Lexus has just recently announced and unveiled their first global all-electric SUV – Lexus 2023 RZ 450e, an all-new, all-electric crossover SUV. Although Toyota’s luxury brand has long been an industry pioneer in the electric car through its hybrid models, the Lexus 2023 RZ 450e will be the brand’s first dedicated electric vehicle (EV) and all-electric model to wear a Lexus badge in North America.
The 2023 RZ 450e model shares a lot of its underbody e-TNGA platform DNA with the latest Subaru Solterra and Toyota BZ4X, even though the Toyota BZ4X has very much gone for its style and technology. However, Lexus has made it distinctive by making the 2023 RZ 450e the most outstanding car among those trio by making the 2023 RZ 450e exterior design language similar to the Lexus NX hybrid. As for the interior, Lexus makes the 2023 RZ 450e more interesting by giving it more flair and premium appeal. They make the dashboard minimal and pack a huge screen (a norm among EVs).
In terms of performance, the compact, five-seat SUV offers a 71.4-kWh battery pack and two electric motors, the front rated at 150 kW and the rear at 80 kW. Combined, this works out to be around 308 horsepower and 321 pound-feet of torque which is a significant bump over what the BZ4X and Solterra bring to the table.
However, when it comes to the driving range, it might get a bit disappointed. This is because Lexus 2023 RZ 450e can only reach a maximum estimated driving of up to 225 miles on 18-inch tires, similar to what all-wheel-drive variants of its other trio, the Toyota BZ4X and Subaru Solterra, manage to reach but with far less power.
The 2023 RZ 450e is also featured with the newly branded Direct4. However, it essentially appears to be the same through-the-road system found in its aforementioned platform-mates. Direct4 normally defaults to a power distribution between 60/40 and 40/60 front-to-rear. However, the hardware can dynamically distribute torque to the rear during cornering and when slip is detected to improve the handling performances.
Aside from that, Lexus also brings another interesting upcoming feature in the 2023 RZ 450e: a yoke steering which makes the 2023 RZ 450e look more premium and futuristic. Lexus mentions that they will make several improvements and adjustments in the yoke steering so that it can give a comfortable and same feeling as the standard steering.
Lexus achieves this by backing up the yoke steering with clever hardware and software tweaks to make it as natural as the good old “wheel”. Lexus also put a feature of locking horns with the likes of Tesla Model Y and Genesis GV60 to make this model look modern and futuristic.
As for the interior, the 2023 RZ 450e’s interior is expected to follow in the footsteps of other Lexus vehicle models with a luxurious cabin. Just like Lexus’ NX and LX SUVs, this new model will feature an enormous 14-inch touchscreen running the Lexus Interface infotainment system. The new hardware mercifully does without Lexus’ much-maligned mouse-like multi-controller. Plus, a panoramic roof is available with a Lexus-first dimming feature. The cabin also comes with radiant heaters designed to warm occupants’ knees in a manner that’s more efficient in saving battery life.
Last but not least, the 2023 RZ 450e also features a full array of active safety features. Clustered under the Lexus Safety System Plus 3.0 banner, the model features adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert and automatic emergency braking. When optioned with the available driver monitor, the RZ can also be specified with the Pre-Collision System, which monitors the driver’s awareness and provides alerts to keep them focused on driving. If the car system detects that the driver is unresponsive to the warnings and the alerts, the car can automatically stop in its lane.
The pricing for the new Lexus 2023 RZ 450e has not yet been released. However, the estimated price will start with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of USD50,000 or RM220,000, notably higher than the Toyota BZ4X and Subaru Solterra. As for the launch date, Lexus has confirmed it to launch in the third quarter of 2022.
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