The days of the wallflower Lexus are truly gone. The current GS is a sharp looking exec in the mould of the E60 5-Series, and the new IS is aggressive to the point of being polarising. But Frankfurt’s Lexus LF-NX Concept pushes the L-finesse design envelop further. Too bold? Thought you wanted…

The LF-NX crossover concept’s face is dominated by the now familiar Lexus spindle grille. Both the chrome trim and grille mesh pattern increase in size as the grille widens through the lower bumper area. The upper edges of the grille give rise to prominent lines that define the bonnet edges.

The front lighting features three diamond-shaped LED headlamps and independent Daytime Running Lights (DRL) first seen on the new IS. Here, the swoosh DRLs are bisected by vertical air intakes.

Lexus LF-NX-13

Moving to the side, both front and rear wings are formed by a series of concave and convex curves, and the wheel arches incorporate black painted trim – a rare nod to the regular crossover. The belt line forms a pronounced diamond shape in plan form, reaching its widest point adjacent to the B-pillar before narrowing as it flows astern.

The rear of the LF-NX is dominated by “highly articulated” lamp clusters. They extend the full depth of the bumper, creating a sharp, aerodynamic trailing edge detail.

The L-shape of the lamp itself is scored strongly into the rear bodywork, creating an echo of the front spindle grille form. There are no visible exhaust pipes, a deliberate move in recognition of the hybrid powertrain’s eco-friendly credentials.

Lexus LF-NX-20

Inside, it’s a continuation of the ‘Human Oriented’ concept realised in both the LFA supercar and new IS, just more stylised as a concept car. The shapely centre console extends the full length of the cabin to bisect the rear seats – this is a four-seater.

“We want this to be a very influential car — one to make its rivals look boring,” design project manager Nobuyuki Tomatsu was quoted as saying. “This isn’t one of those show cars that is 95% representative of something finished. We have taken a risk, and we hope the reaction will be positive. If it is, there is no reason why our production car couldn’t look like this,” he added.

You’ve heard the man, so go ahead and give your two cents on this “risk” and Lexus’ new image.