Lexus finally reveals its all-electric RZ 450e SUV

Lexus gave us a glimpse at the 2023 RZ 450e today: an all-electric SUV with an estimated 225-mile range and a 71.4kWh battery. The company’s first-ever electric vehicle (EV) will also come with Direct4. That’s its new all-wheel-drive system that automatically calibrates weight distribution on all four wheels, leading to “improved start-up acceleration, handling stability and low power consumption.”

On the inside of the vehicle is a sleek interior with a 14-inch touchscreen and a panoramic sunroof that extends from the front seats to the back. As for a steering yoke, which my colleague Andrew Hawkins lamented about in a previous post, that’s optional.

Lexus included an image of the yoke in its initial tease of the car, but Lexus spokesperson Amanda Roark confirmed to The Verge that Lexus will sell the vehicle in the US for one year with a standard wheel. After that, the yoke will be offered as an additional option with Steer by Wire, a feature that replaces mechanical steering with electronic controls.

Lexus still hasn’t revealed any pricing information for the RZ, but it’s likely that the luxury vehicle will cost a bit more than the $42,000 BZ4X electric SUV offered by Toyota. The base BZ4X model comes with an estimated 252 miles of range, a 71.4kWh battery pack, and is built on the same e-TNGA platform as the RZ.

Image: Lexus

When compared to other electric luxury SUVs, the RZ falls a bit short on range with its 225-mile estimate. The 2022 BMW iX M60 lasts up to 280 miles on a single charge, while the 2022 Tesla Model X can cover an estimated 333 miles. The RZ’s mileage is more on par with the $51,700 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge, which gets up to 223 miles on one charge.