The first Lexus electric vehicle (EV) sold in North America* will be a compact crossover with a low-slung, sporty look and standard all-wheel-drive. It shares its underpinnings with a far more plebian Toyota bZ4x. But it’s a study in what designers can do to set two products apart.
Few Mechanical Details
Lexus revealed few mechanical details about the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e.
It will be the first vehicle sold with a new electric motor Lexus calls Direct4, and it will use two of them. One mounted to the front axle and one to the rear means the RZ 450e is all-wheel-drive. Lexus claims the system will shift “from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive and everything in between, in the blink of an eye.”
It hasn’t, however, revealed power figures. The bZ4x, in its most powerful form, makes 215 horsepower. That may work for a Toyota, but it would be a disappointing figure for a Lexus. The similarly-named RX 450h makes 308 horsepower, which may provide a clue.
The RZ will use steer-by-wire technology, which means there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. Just a digital feedback system Lexus says is more responsive.
Pricing a Mystery for Now
The company gave no hints as to how much it will charge for its first EV. The RZ is a compact electric crossover, which means its most natural competition may be the Tesla Model Y. That car’s price has grown rapidly over the last year. At the beginning of 2021, you could order a Model Y for $51,200. Today, it starts at $60,990, plus a $1,200 destination charge. Lexus may not be able to set a price for the RZ until it’s more clear what its competition costs, but we expect it to carry a sticker similar to the Model Y…whatever that means by the time it reaches showrooms.
A Comprehensive Glow-Up
What Lexus did provide are photos and video, which show that the company’s designers have outdone themselves.
The RZ 450e shares a platform with both the bZ4x and the Subaru Solterra. But it looks far sportier and more elegant than either. Lexus teased the design with sketches earlier this month. But it’s far more impressive in the metal.
EVs don’t require grilles – there’s no engine under the hood to cool – but designers have worked the trademark Lexus spindle grille into this design as a clean, sleek front fascia. Character lines in the doors emphasize the RZ’s curves, with a sleek split-S-curve near the beltline that looks particularly aerodynamic.
A floating roof terminates in a two-peaked roof spoiler. Steeply-angled liftgate glass sits above a second spoiler, with the Lexus name spelled out in a wide script underneath. A pair of (we assume false) vertical inlets below mirror the sides of the spindle on the rear hatch.
It’s a far sportier look than the bZ4x or the Solterra, even if what lies beneath is largely the same set of bones.
Lexus is keeping much about the car mysterious for now, including the dates when we’ll learn more. We’ll bring details as they trickle out.
*In some European countries, Lexus sells an electric version of its cheapest vehicle, the compact UX crossover.
