Lexus to debut all-new NX crossover in Beijing

Lexus has announced that its family of crossovers and SUVs will grow by one more with the debut of the all-new NX now slated for April.

Toyota’s luxury division will unveil this compact crossover at the Beijing Auto Show. The production NX will be loosely based on Toyota’s RAV4, and its style will lightly resemble the much more wild LF-NX concept that Lexus has been teasing at auto shows for the last six months.

“Customers who liked the LF-NX will be happy to know the production version, NX, derived from the concept will be revealed at the 2014 Beijing International Auto Show next month,” the automaker said in a statement.

PHOTOS: Lexus to debut production NX in Beijing

When the production NX does debut, it will fill a void in Lexus’ lineup, coming in cheaper and smaller than the brand’s immensely popular RX crossover. This is the first foray into the luxury compact crossover segment for Lexus and its eagerness to jump in is understandable.

This class of vehicles has quadrupled its market share in the last five years and is expected to grow just as rapidly in the next five years. Buyers are coming from two disparate but moneyed groups: baby boomers looking to downsize from larger luxury SUVs and crossovers; and young families or single women looking to delve into the luxury waters for the first time.

To fill the void, brands like Porsche, Jaguar, Audi, BMW, Lincoln and Mercedes-Benz all are rushing to introduce or develop new models in the next 18 months.

While Lexus didn’t reveal details about the NX’s mechanical bits, the LF-NX concept was powered by a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which the brand says is the first time that it has used turbocharging in a vehicle.

That concept’s engine “paves the way for the introduction of turbocharged powerplants in future Lexus models,” the automaker said previously.

The production NX will debut at the Beijing show April 20.