Fresh trademarks from the UK point to the new model's arrival.
Lexus has entered new territory with the three-row TX crossover in the USA, but a fresh trademark discovered by CarBuzz filed with the British Intellectual Property Office suggests an electric version is on the way called the Lexus TZ450e.
Elsewhere in Europe, the Lexus RX Owners forum discovered a trademark with the EUIPO for a Lexus TZ550e as a top-tier trim.
Aside from these, no further details were disclosed. But we may know what it is based on how the Japanese luxury brand names its models.
Typically, the first letter indicates its position in the lineup, with the second letter representing its body style. An S means a sedan, and an X means an SUV, but a Z means Zero, as in zero emissions. That means the TZ will be a zero-emissions version of the Lexus TX three-row SUV.
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The TX and TZ likely won't share components despite sharing the same first letters and similar sizing. The former uses the TNGA-K platform, but this scalable architecture is only suited to combustion and hybrid powertrains, not fully-electric vehicles.
Instead, the TZ will use a new electric platform, which was confirmed to be in development by new CEO Koji Sato in May this year. The new platform is expected to be revealed this year and will underpin 10 new Toyota EVs between now and 2026, with one being a Lexus rival to the Porsche Taycan.
While we can expect to see similarities between the TX and TZ in terms of styling, the presumed EV model should get a grille-less front fascia and more aerodynamic wheel designs. We may have even seen a preview of the newcomer, as Toyota and Lexus revealed 16 EV concepts a couple of years ago, one of which was a large Lexus SUV.
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As for powertrains, it's a little too soon to tell, as the new EV platform could be accompanied by new electric motors. It could, in 450e guise, however, use the same dual-motor setup as the RZ 450e, which makes a combined output of 308 horsepower. Meanwhile, the TZ 550e should be positioned as the more premium variant, delivering more power and range.
Lexus hasn't put out a word regarding the matter. However, Toyota, Lexus' parent company, said in its revised electrification strategy that it plans to introduce 10 new EV models by 2026, and the trademarked TZ could be our glimpse into that future.
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Keyword: Lexus TZ Coming As New Electric 3-Row SUV