Car and Driver pegs the 0-60 run at 7.6 seconds - and when pressed, that little four-pot doesn’t make very exciting sounds. You can enjoy the Active Sound Control system and its artificially created engine soundtrack if that’s your thing, but I would instead suggest focusing on all the other details that make this Lexus compelling. Namely, luxury and technology.
NuLuxe is the automaker’s name for faux leather upholstery, and it is one supple substitute. F Sport models come with more tightly bolstered front seats that feel appropriately snug. The shifter nubbin could learn a thing or two from its Lexus RZ cousin’s control dial, but it’s hard to complain when your throne and steering wheel are heated, the “Thematic Ambient Illumination” is highlighting surfaces with recessed lighting, and most of those surfaces are trimmed in soft-touch stuff.
All The Tech
As for tech, the NX350h F Sport has all the things. 14” central touchscreen, wireless smartphone mirroring, a head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, a rocking 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, and a spring-loaded wireless phone charging pad that can be tucked out of the way to open up a storage cubby. Unlike some of the latest Lexus EVs, the NX hasn’t yet lost its glove box, but storage space is still on the light side.
Trick Digital Latch System
Then there is the Digital Latch system on this Lexus. At first, I was flummoxed and irritated by the newfangled method for opening the doors on this little SUV. To get in, you squeeze a touchpad on the inner part of the door handle. Unlike a typical car door handle that flexes when pulled, this one is fixed in place. A press of it results in a digital release of the latch, and the door cracks open.
On the inside, a small lever within the door panel must be pushed in to activate the latch release. In both cases, Lexus is working to make the process of opening a car door easier for folks with mobility issues. Very thoughtful. The automaker also points out that traditional door handles ask you to pull and then push to exit the car versus simply pushing, as with this system. It seems so obvious that you can’t help but wonder why no other cars work this way. In any case, a tip of the hat to Lexus for developing this system that works quite nicely once you get past the initial fluster.
A Lexus NX For All
The 2026 Lexus NX350h starts at $46,470, for which you get strong fuel economy, a nice level of luxury, and front-wheel drive. Or, you can head for the top of the trim ladder and spend nearly $60,000 on an F Sport version with AWD and options like Infrared paint, a high-end stereo, and heated rear seats with power-folding capability. It’s a wide range of price points, but then, the Lexus NX offers a wide range of luxury that - regardless of your definition - translates to a compact hybrid crossover that is hard not to like.
About the author: Niel Stender is an automotive journalist. More of his work can be found at muckrack.com/niel-stender