Lexus Reveals Its First EV, The Steer-by-wire RZ 450e Electric SUV

Published April 20, 2022
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3 min read

The carmaker has created a custom audio sound for an otherwise silent electric powertrain

It’s based on a new e-TNGA battery EV platform.
Estimated 400km range from a 71.4kWh battery.
New Direct4 dual-motor all-wheel-drive system.

Lexus has debuted its first all-electric vehicle (EV), the RZ electric SUV, for global markets. It’s an all-wheel-drive (AWD) SUV developed at Lexus’ new base at the Toyota Technical Centre Shimoyama in Japan. You can also say this is the more premium sibling for the Toyota bZ4X electric SUV. It’s expected to be launched in select countries later this year and is likely to make it to India later in 2023.

Even in prototype form, the Lexus RZ 450e looks close to production-ready. At the front, it has a sculpted body panel in place of the traditional Lexus spindle radiator grille. The only air vent is at the base of the front bumper, flanked by vertical air vents that rise upward to meet the headlights. We’ve seen similar headlights on other Lexus models such as the NX hybrid SUV, with sharp L-shaped DRLS and LED elements below.

Viewed in profile, the RZ 450e lacks the cab-forward design we’ve come to expect from EVs. Instead, it has a distinct sloping coupe-like roofline and there’s even a spoiler at the base of the rear windshield for aero and sportiness. The taillights are sleek and narrow, connected by a single LED light strip that sits below a spelt-out ‘Lexus’ logo.

Underneath the bodywork, the Lexus RZ 450e is underpinned by the new Toyota e-TNGA battery electric vehicle platform. It houses a 71.4kWh battery pack that’s good for around 400km of driving range on a full charge. According to Lexus, its batteries will still retain 90 percent of their charge-holding capacity after a decade of usage. The SUV has a “Direct4” dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, with a 203PS front axle motor and a 108PS rear motor, taking the combined output to around 308PS.

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Inside, there’s a shocker – instead of a steering wheel, you get a Tesla-esque yoke to manoeuver the SUV. Don’t worry about going lock-to-lock, since the Lexus RZ is equipped with a steer-by-wire system without a mechanical connection to the front wheels. Your steering input is fed to an electronic system that controls the steering at the wheels.

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Moving on from the steering wheel, the RZ EV has a driver-centric dashboard with a large 14-inch touchscreen and a digital driver’s display. The seats are upholstered in vegan suede, and the panoramic sunroof is made of Low-E (low-emissivity) glass that filters infrared and UV light coming into the cabin.

We expect the Lexus RZ 450e to reach production later this year, and it could make its way to India sometime in 2023. It’ll face off against the Mercedes-Benz EQC, BMW iX and Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs.