For decades, Lexus has been a tremendously influential player in the luxury market. When the company launched the RX in 1998, it invented the luxury crossover, and last year, the RX was the best-selling luxury vehicle in America.
But while competitors like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have pivoted aggressively toward electric vehicles, buyers looking for an all-electric Lexus have been out of luck.
Until now. Meet the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e, the first-ever all-electric Lexus. Produced at the facility which built the legendary LFA, it's an important vehicle for the company, and I was recently invited down to San Diego to drive it.
From a design standpoint, this is the best-looking Lexus crossover ever. With the RZ, the designers expanded company's signature spindle grille aesthetic to the entire body, and it looks particularly striking in two-tone guise.
One neat design element was how instead of a spoiler above the rear glass, there are a pair of "ears" at each corner. In addition to looking cool, they actually push airflow over the glass in a way that makes a rear wiper unnecessary. Good looks aside, the RZ also provides some fascinating insight into the process which created the first all-electric Lexus.
While the dimensions of the RZ are similar to those of the RX, it rides on the electric platform which debuted on the Toyota bZ4X and its mechanical twin, the Subaru Solterra. But the vehicles share no sheet metal, and powertrain-wise, the only component the vehicles have in common is the 74.1-kWh battery. And with 308 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque on tap, the Lexus is significantly more powerful than the Toyota or the Subaru.
Additionally, the RZ 450e comes standard with all-wheel drive, thanks to a 150-kW motor at the front, and an 80-kW unit at the rear. When fitted with 18-inch wheels, the RZ 450e has a range of 220 miles, which drops to 196 miles if buyers opt for the available 20-inch rims.
Using a Level 3 DC Fast Charger, it can go from zero to 80 percent battery in just 30 minutes, while using a 240-volt Level 2 charger will require 9.5 hours to get fully juiced. Either way, the Lexus emblem on on the RZ's grille will light up to indicate it's charging.
There's also a Range Mode setting, which only engages the rear motor and turns off the climate control to conserve juice. What will still work in Range Mode is the optional radiant heating system, which projects heat onto the legs of the front passengers from under the dashboard. When combined with the heated seats, even a perpetually cold person (like yours truly) will feel plenty toasty.
During the presentations about RZ, the assembled press learned the more powerful motor was placed up front to help preserve the driving feel of a conventional front-wheel drive crossover. Another choice that was made to inspire familiarity is the lack of a true one-pedal mode, which some folks find has a bit of a learning curve.
Instead, drivers can select four different levels of regeneration using paddles behind the steering wheel. But even the most aggressive mode will not bring the vehicle to a complete stop. And as someone who has come to appreciate one-pedal driving? I found this decision curious--for reasons I'll expand on shortly.
On the road, the RZ feels much like its fellow Lexus crossovers, meaning it's comfortable, smooth, and quiet. During my time behind the wheel, it was an uncharacteristically cold, rainy day in San Diego, and even on wet pavement, the pair of electric motors had no issues putting the power to the ground.
Thanks to the placement of the batteries, the RZ has a lower center of gravity than its conventionally powered siblings, which pays dividends when it comes to handling. So while the steering was somewhat numb, it still felt sure-footed in corners.
Since this is an electric vehicle, and all the power is available from zero RPM, the RZ was predictably quick off the line. That said? I didn't find the sensation of thrust as pronounced as it's been on some other EVs I've driven. But with a zero-to-60 mph time in the five-second range, the RZ is hardly slow.
As with the lack of one-pedal driving, it's clear the more-conventional feel of the acceleration is a feature, not a bug here. Lexus isn't targeting current EV owners as much as first-time Lexus buyers interested in going green. So the choice makes sense, as current RX owners won't feel like they're suddenly piloting a rocket ship. In my opinion, there's definitely room for a more aggressive tune, to satisfy the EV enthusiasts who want a "dark green" Lexus.
That said? If Lexus wanted owners to suddenly feel like they're piloting rocket ships? Adding a yoke to the cabin would be a great place to start, and in a plot twist, one is available. More than just a different-shaped wheel, the yoke comes with the company's steer-by-wire system, which is an extremely exciting piece of tech.
As the name suggests, there's no mechanical connection between the yoke and the wheels, and while the yoke itself might come off as a bit of a gimmick, rest assured the underlying system is not.
On an autocross-style course in a parking lot near the hotel, I drove a steer-by-wire RZ and came away impressed. Now, while I wasn't hurling it through the cones the way I would have if I was being timed, the degree of accuracy provided by the yoke was fantastic. As opposed to having to reposition my hands to deal with tight bends, I was able to thread the RZ through the course with minimal inputs. The potential for this system is impossible to ignore, and it goes further than reducing the amount of steering angle drivers might need to use on a wheel.
By removing the physical connection between the yoke and the steering gear, the system can filter out feedback from everything from bumpy roads to nasty, wheel-damaging potholes that might cause a driver to overcorrect. While I was zipping through the course, I was reminded of how modern fighter aircraft would be virtually impossible for human pilots to control without fly-by-wire and electronic pilot aids.
Another thing that impressed me about the drive-by-wire was how fluidly the self-parking feature steered the RZ into a space. Instead of the notchy steering movement I've experienced in other vehicles, in the RZ, the movement was a smooth as the sweeping second hand on a Rolex.
The drive-by-wire system will be an optional extra that won't be available until after launch, and at this point, it's unclear what it will cost. But more than the pricing, I'm curious about the seeming disconnect between the delivery of the powertrain, which is designed to feel familiar, and the yoke, which is decidedly unfamiliar, even if quite engaging to use.
Personally, while I'm curious about what the take rate on drive-by-wire will be, I'm even more curious about how a performance-tuned system in something like the LC 500 would feel. My guess is spectacular.
As you'd expect, the cabin of RZ is a lovely place to be. In a nod to sustainability, there's no leather or wood available on any trim level, but the material quality is high, and in a creative twist, the door panels are accented by projected light instead of old-school trim bits.
Fortunately, Lexus hasn't embraced the zero-button stance of many EV makers, and fans of physical controls will be pleased to find knobs for both the climate controls and stereo volume. Essentially, this is the same setup found in the RX, and it works well, but since it's shared with its ICE sibling, there's no charger-focused component in the navigation.
Now, every flavor of the RZ will come standard with a panoramic roof. And while it's coated to filter out UV rays, in the interest of weight savings and headroom, there's no sliding shade. But Lexus offers an option to make it change from clear to opaque at the touch of a button.
Dubbed Dynamic Sky, it's a wonderfully futuristic touch, and when I played with it, I was reminded of how science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke famously said that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Because it sure felt like magic to me.
The Lexus RZ 450e is currently available at your local AutoNation-affiliated Lexus dealer, and comes in two distinct trim levels. Premium AWD starts at $59,650, and comes standard with a host of upscale creature comforts, including heated and ventilated seats, the panoramic roof, and a power rear liftgate. Opting for the 20-inch wheels ups the price of Premium to $59,740.
The larger wheels are standard on the Luxury AWD trim, which includes the amazing Dynamic Sky option, radiant heating, acoustic glass, Ultrasuede seats, and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.
John Coyle | March 17, 2023
