Lexus RZ
The first electric car from LEXUS! It seems that even this wording alone is already able to attract the attention of some of the brand’s moneyed customers-fans. What will they get for their money? And in general, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the new LEXUS RZ 450e electric car? I’ll tell you all about it.
Content
The general positioning of the LEXUS RZ has already been mentioned above: it is the first electric vehicle from LEXUS, and it is a rather large crossover with a dynamic design. We can recall the existence of the LEXUS UX 300e, but it was an intermediate model created by converting a conventional gasoline/hybrid crossover into an electric vehicle, and it was also offered in a limited number of markets. In contrast, the LEXUS RZ crossover has been an electric vehicle from the very beginning, plus it is set to become more global in terms of geography.
The first photos LEXUS RZ appeared at the end of 2021, but the full debut of the electric car took place in 2022. It was then that all the information and specifications for the LEXUS RZ 450e with two electric motors and all-wheel drive – this is the one that became the hero of the article.
Just as you would expect from LEXUS: very gentle and careful even on bad roads, very quiet when driving in the city. Only at high speeds on the highways does a noticeable hum appear in the cabin, but otherwise it is phenomenally quiet! In general, the LEXUS RZ 450e electric car sets you up for a calm drive, which is also facilitated by its light steering wheel with medium sharpness: about 2.7 turns from stop to stop. Rolls are quite noticeable, which is explained by the soft suspension, and in a tight turn, the LEXUS RZ 450e crossover sometimes tries to slip out. This makes you want to slow down and relax a bit – it works better.
However, here’s the thing: this is exactly the case when «calm does not mean slow». After all, the LEXUS RZ 450e crossover demonstrates good acceleration even in ESO mode, and this acceleration is very smooth, which perfectly matches the overall suspension settings. In Normal or Sport modes, even more intense accelerator pedal response is added, but still the LEXUS RZ 450e does not lose its soft and smooth behavior, it does not even think of turning into a hard «hot hatchback». Although, according to the numbers, it demonstrates such acceleration dynamics that the same «hot hatchback» can envy. Here are the intermediate results of how the LEXUS RZ 450e drives: it is not in a hurry, but it is on time everywhere.
As for me, the design of the new LEXUS models has been clearly successful lately – and the LEXUS RZ electric car is no exception: a fast-moving crossover with a dynamic rear window tilt, many sharp corners, numerous notches and slots, two «fins» at the rear, a solid lantern with the LEXUS inscription on the trunk lid. It looks like a real spaceship from the future! The test electric vehicle was presented in a two-tone Bi-Tone color scheme: note the black paint job on not only the upper body but also the hood. Plus luxurious 20-inch wheels with different widths of tires: 235 mm in front and 255 mm at the rear. Acceleration to «hundred» fits into 5.3 seconds – super! But this only happens when the battery is fully or almost fully charged. When the charge level drops to half the battery capacity, the crossover loses almost a second. The charging port (CCS2 Type2 Mennekes) is located in the front wing.
In terms of its driving class, the LEXUS RZ is a perfect match for what LEXUS customers want to see: comfort and softness, power and dynamics. The interior is similar: inside, the driver and passengers are greeted with a good supply of space, excellent finishing materials, and a modern front panel architecture with large displays. Do you want to find criticisms? Easy: there is no usual «glove compartment», the digital instrument cluster is actually built around a relatively small display, and you want to add a few physical buttons to the central 14-inch display.
However, don’t forget about similar small advantages: a two-story center console niche, a convenient round joystick mounted on top of it, and dedicated temperature control rings. Rear passengers are offered ventilation deflectors and backrest tilt adjustment, and heated seats are added as a bonus. An infrared foot heater is installed for the driver and passenger in front. Finally, I would like to note the multifunctional touch-physical buttons on the steering wheel: they are triggered by touch, their icons appear on the projection display, but you need to press them to make the final switch.
The inner world LEXUS RZ 450e is not easy, but there are many points that have been worked out for the comfort of the driver and passengers; it seems to take care of the people in the cabin. The milky blue color with suede trim is another space! But the trunk is completely earthly: large and conveniently rectangular, with practical hooks and niches.
The electric car is based on the e-TNGA platform: it is an electrified version of the well-known TNGA platform, which is already well known in Japanese cars. The main features of the e-TNGA platform are the integration of the battery into the power structure of the body, as well as two e-Axle modules (electric motor, inverter, gearbox) in the front and rear. Thanks to these two electric motors, the DIRECT4 permanent all-wheel drive is realized. In addition, we add a load-bearing body and fully independent wheel suspensions – MacPherson in the front and multi-link in the rear.
In general, the design is modern, but there are no technological revolutions or ultra-high performance. The Li-Ion battery has a nominal capacity of 71.4 kWh and consists of 96 units, it operates at the usual voltage of 355 volts for electric cars. The shock absorbers can change the stiffness depending on the frequency/amount of body and suspension vibrations, but there is no full «pneumatic» air suspension. The body is mainly made of various steels, aluminum is used only sporadically: for example, the hood is made of it. The front electric motor develops a power of 150 kW, the rear electric motor produces 80 kW – a total of 230 kW or 313 hp. The torque of the front electric motor is 266.3 Nm, the rear electric motor produces 168.5 Nm – a total of 435 Nm of torque. Not bad, but not record-breaking power/torque figures either.
Finally, I would like to note the charging and recovery capabilities. Thus, the LEXUS RZ 450e electric car can receive three-phase alternating current (AC) with a capacity of up to 11 kW – in this case, it takes 6.5 hours to fully charge the battery. There is also the possibility of charging with direct current (DC) with a capacity of up to 150 kW: in this case, the battery can be charged to 80% of its capacity in half an hour. These are good figures, but not revolutionary.
The general design is expected and understandable: a supporting body and battery in the base, all-wheel drive with two electric motors (front and rear), independent wheel suspensions. The details have already been discussed above, but it is important to add one more thing: the LEXUS RZ 300e crossover has recently been introduced – it has front-wheel drive (one 150 kW or 204 hp electric motor) and a similar battery. Of course, such an electric vehicle loses in dynamics, but wins in overall lightness and range: minus 100 kg and plus about 100 km, respectively. However, such an electric car, the LEXUS RZ 300e, is not presented in Ukraine; I hope it will not be presented yet. And what is presented now?
The electric crossover LEXUS RZ is offered in Ukraine only in the RZ 450e version (two electric motors, all-wheel drive) and only in the Luxury configuration; plus an additional two-color Bi-Tone version.
But the Luxury configuration is the maximum. Adaptive LED headlights, panoramic glass roof, surround view system, adaptive cruise control, power steering wheel adjustment and heating, power front seat adjustment with position memory function, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, 14-inch LEXUS LINK PRO touchscreen display, separate climate control, 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio, 20-inch alloy wheels, suede interior trim, 64-color background interior lighting, «blind spot monitoring» mirrors, front collision avoidance system, traffic sign recognition, lane keeping assist, cross traffic detection and automatic braking, front and side airbags, inflatable air curtains, driver/passenger central airbag, E-Latch door locks and keyless entry, etc. Cost LEXUS RZ 450e Luxury — from $71 thousand.
Electric crossover LEXUS RZ offers only one package, but the most complete one: PVM all-round view with «translucent car» function, windshield projection system, adaptive headlights, many safety, and driver assistance systems, panoramic glass roof with adjustable transparency, premium sound Mark Levinson, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and more.
Now about the competitors. The first rival is the crossover Tesla Model Y: recognizable dynamic silhouette, a fairly spacious interior, good dynamics and range. Next, I will definitely mention the classic representatives of the premium world, for example, Audi e-tron (Audi Q8 e-tron) or Jaguar i-Pace: they offer a larger battery and power, comparable or greater range, air suspension, and spacious interiors with good finishes.
Finally, if you are interested in more originality for less money, you can find electric cars in Ukraine Audi Q4 e-tron, Volvo C40 (Volvo EC40), Hyundai IONIQ 5. Despite the fact that they are nominally one class lower, they can still offer large batteries and a range, sufficient power, and interior space. At the same time, they will be significantly cheaper.
Almost all rivals of the electric car LEXUS RZ are «in years» against it. However, in terms of technology — battery capacity, electric motor power, suspension capabilities, and equipment list — they are clearly not inferior, and some may even surpass the newcomer. Therefore, in the case of a crossover LEXUS RZ It is worth emphasizing the sense of novelty of the model. It would also be very desirable to bring a more affordable version with front-wheel drive and a longer range.
This is probably the most painful issue for the LEXUS RX 450e. Yes, in the company booklet for the electric vehicle, you can find a range of 470 km and energy consumption of 15.2 kWh per 100 km. But this is according to the NEDC measurement cycle, which is usually very optimistic. Other sources of information give us figures of 435 km (18-inch wheel version) or 395 km (20-inch wheel version). This is according to the WLTP measurement cycle, which is more realistic. The energy consumption is declared at 16.8-18.7 kWh per 100 km on a similar measurement cycle. Now, let’s keep counting — the battery capacity is claimed at 71.4 kWh; however, keep in mind that the battery is usually never fully discharged. Even when the range meter reads «0», there is actually about 8% of charge left in the battery: it turns out that 92% of its capacity, or 65-66 kWh, is actually used.
By the way, during charging, the actual charging power used also differs from the declared one: a maximum of 150 kW can be reached only if the battery is charged within certain limits of its capacity, and then the power gradually decreases in order not to overheat the battery. This cautious and safe operation of the battery should significantly extend its service life and «health» condition for many years. LEXUS guarantees that the battery will retain 70% of its capacity after 10 years of service and specifies that this figure will probably be closer to 90% of its nominal value — not bad!
But keep in mind that we have a rather heavy (2100 kg minimum) and powerful crossover — with the corresponding energy consumption. My minimum in the city was about 19-20 kWh, and the maximum I saw was 32 kWh per 100 km. On average, you can expect 22–25 kWh per 100 km of run in the city — that is, you can really count on 250-260 km, ideally you can reach about 300 km of run. On the highway, when driving at a speed of 80-90 km/h, energy consumption averaged 23 kWh per 100 km, which gives us a little less than 300 km of mileage. When driving at a speed of 110-120 km/h, the energy consumption was already about 30 kWh per 100 km, which gives us a little more than 200 km of mileage.
As for recuperation, it varies depending on the selected driving mode, or the intensity of its operation can be adjusted with the steering wheel paddles — there are four positions available. On a large, long descent (Olena Teliha Street in Kyiv), you can collect 1-2 km of range: not a record for electric vehicles, but a good indicator for a large and heavy crossover with a considerable energy consumption.
An interesting photo: the average energy consumption is 15.2 kWh, the battery is fully charged, and the meter should read 400 km of range. But he knows that the reality is closer to 300 km. And even then, there are nuances: turning on the air conditioner or heater for comfort immediately costs 70 km of mileage: the meter already reads 230 km of range. There are four levels of recovery, which are changed by the steering wheel. The real-minimum energy consumption is about 19–20 kWh per 100 km; if you allow yourself to relax and drive at a normal pace, it will be 22-23-25 kWh per 100 km; and if you forget about energy consumption altogether and drive as dynamically as possible, you will get 30+ kWh per 100 km. Considering the actual battery capacity, it turns out that LEXUS RX 450e can travel 200-250-300 km depending on the driving style, speed, and driving conditions (city/highway)
The Euro NCAP crash tests for the LEXUS RZ electric vehicle resulted in a maximum five-star rating. There were comments about the mediocre protection of the driver in a side impact and weak protection of the rear passenger in a frontal impact, but the rest — overall adult protection, the level of child protection, and the operation of driver assistance systems — are at a high level.
In a nutshell, the LEXUS RZ crossover is an excellent LEXUS, but not a very good electric car. Indeed, from the point of view of the current world of electric vehicles, it clearly lacks a larger battery and lower energy consumption. Part of the answer to this remark may be the appearance of a front-wheel drive version in Ukraine, which will also reduce the price. But until then, most electric car competitors will win, at least in terms of range.
At the same time, the LEXUS RZ crossover is certainly a very cool LEXUS: comfortable and soft on the move, spacious and comfortable in the cabin, with the most complete equipment and good finishing materials. But then why not take LEXUS RX? It offers similar benefits and costs similar money, without compromising on range.
So here’s the general conclusion: a request for a LEXUS RZ crossover is only valid if you need a LEXUS with all its characteristic advantages, and you need an electric vehicle (not even a HEV or PHEV hybrid). This niche is probably very small; however, there may still be requests from customers. And now they have something to offer — in the form of the LEXUS RZ.
Pros:
+ Spacious interior and beautiful materials
+ High-power and good maximum acceleration performance
+ Maximum equipment on the principle of «all-inclusive»
Cons:
— A small battery and, at the same time, a rather large power consumption
— No choice of versions/bundles — we need to add
| LEXUS RZ 450e | |
| Body, type | Crossover, 5 doors, 5 seats |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 4,805 × 1,895 × 1,635 m |
| Wheelbase | 2,85 м |
| Declared clearance | 200 mm |
| Trunk volume | From 522 liters (5 seats) to 1451 liters (2 seats) |
| Minimum curb weight | 2100 kg |
| Engine | Two electric motors |
| Power of individual motors | Front engine — 150 kW; rear engine — 80 hp. |
| Total power output | 230 kW or 313 hp. |
| Specific power | 149 hp per 1 ton |
| Type of drive | All-wheel drive DIRECT4 |
| Transmission type | Gearboxes for electric motors |
| Dynamics 0-100 km/h. | 5.3-5.6 seconds |
| Maximum speed | 160 km/h. |
| Battery capacity | 71.4 kWh. |
| Power reserve | 395 km (WLTP) or 470 km (NEDC) |
| Minimum cost | From UAH 2.75 million or $71 thousand. |