It’s all-electric and comes in the form of a mid-size SUV, but can the new Lexus RZ steer Aussie buyers away from other premium EVs?
- How much does the Lexus RZ 450e cost?
- What equipment comes with the Lexus RZ 450e?
- How safe is the Lexus RZ 450e?
- What technology does the Lexus RZ 450e feature?
- What powers the Lexus RZ 450e?
- How far can the Lexus RZ 450e go on a charge?
- What is the Lexus RZ 450e like to drive?
- What is the Lexus RZ 450e like inside?
- Should I buy a Lexus RZ 450e?
The latest addition to Lexus’ growing line-up of electrified vehicles has officially touched down in Australia in the form of the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e. Unlike the smaller Lexus UX 300e, the RZ mid-size SUV is built from the ground up as a dedicated electric vehicle using the same new e-TNGA underpinnings as the incoming Toyota bZ4x. It gives Lexus a fresh entrant into the burgeoning EV market, challenging its luxury brand rivals with a dual-motor/all-wheel drive launch range that starts from $123,000 plus on-road costs.
How much does the Lexus RZ 450e cost?
Although it shares design cues and looks as though it might even share some body panels with other models in the Lexus stable, the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e is brand-new from the ground up.
In fact, the Japanese car-maker says the RZ doesn’t share a single piece of sheet metal with the similarly-sized new Lexus RX SUV – even if it rides on the same 2850mm wheelbase and has other things in common.
Built on the new e-TNGA platform that also underpins the incoming Toyota bZ4X (due in Australia by Christmas), the RZ is available from launch in just two model grades, each powered by the same dual-motor/all-wheel drive powertrain.
The Lexus RZ 450e Luxury opens proceedings, priced from $123,000 plus on-road costs, while the range-topping Sports Luxury starts at $135,000 plus ORCs.
The RZ is a lot pricier than dual-motor versions of popular premium battery-electric mid-size SUVs such as the Tesla Model Y (from $81,900), Hyundai IONIQ 5 (from $79,500) and the 2022 carsales Car of the Year winner, the Kia EV6 (from $87,590).
But let’s not forget that Lexus is gunning for its traditional luxury car rivals here, including the BMW iX3 (from $104,900, single-motor only), Genesis GV70 EV (from $127,800, dual-motor) and Mercedes-Benz EQB (from $106,700, dual-motor).
Lexus Australia says it has secured 500 units of the RZ in the first 12 months – a mix of both grades – and expects sales to be split evenly between the two.
Once supply frees up, the flagship is tipped to be more popular with buyers.
What equipment comes with the Lexus RZ 450e?
The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e is brimming with standard equipment.
On the entry-level Luxury you’ll find 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, LED headlights/tail-lights, tinted windows, synthetic leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, smart entry and push-button start, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers and auto high beam.
Moving into the Sports Luxury there’s larger 20-inch alloys, a panoramic dimming glass roof, painted gloss black exterior trimmings, front and rear acoustic glass, cornering lamps, ultra-suede upholstery, woodgrain-style dash inlays, ambient interior lighting, ventilated front seats and heated outboard seats in the second row.
Front passengers also gain a clever radiant seat heating feature, which uses infrared panels on the underside of the dash (along with regular heating in the actual seats) to warm your knees and lap.
Six paint colours are offered on the RZ, including a light Ether blue, while the Sports Luxury can be had with a two-tone paint finish for an extra $4200 – the only optional extra range-wide, until the controversial yoke steering wheel arrives…
Owners also get a three-year complimentary subscription to the Chargefox EV charging network as well as a 7kW JET Charge AC wallbox charger installed in their home, free of charge.
Lexus covers the RZ with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the battery is covered for 10 years and the wallbox gets a six-year warranty.
Trips to the workshop are due every 12 months or 15,000km, with each visit capped at $395 for the first five years.
How safe is the Lexus RZ 450e?
The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e is yet to be crash-tested by Australia’s leading independent crash-testing authority, ANCAP, however it’s expected to get a maximum five-star safety rating.
In part, that’s because all variants are fitted with a full suite of Lexus’ latest advanced driver assist systems, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection as well as intersection collision avoidance and daytime motorcycle detection.
There’s also pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane assist with departure alert, safe exit assist, a 360-degree camera and parking sensors at both ends of the car.
A driver monitoring system that uses a sensor attached to the top of the steering column (as found in the Lexus RX) also features on both RZ models, but even Lexus folks were quick to switch it off in our test cars as its chimes and warnings can prove to be a little overbearing on the move.
It bings almost every time you’re not looking directly ahead, like checking blind spots or looking in the direction of the A-pillar.
The RZ also boasts a whopping 10 airbags, which extend to the knees of both front passengers.
What technology does the Lexus RZ 450e feature?
The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e debuts some clever new features, but the tech offering doesn’t quite make the same impression as some of its rivals.
That mightn’t be a bad thing for Lexus customers stepping into an EV for the first time, because the RZ still feels much like a ‘regular’ SUV, as opposed to a spaceship… or a Tesla.
Where you’d find an ultra-widescreen digital instrument cluster in many other built-from-the-ground-up EVs, the RZ takes a more modest approach, borrowing what looks like the RX SUV’s digital display and swapping a few graphics.
As such, there’s no percentage offered for the state of battery charge. All you get is a predicted driving range, and a gauge with bars to indicate how much juice you’ve got left in the battery pack.
A big 14.0-inch touch-screen is plonked in the centre of the dash and skewed towards the driver. It’s the same unit found in the RX, so it’s clear and responsive, but also just as fiddly to use on the move.
Other standard tech features include five USB-C ports and three 12-volt outlets throughout the cabin, satellite navigation, digital radio, Android Auto (wired) and Apple CarPlay (wireless) connectivity, “Hey Lexus” voice recognition, wireless phone charging and either a 10-speaker Panasonic stereo (Luxury) or premium 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system (Sports Luxury).
The Sports Luxury also has a colour head-up display, park assist and three-position memory for the driver’s seat.
Lexus Connected Services is available too, bringing over-the-air (OTA) updates, connected navigation with live updates, and stolen vehicle tracking.
What powers the Lexus RZ 450e?
As mentioned, the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e is offered solely at launch with a dual-motor/all-wheel drive powertrain, with local Lexus executives saying there are no immediate plans to bring a more affordable option to market.
That means every variant gets the same set-up: a 150kW e-motor driving the front axle and a smaller 80kW e-motor wedged in at the rear, working together to produce combined outputs of 230kW and 435Nm.
A single-speed direct-drive transmission works alongside the brand’s new Direct4 all-wheel drive system to send torque to where it’s needed.
That means that while it’s technically all-wheel drive, clever tech on board the RZ can monitor driver inputs and road conditions to intermittently send more torque to the front or rear wheels as required.
It’s also neatly packaged, with a pair of e-Axles at the front and rear, each combining the motor, gearing and power control unit (PCU).
How far can the Lexus RZ 450e go on a charge?
Every example of the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e comes with a 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery, which delivers up to 400km of driving range (based on the WLTP standard), according to the car-maker.
Lexus also quotes 470km of driving range based on NEDC testing, however the 400km WLTP figure is closer to real-world conditions.
It’s fairly accurate too, judging by our limited time with the new RZ at the local launch, where we achieved average energy consumption of 18.8kWh/100km.
That comes out a little higher than Lexus’ claim of 15.2kWh/100km (NEDC), however we weren’t exactly driving with efficiency in mind for a fair portion of our testing.
What is the Lexus RZ 450e like to drive?
The 2023 Lexus RZ is typical Lexus from the driver’s seat: refined, smooth and comfortable.
It’s a serene experience on the move, where the cabin is ever so slightly quieter in Luxury grades fitted with 18-inch alloys, compared to a little more tyre noise in the Sports Luxury, which rides on larger 20s.
Acceleration in the RZ is impressive – particularly considering its hefty 2.1-tonne kerb weight (2095kg Luxury, 2110kg Sports Luxury) – launching the SUV forward with plenty of thrust, where the all-wheel drive system works all but flawlessly on the move.
It doesn’t feel as athletic in the dynamics department, however, where the RZ struggles to shift its weight during fast changes in direction and you’re met with a fair amount of body roll when cornering with any sort of enthusiasm.
Elsewhere, the steering feels artificial. It’s super-light (until you switch to Sport mode and it stiffens slightly) and lacking in feedback.
Another quirk – the RZ doesn’t offer one-pedal driving like many other EVs, making it feel more like a regular combustion-engined vehicle to drive. Problem is, its regenerative braking system makes the brake pedal really firm, so you need to hit it with plenty of force to actually get some stopping power.
You still get four stages of re-gen braking, but even in its strongest setting (found in Sport mode), it’s not overly potent like the one-pedal systems found in other EVs, like the Nissan LEAF, for example, so don’t expect it to bring you to a complete halt.
Five drive modes – Normal, Sport, Eco, Range and Custom – gives the driver plenty of options, but there isn’t a great deal of personalisation offered from Custom, beyond throttle response and steering feel.
What is the Lexus RZ 450e like inside?
As you’d expect in a Lexus – particularly one at this price point – the cabin of the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e is a pleasant and luxurious place to spend time.
There are lashings of soft-touch materials (most of which are vegan) along with some eye-catching multi-tone (think 50 shades of grey) floor mats in both grades that are a nice point of difference.
The top-spec Sports Luxury get ‘Ultrasuede’ seat upholstery, which, as the name suggests, is ultra-soft and supple. The front seats are cushiony, comfortable and supportive.
In order to accommodate the big battery, the floor sits rather high inside the cabin. Taller passengers might struggle for legroom in the second row, particularly if taller folk are in the front.
Headroom is good, even with the big sunroof in the Sports Luxury, however toe-room is a struggle for second-row citizens because the front seats are wedged down close to the floor.
Peculiarly, the RZ misses out on the same plush suede headliner found in even the most affordable versions of the petrol- and hybrid-powered RX SUV. Instead, the RZ gets regular fabric headlining, which feels a bit underdone at this price point, particularly when it comes standard on a circa-$80K RX.
Another small gripe: there’s no traditional glovebox. It makes more sense in the top-spec Sports Luxury, where an infrared panel (for the radiant seat heating) is plonked where the glovebox would normally be. But even the base-spec RZ misses out.
Instead, both models get a built-in shelf under the centre console, but it’s very narrow and difficult to get anything in or out of, even for someone with small-ish hands.
Should I buy a Lexus RZ 450e?
There’s no denying the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e makes a big statement from the outset.
And don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just a Toyota bZ4X with a Lexus badge. The dual-motor RZ is more powerful and, as you can see from this review, Lexus has not cut any corners with its lavish interior, generous specification and attractive aftersales benefits.
It’s not perfect, and first impressions reveal that it’s not quite as dynamically polished as some of its rivals – even much more affordable EVs such as the Kia EV6 GT.
But Lexus’ second EV after the UX 300e is by far its best EV and should be a magnet for the brand’s loyal customers.
Where the UX previewed Lexus’ future, the arrival of the RZ feels like that future is finally here.
2023 Lexus RZ 450e Sports Luxury at a glance:
Price: $135,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Two AC permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 230kW/435Nm
Transmission: Single-speed direct drive
Battery: 71.4kWh lithium-ion
Range: 400km (WLTP)/470km (NEDC)
Energy consumption: 15.2kWh/100km (NEDC)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Lexus RZ 450e 2023 Review