May 7 marked the world premiere of the TZ at Toyota Technical Center Shimoyama (TTC-S), which straddles the cities of Toyota and Okazaki in Aichi Prefecture. As Lexus’s first three-row BEV SUV, the event drew media from across Japan and around the world. Toyota Times has previously featured Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries’s speech, a tour of the TTC-S development hub, and a disaster response drill held on the same day to strengthen ties between TTC-S and the local community. This time, Yuta Tomikawa reports on the comfort of the TZ’s rear and driver’s seats, as well as its quiet and refined drive. He marvels as he tests out Rear Comfort Mode, saying, “How is this even possible?” Drive, break, fix, then drive again. At TTC-S, this agile approach drives development, an aspect that was also shown to the public. At the representatives meeting held ahead of the world premiere, where the heads of Lexus dealerships from across Japan gathered, the key theme stressed by Takashi Watanabe, president of Lexus International Co., was “taking on new challenges.” Tomikawa asks about his expectations for the TZ. And no discussion of BEVs would be complete without charging infrastructure. So where is Tomikawa headed next?
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