Lexus collects honours for Plug-in Hybrid of the Year and most reliable brand in the What Car? Awards

20 January 2023

The Lexus NX 450h+ has been named the Plug-in Hybrid of the Year in the What Car? Awards, retaining the title it won on its debut a year ago. The presentation ceremony hosted in London last night also saw Lexus receive an unprecedented sixth consecutive award for being ranked in first place in the annual What Car? Reliability Survey.

Announcing the award for the NX 450h+, Steve Huntingford, What Car? Editor, said: “Some fine plug-in hybrids have been launched in the past year, but none was able to dethrone the Lexus NX450h+. It’s exceptionally efficient, no matter which mode you’re driving in, while comfort, refinement and quality are also outstanding.”

He also highlighted a manufacturer’s warranty that can extend to up to 10 years and Lexus’s “unparalleled” reliability record as benefits that increase the NX’s advantage over its competitors.

The NX 450h+ benefits from Lexus’s long experience in electrification technologies, being powered by a plug-in hybrid system that operates in all-electric mode by default. When the charge in the battery is depleted, it automatically switches to self-charging hybrid operation – unlike competitor models which revert to an internal combustion engine. Thanks to this technical advantage, the Lexus is able to maintain superior efficiency.

NX 450h+ retains its title as Plug-in Hybrid of the Year for the second year running

The 2022 What Car? Reliability Survey drew responses from almost 25,000 people who shared their real-world experiences and opinions of the cars they drive day-to-day.

Huntingford commented: “Lexus finished first for three reasons: its cars rarely go wrong, when they do its technicians fix them quickly, and any repairs needed are usually free.”

Chris Hayes, Director of Lexus in the UK, said: “The NX 450h+ opened the Next Chapter for Lexus, signalling the styling, technologies and driving rewards that will be developed across our range as we progress towards becoming an all-electric brand by the end of this decade. Shortly we will be launching the all-new RX large luxury SUV, offering it for the first time with a plug-in hybrid electric system. This will be followed by the RZ, our first purpose-designed battery electric model. Further exciting future products will also be announced in the course of this year.

“What our customers can be assured of as our model range develops is that our focus on quality, reliability and customer service will be undiminished.”

For Lexus customers, the reliability of their car is affirmed by a manufacturer’s warranty of up to 10 years. This comprises an initial three-year manufacturer warranty, followed by up to a further seven years of service-activated warranty.

For the first three years of the vehicle’s life, owners may have it serviced at a place of their choice. When the new car warranty period expires, they can then benefit from an additional 12 months (or 10,000 miles) warranty when their vehicle receives a qualifying service at an authorised Lexus workshop. The warranty is provided at no extra cost, up to a limit of 10 years/100,000 miles*.

View the latest Lexus NX 450h+ offers or book a test drive at Lexus Bolton or Lexus Stockport.

Lexus honoured for being ranked top in the What Car? Reliability Survey for a sixth consecutive year