Japanese luxury carmaker Lexus has dropped a few teaser images of the upcoming RZ battery-electric SUV. The Lexus RZ electric SUV will debut on the 20th of April at a global event that will be broadcast on the company’s website.
The Lexus RZ is the Japanese luxury carmaker’s first battery-electric SUV and it is based on the same e-TNGA platform that underpins the Toyota bZ4x. The teaser images released by Lexus show off the front end and interior of the upcoming RZ electric.
The RZ electric SUV was first seen in the flesh last year when Lexus’ parent company Toyota announced plans to go fully electric. The luxury carmaker has also released a few more images that show the RZ in the flesh and the SUV looks quite similar to the LF-Z Electrified concept that was unveiled last year.
These images show off a rather distinct ‘Lexus’ version of the front end seen on the Toyota bZ4x electric SUV. The iconic gaping Lexus grille is now sealed off though there are air intakes on either side above which sit the SUV’s headlights.
The sides of the electric Lexus RZ SUV feature a distinctive line that runs around the front wheel arch and ends halfway across the rear door. Also seen is a kink before the blacked-out C-pillar. The wheel arches feature black cladding to give the RZ a tough look and the SUV sits on some snazzy looking alloy wheels.
At the rear, the Lexus RZ electric SUV sports winglets on either side of the roof. Also seen is a ducktail spoiler on the boot lid and light bar style taillights that run around the edges of the SUV while also playing host to the ‘Lexus’ name badge.
The latest teaser images from Lexus also give us our first look at the SUV’s interior. The image shows off the Lexus RZ’s yoke-style steering wheel along with the dual-screen setup of the driver’s information display and the touchscreen unit for the infotainment system which is tilted towards the driver. The setup looks similar to the one seen on the LF-Z electrified concept.
While the LF-Z electrified concept featured a 543bhp dual-motor setup, the production RZ SUV is expected to borrow the drivetrain from the Toyota bZ4x. In the Toyota electric SUV, the electrified powertrain consists of a dual-motor setup and a 71.4kWh battery pack.
The dual-motor setup of the bZ4x is rated for 215bhp and 336Nm of torque. This allows the all-wheel-drive Toyota EV to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 7.7 seconds while delivering a claimed maximum range of 450 kilometres on a single charge.
The Lexus RZ electric SUV will come packed with features including the carmaker’s DIRECT4 all-wheel-drive system that the carmaker claims can switch between front and rear-wheel drive and anything in between in the blink of an eye.
The SUV is also expected to sport Lexus’ steer-by-wire tech (no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front axle) which the company claims will improve the steering response.
Thoughts On The Lexus RX
The Lexus RX is the company’s first foray into the world of battery-electric vehicles. If the RX is our look into the future of Lexus, we can surely say that the future looks quite smooth for the Japanese luxury marque.
Keyword: Lexus RZ Electric SUV Teased Ahead Of Debut