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The Lexus RZ450e is the second electric car from the Japanese luxury brand. However, whereas the UX300e was well-timed from an internal combustion engine architecture, the RZ450e was designed from the ground up as an EV.

It’s moreover larger and increasingly spacious than the UX, providing some EV competition to the likes of the BMW iX3, Audi e-Tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC.

Value

The RZ450e is misogynist in two models: Luxury and Sports Luxury, each of which is unfluctuating via the phone network to indulge over-the-air software updates.

The RZ Luxury is priced from $123,000 plus on-road financing and includes 18-inch wheels, fake leather trim, surround view camera, heated front seats, dual-zone ventilation, wireless phone charging, smart key entry and a 14-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.

The Lexus RZ450e Luxury gets 18-inch wheels and is priced from $123,000 plus on-road costs

It moreover comes with two charging cables, permitting slow charging from a regular powerpoint as well as a Type 2 to Type 2 charger for public charging stations that aren’t fitted with a cable.

The RZ450e moreover includes three years of charging on the Chargefox network (which has had its pearly share of outages). Plus you get wangle to Lexus on Demand, which allows owners to infringe vehicles from a squadron of Lexus models at airports wideness the country. Buyers get eight days’ wangle up to four times during the first three years of ownership.

The RZ450e Sports Luxury gets funky willowy ambient lighting

The $135,000 Sports Luxury picks up some features that arguably should be fitted to all models. We’re thinking memory buttons for the seats and a head-up display.

The Sports Luxury moreover gets 20-inch alloys, double glazed side windows, suede-look trim, willowy ambient lighting, sunroof, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, head-up display, roof rails and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system. Plus, there’s a radiant seat heating system that sends heat out from the lower dashboard to alimony legs toasty.

The Lexus RZ450e gets 20-inch wheels and a sunroof and is priced from $135,000 plus on-roads

Two-tone paint is misogynist on the Sports Luxury for flipside $4200 and by late 2024 Lexus hopes to be offering the much-hyped yoke-style steering wheel.

The RZ is covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty with a separate eight-year, 160,000km warranty on the battery.

Inside

The RZ’s motel is a mixed bag, expressly in Luxury guise. Everything fits beautifully in the motel but the wiring Sports doesn’t have the tactile and elegant materials we’ve come to know from Lexus. The plastics atop the doors could hands be found in a Toyota or a Mazda and the sizeable slab of fake leather isn’t at the levels Lexus has been known for.

Lexus RZ450e

The Sports Luxury has a much increasingly upmarket feel. A wood-like grain in the centre panel and textured trim where the glovebox should be is the start. The fake suede is moreover a big step up, expressly on the door trims. The two-piece glass roof is moreover a swish addition. Press a sawed-off and it changes from a view of the sky to an opaque white.

No issues with space, which takes wholesomeness of the unappetizing floor that makes rear legroom generous. But the floor is relatively high, so taller folk will have their knees up higher. There are moreover an uneaten two USB-C outlets and inside rear air vents.

Sports Luxury models gets a double sunroof that can turn opaque at the push of a button

Those up front are moreover well catered for and there’s a sizeable storage binnacle underneath the floating centre panel (it partially makes up for the lack of a glovebox).

In either model the digital instrument cluster only utilises well-nigh half the space allocated, with warning lights (and a trip computer in the Luxury) sprouting up either side.

The Lexus RZ has a unappetizing floor in the rear to maximise foot space

The 14-inch inside screen is a lot increasingly convincing, tilted towards the suburbanite and with circular dials integrate in the screen to retread the temperature on either side.

The marching does without a spare tyre (as with all rivals) but has a decent size space withal with split-folding seats for unwieldy items.

2024 Lexus RZ Review, Pricing, and Specs

Performance and efficiency

The Lexus RZ450e gets two electric motors for all-wheel drive. Unusually, the motor up front is worthier and increasingly powerful than the one at the rear. It makes 150kW and 266Nm while the one out when has just 80kW/169Nm.

Lexus RZ450e

Combined, the output is 230kW and 435Nm, which is healthy but not spectacular by dual motor EV standards.

No qualms with acceleration, though. It pulls strongly from a standstill and the motors are respectably quiet.

There are moreover various momentum modes that subtly retread the steering and throttle response, although waffly those modes is harder than it needs to be; instead of an hands wieldy buttons it’s multiple presses of the touchscreen.

Lexus RZ450e

The personal range is 400km equal to the WLTP standard (Lexus is marketing the less relevant NEDC future, which yields 470km). Either way, our unenduring wits suggests something like 350km.

Charging

The RZ450e gets a 71.4kWh battery. It’ll winnow up to 11kW of AC tuition for a full fill in well-nigh seven hours. With the 7kW charger installed at home when you buy the car it’s increasingly like 11 hours of tuition time.

The RZ450e can tuition at up to 150kW via a CCS philharmonic charger near the front wheel

The maximum DC tuition power is 150kW, which Lexus says can translate to a 10-80 percent tuition – well-nigh 280km of WLTP range – in as little as 30 minutes.

Ride and handling

The RZ450e is personal to unhook an electric take on the “Lexus driving signature”.

Perhaps the strongest symbol to when that up is the way it disposes of bumps. The Lexus RZ is nicely controlled and moreover soaks up road uglies with ease. It makes for a well-appointed ride and one unflustered by repeated imperfections.

In Luxury guise some road surfaces lead to a pearly bit of noise from the tyres, perhaps exacerbated by the near-silence of the drivetrain. Sports Luxury models don’t wits that as much due to double glazed side glass.

Lexus RZ450e

Another thing that upsets the silence is the beeper in reverse. Surely there are largest ways to inform the suburbanite they are well-nigh to go backwards…

Through corners the RZ450e is competent and happy to get withal with some pace onboard. With either the 18-inch or 20-inch tyres there’s zaftig grip.

Less endearing is the unrewarding finger in the steering, which takes the whet off the dynamic talent. The RZ moreover leans on its nose when you’re pushing on.

Meet The all-New 2023 Lexus RZ450e | Longo Lexus Blog

Talking point

The RZ does without a glovebox in part considering of the radiant heating system that keeps legs warm. That ways the owner’s transmission ends up in the boot, in specimen anyone bothers to thumb through them these days.

But Lexus moreover points to the sizeable inside binnacle that’ll hands squint without small tons and other paraphernalia.

Safety

The RZ450e comes with a healthy dose of zippy safety gear, including voluntary emergency braking (AEB), veiling spot warning and unscratched exit assist, which can temporarily wait the opening of the doors if it detects a vehicle unescapable from behind.

There’s moreover front and rear navigate traffic zestful to warn of vehicles unescapable from the side when parking.

The suburbanite monitor can get a tad over-eager in monitoring you and providing warnings and the lane alimony squire system is moreover a long way from perfect.

Verdict

Lexus claims the RZ450e encompasses two decades of shower and hybrid technology expertise. Yet other than its distinctive diamond it doesn’t stand out at the luxury end of the EV crowd. That’s an issue considering its lofty price point.

The RZ is inoffensive and competent but not the steer Lexus could really do with, expressly given its tardiness to the BEV party.

Lexus RZ450e

Sure, the all-electric RZ is increasingly inveigling than the UX300e, but it remains an EV likely to request to traditional Lexus buyers who want to transition from hybrid rather than one likely to set a new benchmark.

Arguably the biggest request is the after-sales tempters, including temporary wangle to a squadron on non-EV models when you’re travelling.