- Overview
- What is it?
- Wait, a yoke like a Tesla?
- So, do I have to have the yoke?
- What about the rest of the car then?
- And the range?
- What’s it like inside?
- How much will it cost me?
- What's the verdict?
- BMW iX3
- Jaguar I-Pace
- Genesis GV60
- Driving
- What is it like to drive?
- So, how’s the yoke?
- What else do I need to know about the RZ?
- How’s the refinement?
- Is it efficient?
- Interior
- What is it like on the inside?
- Buying
- What should I be paying?
- How fast will it charge?
- What actually are the rivals?
Overview
What is it?
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the new Lexus RZ is just another generic electric SUV, and if we’re honest, you’d be mostly correct. It’s Lexus’ first ever purpose-built EV – the UX300e was born as a combustion car and only had its innards stuffed with batteries later in life – but it is built on the same eTNGA platform as both the Toyota bZ4X (otherwise known as the fax machine) and the Subaru Solterra.
So far, so generic, right? And yet, there is one aspect of the RZ that sets it apart from its ever-growing list of rivals – the futuristic-looking yoked steering system.
Wait, a yoke like a Tesla?
Not quite. While Tesla simply fixed a silly-shaped steering device to a standard Model S column and told those ‘early adopters’ to have at it, Lexus has developed an all-new steer-by-wire system that it is calling One Motion Grip. You better believe that we’ll be shortening that to OMG.
Now, steer-by-wire means that there isn’t actually any physical connection between the steering wheel (or yoke in this case) and the front wheels. Instead, your inputs are transferred electronically at a rapid rate. Sounds odd, but it means that Lexus can constantly change the steering ratios depending on the car’s speed, so at low speeds a small turn of the wheel will give much more steering angle than the same turn of the wheel at high speeds. This means with OMG – unlike in the Tesla – you never need to remove your hands from their usual position on the yoke to make tight turns.
“The result is instant response and more precise steering control,” claims Lexus.
“The driver will also notice less steering wheel sway when travelling over rough roads; stable control and correction in strong crosswinds; and stable straight-line performance on angled surfaces.”
Click over to the driving tab of this review to read our thoughts.
So, do I have to have the yoke?
You do not. In fact, the OMG system is still under development and won’t actually be an option on the RZ until 2025. The first cars will arrive in May 2023 and for the first couple of years you’ll only be able to spec an RZ with a round steering wheel and conventional rack-assisted electric power steering system. Technophobes rejoice.
What about the rest of the car then?
Ah yes, we should probably have got into that before we got bogged down in how the wheels turn. Anyway, there’s just one powertrain option at launch in the form of the RZ 450e. Like its Toyota and Subaru siblings the RZ uses a 71.4kWh battery at its heart, but whereas the bZ4X can be had with either two- or four-wheel drive, Lexus has followed Subaru in going all-wheel drive only.
That means there’s a 201bhp electric motor on the front axle and a 108bhp motor on the rear axle for a combined output of 309bhp. Max torque is 321lb ft and 0-62mph takes just 5.3 seconds.
And the range?
Good question. The answer is that it very much depends on spec – if you want the larger 20-inch wheels you’ll get a WLTP range of 252 miles, but if your ego can cope with 18-inchers then you can up that to 272 miles.
What’s it like inside?
It’s very Lexus. And that’s all you’ll get out of us here – click through to the Interior tab for more.
How much will it cost me?
When the RZ 450e reaches the UK, prices will start from £62,600 for the entry level ‘Premium Pack’. That will jump to £66,600 for the slightly better-equipped ‘Premium Plus Pack’, whilst the fully-loaded ‘Takumi’ will start at a hefty £72,100.
What's the verdict?
“A decent first attempt at a purpose-built EV from Lexus. Expensive though and you'd have to really like the yoke to pick it over rivals”
Clearly a huge amount of effort has gone into Lexus’ new steer-by-wire system, and although it won’t be hitting our streets until 2025 and we’re not fully sold on its effectiveness just yet, at least it provides the RZ with an interesting differentiator.
Unfortunately, the standard version is just a little too ‘generic EV SUV’ for our liking right now, and it’s an expensive one at that. We’ll have to drive one on UK roads in order to determine whether those traditional Lexus values of comfort, quietness and refinement shine through. But for now, we’re not sure it’s worth the extra outlay over some impressive competition.
BMW iX3
Jaguar I-Pace
Genesis GV60
Continue reading: Driving
Driving
What is it like to drive?
We’ll kick off with the standard, conventional steering iteration given that’s what you’ll be able to buy from launch. And surprise surprise for an electric SUV, there’s not actually that much feel through the wheel despite the physical connection.
In twisty stuff Lexus’ Direct4 torque vectoring system can send up to 80 per cent of the grunt rearwards to reduce understeer, but as standard you’re looking at a 70:30 front-to-rear torque split. It feels safe and secure, but you won’t be hunting down apexes any time soon.
So, how’s the yoke?
We spent a good chunk of time driving an RZ equipped with the OMG system on real roads, and perhaps the biggest complement we can pay it is that we got used to the whole thing pretty quickly.
The ratios do vary massively depending on speed, so you’ll only ever be exploring the 300 degrees of lock-to-lock motion at walking pace. On the move you make much smaller and smoother inputs than you do in the standard car, and on flowing roads it’ll feel like you’re barely moving your arms. There’s obviously no real sense of what the tyres are doing below you, but there is at least a decent weight to the yoke and you can add even more in Sport mode.
There’s a gamification feel to the whole thing and it certainly adds a level of interest to the RZ. Whether Lexus’ traditional customer base in the UK is into gaming and sim-racing is another matter.
Now, we can’t consider this a definitive verdict as we haven’t been able to test the OMG steering on a properly bumpy road to see if Lexus’ claim that it offers more control holds true, but first impressions seem reasonably positive. Our only real issue was winding lock off too quickly when pulling out of a junction can make the experience rather jerky. Oh, and we’re not exactly sure why you’d need the whole thing in the first place, but that’s a bigger question than we have space for here.
What else do I need to know about the RZ?
Let’s talk powertrains, shall we? With 309bhp available when the two motors are working together, the RZ is certainly very brisk. It may weigh just over two-tonnes, but there’s much more shove available than in the 214bhp all-wheel drive bZ4X. The brakes lack any sort of feel through the pedal, but we do like the use of paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust the level of regen on the move.
How’s the refinement?
This is an important point for any Lexus. As with pretty much all EVs, it’s quiet and relaxing inside. There is a little bit of wind and road noise at motorway speeds, but otherwise it’s well sorted.
Again, we didn’t find any UK-spec tarmac on our first drive out in southern France, so we’re yet to give the suspension a proper test. Early signs are fairly good, although we’d avoid the larger 20-inch wheels to improve ride quality.
Is it efficient?
So far it certainly seems so. With mixed town/country driving and the air conditioning on, we managed close to 4 miles per kWh. A heat pump is standard fit too, and there’s a Range mode that goes further than the standard Eco mode by switching the air conditioning off completely and limiting power and top speed.
Previous: Overview
Continue reading: Interior
Interior
What is it like on the inside?
The first thing that strikes you in here is that massive 14-inch central touchscreen. It’s standard fit on all trim levels and, although it has a whiff of a chunky old CRT TV about it, it reacts well to your prods and controls pretty much all of the car’s functions. Thankfully there are permanent shortcuts down the bottom for the climate controls, but finding things like the drive mode selector is far too complicated.
All trim levels come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as wireless phone charging, a load of USB-C ports, heated seats and steering wheel and a panoramic roof. Make the leap to the top spec Takumi trim and you’ll be able to dim said roof, plus you get Ultrasuede seats rather than the standard synthetic leather and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound system.
The Premium Plus Pack and Takumi trims also add something that Lexus calls ‘front radiant heaters’. They’re mounted in the dash and warm your knees using infrared radiation. Sounds a little scary to us, but apparently they use eight per cent less energy than the climate control. Every little helps when you’re trying to conserve range.
In terms of space there’s plenty of rear legroom, while the boot offers 522 litres of load space with the rear seats in place and 1,451 litres with them folded flat. There’s also an extra 58 litres under the boot floor for charging cables and the like.
For those that do want the One Motion Grip steering come 2025, the digital instrument binnacle is set higher and further away than in the standard wheeled RZ. The yoke itself is a butterfly shape and feels pretty natural to hold, although you’ll need to adjust your usual seating position and the accompanying paddles for adjusting the level of regen are tiny and often get in the way of the stubby little indicator stalks. Needs more work, we reckon.
Previous: Driving
Continue reading: Buying
Buying
What should I be paying?
As mentioned on the Overview tab of this review, the RZ 450e will start at £62,600 when it hits the UK later in 2023. That’s a fair chunk of change, especially when you consider that a top spec Toyota bZ4X with the twin-motor powertrain costs just over £54k.
You do get plenty of kit as standard though, and crucially you can have the smaller 18-inch wheels with the entry level Premium Pack trim. The larger 20-inch wheels are a £950 option or come as standard on the Premium Plus Pack and Takumi trims, but as they knock at least 20 miles off your expected range and have a negative impact on ride quality, we can’t see the appeal at all.
That Premium Plus Pack starts at £66,600, while the Takumi kicks off at £72,100, or £73,200 if you want one of the striking two-tone paint finishes. We do quite like said paint – especially the two-tone black and ‘Sonic Copper’ which gives the otherwise quite safely-styled RZ some real impact.
How fast will it charge?
Ah yes, an important consideration when cross-shopping EVs. The RZ 450e can fast charge at speeds of up to 150kW. That’s pretty good compared to rivals and means a 0-80 per cent charge time of just 30 minutes.
What actually are the rivals?
There are so many these days that we’re actually losing track. The RZ is of course pretty much the same size as its Toyota and Subaru siblings, but its price means it’ll be fighting premium rivals like the Jaguar I-Pace, the BMW iX3 and the Mercedes EQC.
Plus, higher spec versions of the Genesis GV60, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y and Audi Q4 e-tron are also worth considering if you’re interested in the RZ.
Previous: Interior
Continue reading: Specs & Prices
Keyword: Lexus RZ review