Photo credit: Toyota
Amid nothing short of a tsunami of Toyota electric vehicle concepts unveiled earlier this week, it may have been easy to miss a cameo by the Lexus RZ electric crossover, due to be unveiled in the metal in the near future. The RZ won't be Lexus' first EV—that honor goes to the UX 300e that has been on sale elsewhere—but it will be the first to reach the US when it lands here in 2022.
Toyota's EV day served mainly to preview the design of the RZ, which looked remarkably production-ready, with the vehicle seen during the event featuring a version of the spindle grille on a fairly blunt nose, with the leading edge of the hood extending quite far forward. The profile appeared equally adventurous, featuring a dramatic upward slice at the C-pillar.
The RZ, as seen during the event, featured such details as windshield wipers, full-size mirrors, and other realistic items, so the vehicle seen could be quite close to what how the production model will appear. Lexus hasn't shared a particularly clear view of the rear fascia, but the images shown include such details as badging, seen as RZ450e Direct4, with the latter part referencing a dual-motor system shown last year with 201-hp motors front and back.
Photo credit: Toyota
The Lexus model will be based, once again, on the e-TNGA architecture of the Toyota bZ4X that will also give us the Subaru Solterra. If it sticks close to the hardware of its Toyota sibling, it may feature a 72.8-kWh (gross) battery pack, and could be offered solely in dual-motor form, in contrast to the bZ4X which will be offered in single- and dual-motor flavors, the latter advertised with 215 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque.
It's expected that the Lexus model will offer a serious performance hike over the bZ4X, and will be offered solely in all-wheel-drive form with two motors producing 201 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque each. That's where the Direct4 system comes in, seen on the badging of the hatch. Of course, this doesn't mean the Lexus RZ450e will offer precisely 402 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, as it could be retuned for efficiency or other priorities, as it's still expected to feature a 72.8-kWh battery pack, and will need to provide a competitive driving range.
Given the 310-mile WLTP range with which the bZ4X has been advertised for other markets, the Lexus model will need to preserve some energy to offer an EPA range above 230 miles, at the very least. Anything less and it will start rubbing up against the bottom end of the range spectrum when it comes to electric crossovers of this size.
It will be interesting to see just how the Lexus RZ450e will be positioned in relation to the Toyota bZ4X, and what the differences in price and range will be. The Toyota model will be aimed at maximizing range with a single-motor, front-wheel drive version generating 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque—hardly performance figures—while the dual-motor version will dial that up just a bit to 215 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque. Both of these will be quite tame numbers, so it'll be up to the Lexus model to strike a contrast when it comes to power, luxury, and range.
The RZ450e is expected to arrive in 2022 as a 2023 model, with a starting price around $50,000.
Photo credit: Hearst Owned
Keyword: What to Expect with the 2023 Lexus RZ450e