Lexus sets its sights on younger buyers with redesigned NX

Editor's note: An earlier version of this report incorrectly named Lexus' infotainment system. It is Lexus Interface.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Lexus has had two long-standing issues that it struggled with in recent years: a widely unloved infotainment system, and a clientele that skews far older than those of its luxury competitors.

Lexus' U.S. head Andrew Gilleland believes the redesigned 2022 Lexus NX crossover is the first step toward eventually fixing both of those nagging issues.

"Clearly, you know, we're trying to design cars that speak to younger people," he said, adding that they're different in how they interact with the brand, where they turn for information and how they make decisions.

Lexus — whose average customer is older than 60 — has no choice but to change to achieve that demographic shift, he said.

On the technological front, the new Lexus Interface infotainment system uses conversational and intuitive voice prompts to enable the driver to control vehicle functions as varied as turning on the windshield wipers, adjusting the climate controls and setting up the navigation.

Lexus Interface, developed in-house in Texas and debuting in the 2022 NX, will spread across almost all of the brand's U.S. lineup over the next three years and will replace the current touchpad system that one Lexus engineer here admitted "will not be missed by anyone."

The physical proof that Lexus is aiming the NX at a younger audience can be found throughout the vehicle, where technology replaces even some of its most mundane and ubiquitous functions. For example, the door handles are digital, enabling the NX to prevent occupants from opening their doors into the path of an oncoming bicyclist or vehicle.

Like other luxury vehicles, its rearview mirror has transformed from a mere piece of glass into a video screen that displays an unobstructed image of what's happening behind it. And on the center console, a monostable shifter — which puts the vehicle either in forward, neutral or reverse before returning to its original location, and uses a button to engage Park — replaces the current model's traditional PRNDL multiposition shifter.

Like the NX's new shifter, the brand's demographic issue will also require a deft touch, Gilleland admitted.

"There's going to be different directions we're going to have to go," said the executive, who has been in the top Lexus job for just more than a year and previously was vice president of sales operations for the Toyota Division.

"We need to honor [current] customers, because they're valuable to us, and they've been with us for years and years and years and we want to keep them for years and years and years," he said. "But the math is [there]. There are twice as many younger buyers coming up, and within five years, they'll be the majority of luxury buyers, so you have to be conscious of that."

Lexus is redirecting a portion of its marketing spend toward attracting a far younger audience on social media platforms such as TikTok. In videos that debuted this month, a series of up-and-coming young artists and musicians are shown interacting with Lexus vehicles, which are only briefly shown. And the brand is distributing new music from the artists as part of the broader campaign.

Gilleland said Lexus is continuing to experiment with its products and marketing to attract younger buyers. He said the brand will expand the number of special editions and one-off packages to keep its product offerings dynamic and varied for returning customers.

And, he said, recent experiences with the IS, Lexus' entry-level sedan, show that younger buyers are open to the Japanese brand and willing to give it a shot.

"If we can do a good job with the thing that we've always been great at, which is customer care — and I think that still matters and will continue to matter — then we can build that relationship and keep them coming back in, especially if they're leasing a vehicle and we've got exciting stuff," Gilleland said. "People are going to want something new."