History/Overview
The Lexus RZ compact luxury crossover places Toyota’s upscale brand in the battery electric vehicle sandbox for the first time, bolstering the automaker’s already-impressive electrified vehicle lineup. The RZ shares its underpinnings with a Toyota model called the bZ4X and the Subaru Solterra.
What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year
The RZ is an all-new model for 2023, and is the brand’s first-ever fully electric vehicle.
Available Trims
Lexus offers the RZ 450e in Signature and Executive trim levels. In both, power comes from a 71.4-kWh battery that feeds a pair of electric motors – one front, one rear – that provide all-wheel drive traction.
Standard Features
RZ 450e Signature trim comes with remote start, passive keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers with de-icer, headlight washers, 18-inch wheels, and power-folding mirrors with driver’s side auto-dimming. Inside, there’s wireless phone charging, 10-speaker audio, a 14.0-inch touchscreen, and ambient lighting. Comfort and convenience items include heated/power-adjustable front seats, NuLuxe upholstery, heated steering wheel with electric adjustments, dual-zone A/C, an auto-dimming mirror, and a digital gauge display.
Also included is a suite of safety kit comprising blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, intersection assist, automatic high beams, lane departure alert with steering assist, forward collision mitigation, road sign recognition, and radar cruise control.
Executive trim adds a hands-free tailgate, digital key technology, an advanced park system, surround-view cameras, front cross-traffic alert, lane change assist, and traffic jam assist. You also get a 13-speaker stereo, 64-colour ambient lighting, acoustic glass, ventilated front seats, Ultrasuede upholstery, a head-up display, a panoramic roof, adaptive/auto-levelling headlights, 20-inch wheels, and reverse-tilt mirrors.
Key Options
Signature trim can be optioned with a luxury package of traffic jam assist, reverse-tilt mirrors, front cross-traffic alert, lane change assist, a panoramic roof, knee heater, surround-view cameras, 20-inch wheels, ventilated seats, hands-free tailgate, park assist, and upgraded ambient lighting.
Fuel Economy
As of this writing, Lexus hasn’t published the RZ’s fuel consumption estimates. However, Lexus promises up to 354 km of driving range on a full charge.
Competition
Lexus lines up the RZ against the Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60, BMW iX, Audi Q4 E-Tron, Volvo XC40 Recharge, Tesla Model Y, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Polestar 2.
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