THEY say that opposites attract and that's certainly the case with the Lexus NX - the company's first compact crossover model.

The car boasts a muscular athletic design that would normally be complemented by a roaring engine soundtrack to match, but instead the car is a hybrid and that means you can pull away in complete silence, which at times still seems quite eerie.

The NX 300h F sport looks great from any angle with its grounded stance, LED daytime running lights, powered tailgate, 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels, F Sport spindle grille, integrated roof rails, alloy scuff plates and privacy glass.

Move inside and you are greeted by all the luxury one expects from a premium car maker. Lexus has incorporated the finest leathers and aluminium-style trim to create a top notch interior with ample room for five adults.

Techno treats are plentiful and include a 10-speaker sound system with DAB radio, CD player, Bluetooth connectivity, dual zone climate control, electric seats with heating settings, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a very easy to programme sat nav system, a wireless smartphone charging tray and there is even a pull-out vanity mirror in front of the arm rest, although I'm not quite sure why.

The NX 300h F Sport is powered by a 2.5-litre petrol/electric combination that delivers plenty of power and good acceleration when needed. The car can reach 62mph from a standing start in 9.2 seconds and tops out at 112mph.

There is a CVT automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddles and this works very effectively unless the car is pushed particularly hard when it whines and whirs a little before providing the burst of pace you want.

Apart from pulling away in EV electric mode, there are three driving styles to choose from - Normal, Eco and Sport - which vary the look of the instrumentation and also the car's handling with the sport setting delivering far edgier and livelier dynamics.

The elevated driving position results in excellent all-round visibility which is a must on a car that will often be used on the school run and the ease in which the car drives with precise steering and good road-holding are also worthy factors of note.

Another great thing about the car is how quiet the cabin remains even when moving at pace on motorways or across uneven surfaces where all the bumps and dips are somehow ironed out by the efficient suspension system.

However, I did find two things a tad annoying. The first was the powered boot which was painfully slow both opening or closing and proved most frustrating when carrying shopping bags in the rain - they ended up going behind the front seats.

The second was the fuel economy. The official figures claim a combined fuel economy of 54.3mpg, but I was seeing much lower around the 40mpg mark.

But those two gripes aside, the NX 300h F Sport is a fabulous piece of kit and is loaded with a comprehensive range of safety specifications too, including adaptive cruise control, traction control, hill start assist, vehicle stability control and E-Four, which is a second motor (in addition to the hybrid petrol and electric powertrain) that drives the rear wheels and so delivers extra torque where it's needed in four-wheel-drive.