Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus has announced that it will debut the company’s new BEV (battery-electric vehicle) dubbed the RZ 450e online on April 20, 2022.
The RZ is the company’s second BEV after the brand’s UX300e, which launched in Australia in early 2022 at a starting price of $74,000.
First hinted at in a late 2021 announcement outlining Toyota’s electrification strategy including 16 new BEV models, Lexus says the RZ is a model that will be the starting point for its “Lexus Electrified” vision.
Along with the announcement of the RZ450e’s debut, Lexus also released teaser images of the front of the vehicle as well as the cockpit, revealing a yoke-type steering wheel that has also been seen on Toyota’s bZ4X electric SUV developed in collaboration with the Subaru Solterra.
The interior images show that Lexus has adopted the cockpit “Tazuna Concept” that was first adopted in Lexus NX, with a central touchscreen that enables access to the vehicle’s controls.
The new all-new infotainment system Lexus introduced with the newest NX is also visible in the cabin, as are three USB-C ports in the dash. Aside from the steering wheel and screen, the RZ’s interior resembles that of previous Lexus models.
The RZ 450e is expected to be built on the same new EV chassis as the Toyota bZ4X EV (and the Subaru Solterra), albeit it will certainly have more Lexus DNA than just a badge swap.
Detailed specifications are yet to be released, but it is possible there are takeaways from the Toyota bZ4X.
This includes the fact that it comes in two powertrain options: front-wheel drive (FWD) with a single 150-kW (201-horsepower) motor and 71.4 kWh battery, and all-wheel drive (AWD) with two 80-kW (107-hp) motors for a combined output of 160 kW (215 hp) and a 72.8 kWh battery.
The FWD version is expected to have a range of 400 kilometres, according to Toyota. A Lexus version would almost certainly be based on the AWD bZ4X, with possibly higher power and a larger battery pack.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.