2023 Lexus RZ 450e looks great, but the luxury electric SUV comes up short on range
It’s never a great sign when a brand announces a new approach while launching the fruit of its initial strategy. It's like my saying I have a better idea for this column, but keep reading anyway.
Lexus’ first electric vehicle, the striking RZ 450e midsize SUV, finds itself in that uncomfortable position.
The brand’s global boss, Takashi Watanabe, recently announced a new approach to EVs that will pay off in 2026 with "the next-generation battery EV that re-innovates the vehicle modular structure, significantly alters our production methods and completely reimagines the software platform," Automotive News reported from Japan. "We have also prioritized vehicle design to embody the essence of Lexus."
Like a lot of brands, Lexus, which is owned by Toyota Motor Corp., is having a hard time identifying the sweet spot for electric vehicles and getting them on the market before intense competition moves the target.
The RZ 450e is on sale nationwide now.
How much? How big? How far can the RZ 450e go?
RZ 450e prices start at $58,500. That’s less than five-passenger EVs from European luxury brands cost but in the same ballpark as U.S. and Asian models. All prices exclude destination charges.
I tested a top-of-the-line luxury model with options including 20-inch wheels and the ability to electronically dim the standard panoramic glass roof. It stickered at $66,120, excluding a $1,150 destination charge.
Every RZ 450e comes with all-wheel drive. Its front and rear electric motors produce a total of 308 horsepower. It has a 71.4 kWh lithium-ion battery and an EPA-rated range of 220 miles with 18-inch tires, 196 with 20-inch.
At 189.2 inches long, 74.6 inches wide and 64.4 inches tall, the RZ 450e is about 3 inches shorter in length, 1 inch narrower and 3 inches shorter in height than the gasoline and hybrid RX SUV that is Lexus’ top-selling model. The EV’s got an extra 5.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, though, 1.6 with the rear seat folded.
Passenger and cargo space are competitive, but the RZ’s range is not.
Even the antiquated Jaguar I-Pace EV offers up to 246 miles range. Among more modern five-seat luxury electric SUVs, the Cadillac Lyriq checks in at 307 miles, the BMW iX M60 (with 21-inch wheels) at 288, Audi Q8 E-tron at 285, Mercedes EQE 350 at 253 and Genesis GV60 at 248 miles.
The RZ gets a full charge in about 9.5 hours at 220 volts and charges from 0-80% in about 30 minutes at 150 kW.
Comparative base prices
Lexus RZ450e: $58,500
Audi E-tron Q8 Sportback: $77,800
BMW IQ: $87,100
Cadillac Lyriq: $57,195
Genesis GV60: $59,290
Genesis electrified GV70: $65,850
Jaguar I-Pace: $71,300
Mercedes EQE SUV: $74,900
Tesla Y Performance: $52,490
Tesla X: $79,990
Source: Edmunds. Prices exclude destination charge.
Attractive design and interior
The RZ’s best features may be its exterior design and interior materials.
EVs are frequently criticized for noses that are simply featureless vertical panels where ICE vehicles have grilles, but the RZ’s simple design, bracketed by headlights and big black panels, is an improvement over the hyperbolic spindle grille that’s been a hallmark of Lexus design for years.
The profile is clean and sleek, with a slim greenhouse, big wheel wells and crisp lines running along the sides.
The interior is open and airy. Lexus has abandoned experiments with frustrating controls that included touch pads and joysticks — neither ideal for use in a moving vehicle — in favor of straightforward dials for temperature and volume, along with flat panel touch points for fan and seat temperature.
Radiant heat panels in the front console warm the front passenger’s legs and feet efficiently.
A big 14-inch touch screen with a sharp display controls other functions, in concert with Lexus’ effective voice recognition.
There’s plenty of passenger space and comfortable seats.
The standard Mark Levinson audio system is outstanding. There are five USB-C ports.
What could be better?
The RZ 450e’s range and some other features trail EVs from luxury and upscale brands like BMW, Cadillac, Tesla and Mercedes. Cadillac deserves an asterisk for excruciatingly slow production that’s seen just 5,456 units of the promising Lyriq EV reach owners in its first 15 months on the market.
The RZ 450e isn’t setting the world on fire, ether. Lexus has sold 2,511 RZs since April. That compares with 3,257 sales of the more expensive Audi E-tron Q8 Sportback, which went on sale about the same time but starts at $77,400.
The RZ 450e uses the same platform and battery as the Toyota BzX4, which starts at $42,000.
The RZ lacks some common and widely appreciated features, including the “one-pedal driving” that many EVs offer to maximize energy regeneration when slowing down, and — oddly — a glove compartment.
There’s also no front trunk. The front motor fills the space under the hood, a space in which many EVs offer extra storage.
The “Proactive Driving Assist” suite of safety features slows the RZ automatically in traffic but won’t bring it to complete stop behind another vehicle. That seems like a recipe for lawsuits to me, but Toyota — a cautious company — is rolling it out across every new model. For reasons that escape me, two separate menus labeled “Driver assist” adjust different functions.
Even higher on the list of features I don’t understand: There’s a piercing beeping inside the vehicle when in reverse. I understand audible alerts for people outside the vehicle, but I don't understand why the driver and occupants need to be subjected to it, unless Lexus expects a long, slow learning curve for its new rotary gear selector.
RZ 450e safety and driver assist features
Adaptive cruise control
Automated steering and braking at low speed in traffic jams
Blind spot and rear cross traffic alert
Lane centering
Automatic high beams
Pedestrian/bicycle/motorcycle detection and automatic braking
Emergency steering assist
Lane departure assist and alert
Surround view monitor
Parking assist with automatic braking
10-inch head-up display.
Road sign recognition
Smartphone as a key
Why get one?
The RZ 450e is an attractive and comfortable vehicle, sold and serviced by Lexus’ legendary dealer network. Several features trail leading luxury electric SUVs, but it’s likely to serve its owners well.
Specifications as tested
Motors: Front- and rear axle electric motors
Output: 308 hp; front motor 196.4 pound-feet of torque, rear motor 80
Transmission: Single-speed direct drive
Battery size: 71.4 kW, 96 cells
Maximum charging power: 150 kW
EPA estimated range: 220 miles with 18-inch wheels; 196 with 20-inch
Charging time: 240v 10 hours; 150kW 0-8-% in about 30 minutes
Wheelbase: 112.2 inches
Length: 189.2 inches
Width: 74.6 inches (without mirrors)
Height: 64.4 inches
Ground clearance: 7.9 inches
Cargo volume: 34.9 cubic feet with rear seat up, 48 with rear seat folded
Maximum speed: 99 mph
0-60 mph acceleration: 5.0 seconds
Curb weight: 4,564-4,619 pounds
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lexus’ first EV looks great, but comes up short on range and features
