Lexus RZ 450e Introduced as Brand's First All Electric SUV

Lexus has made a name for itself in the world of hybrid SUVs. But now the brand is taking the next step with the introduction of the all-electric RZ 450e.

Unmistakably a Lexus, the new EV features all of the usual brand styling cues, albeit in a sleeker overall design. Measuring in at 189-inches in length and 64.4-inches in height, the RZ isn’t quite as long as the Lexus RX SUV and has a roofline a little bit lower than the NX. It’s the third family member to be spawned from the EV platform that has already created the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra.

Since the RZ is an EV and does not require a conventional front grille, Lexus’ designers had to be creative to keep the signature spindle grille and have given the EV what the brand calls a BEV Spindle Body.

Teased in an earlier image, the RZ 450e will indeed offer a yoke-style steering wheel, but not just yet. Lexus has stated that at a future date the brand’s first ever steer by wire system will be introduced, complete with the new style wheel.

Since the steer by wire system only requires 150 degrees of steering input, the manufacturer states there is no need for hand over hand driving procedures; thus, eliminating the need for a conventional steering wheel. How this will work in practice is yet to be seen, but if we were gamblers, we’d bet Lexus will have this system well sorted before putting it into production.

The RZ 450e will receive the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 which includes all of the usual crash avoidance technology. Pre-collision detection, lane departure alert, emergency stopping, and even a driving monitoring system are all included. As well, available advanced park with remote function further enhances parallel parking ability. In addition to conventional back-up parking, forward-facing parking will now be supported, enabling forward-facing as well as back-up exit.

Inside, front seat passengers will be kept toasty warm, or at least their knees will be, thanks to a radiant heater. It’s designed to help heat the cabin while minimizing impact on battery usage. Other highlights of the interior include a massive 14-inch infotainment touchscreen that utilizes the recently introduced Lexus Interface multimedia system.

Lexus has been utilizing an electronic rear axle on the company’s plug-in hybrids for awhile, but with the RZ, a new more robust eAxle has been introduced. Working in conjunction with other systems, depending on several factors, up to a full 100% of the power can be sent to either the front or rear wheels.

During regular acceleration, the front-to-rear power ratio split moves between 60:40 and 40:60. When entering a cornering power is split forward-bias between 75:25 to 50:50. But when exiting a cornering, the power split shifts rearward, between 50:50 to 20:80. Basically, this system is an electronic version of torque vectoring.

Lexus hasn’t gotten into much detail concerning the vehicle’s powertrain, other than listing the electric motors in the specification table. With a 150 kW front motor and 80 kW rear motor, the RZ should be more powerful than its Toyota bZ4X sibling. The bZ4X comes with either just a 150 kW (201 hp) front motor, or a pair of 80 kW motors (214 hp). So with the more powerful front motor and same rear motor, we’d expect the RZ 450e to be around the 300 hp mark of total system output.

The all-wheel drive EV is estimated to get up to 225 miles of range on a single charge, utilizing a 71.4kWh battery back. More details regarding the RZ 450e will become available closer to the vehicle’s on sale date set for the end of 2022.

Discuss this story on our Lexus RZ forum.

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