CUPRA Ateca vs Lexus NX

The CUPRA Ateca starts from $49,888 before on-road costs, while the Lexus NX opens at $71,700. That makes the CUPRA Ateca the more affordable entry point by $21,812.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $54,877 and $78,870 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Lexus NX by roughly $2,995 in fuel alone.

ANCAP safety ratings have not been published for both models yet. We will update this section when crash test results are available.

The CUPRA Ateca features a 9.2-inch touchscreen paired with a 10.3-inch digital dash, while the Lexus NX gets a 9.8-inch display and 8-inch instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Lexus NX counters with head-up display and Mark Levinson audio that the CUPRA Ateca does not offer. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

Interior trim differs: the CUPRA Ateca gets leather-appointed upholstery while the Lexus NX offers synthetic leather.

The CUPRA Ateca uses a 4-cyl Turbo Petrol producing 140kW and 320Nm of torque, sent through a automatic to a AWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.2 seconds.

The Lexus NX responds with a Hybrid making 179kW and 239Nm, paired to a automatic driving all four wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 7.7 seconds.

The Lexus NX has the clear power advantage at 179kW vs 140kW. In the real-world sprint, the CUPRA Ateca is 0.5s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The CUPRA Ateca measures 4,381mm long on a 2,630mm wheelbase, 279mm shorter than the Lexus NX at 4,660mm (2,690mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Lexus NX generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 485L in the CUPRA Ateca and 520L in the Lexus NX, giving the Lexus NX a 35L advantage.

For towing, the CUPRA Ateca leads with a 1,900kg braked capacity vs 1,500kg. That 400kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $2,024/year for the CUPRA Ateca and $1,425/year for the Lexus NX. That is a $599 annual difference in favour of the Lexus NX.

Estimated annual total: $2,024 (CUPRA Ateca) vs $1,425 (Lexus NX). The Lexus NX saves you roughly $599 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 5 years / 999,999km (CUPRA Ateca) vs 4 years / 100,000km (Lexus NX). The CUPRA Ateca has longer coverage. Capped-price servicing: —4yr (Lexus NX).