Lexus NX hits the road

First Lexus NX crossover rolls off the production line in Japan.

As you can see, it’s been a big day at Lexus’s Miyata plant in Japan with the official start of production ceremony for the much-hyped new NX.

It’s an important car because it’s the first attempt by Toyota’s luxury offshoot to tackle the likes of the Range Rover Evoque and Audi Q5 in the premium mid-size SUV market.

Lexus has already taken 6,500 orders in Japan alone for the NX, while more than 350 UK customers have submitted their orders with deliveries due to commence in October.

The plan is to sell 42,000 of the strikingly angular SUVs annually in Lexus’s biggest market, the US.