Next-Gen Lexus NX May Add V-6 Engine Option

The Lexus NX is due for a redesign following more than half a decade of sales, and while the exact date remains up in the air, we anticipate the next-generation model will break cover within the next year. But we have some hints about what's to come. Recent trademarks for "NX 250" and "NX 350" by Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, in places such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States may point to new powertrain options for the Lexus compact crossover SUV.

Given the next NX may ride on the same Global Architecture-K platform that underpins the latest Toyota RAV4, it's likely the Lexus crossover will also share its Toyota kin's 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Well, that's if the "250" in "NX 250" is anything to go by.

While Lexus's numerical model naming scheme doesn't necessarily correlate to the engine displacement (see the LS 500 sedan, which uses a twin-turbo 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine), it often does. Assuming this is the case, then it's likely the next NX will ditch its current 235-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four for the RAV4's naturally aspirated unit. If so, then expect Lexus to squeeze a few more horses out of the 2.5-liter four-pot relative to its Toyota-badged kin, which makes do with 203 ponies.

Likewise, the "350" in "NX 350" likely points to a V-6 variant of the next-gen crossover. Although the RAV4 is a four-cylinder-only model, its platform also underpins the Avalon, Camry, and Highlander, all of which are available with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine.