2023 Lexus RZ: What We Know So Far
Toyota's Lexus luxury brand leaps into the EV game with an all-new, battery-electric SUV.
Capital One
The 2023 Lexus RZ is the first full-electric vehicle from Toyota’s luxury brand. Underneath, the battery-electric SUV shares a platform with the Toyota bZ4X and the Subaru Solterra, electric vehicles developed as a joint project between Toyota and Subaru.
The Lexus RZ is a compact SUV that seats five occupants. It has the same kind of angular styling and sharp creases that Lexus has become known for over the years, but when it was first announced, Lexus showed off the RZ with a yoke-style steering wheel, which sent the internet into a fluster.
Lexus
2023 Lexus RZ Interior
Like the Toyota bZ4X, the interior of the new Lexus RZ offers driver-focused features and easy-to-control technology. You get a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen at the center of the vehicle from which you control everything from the climate control to the optional navigation. The information screen in front of the driver offers a simplified view of the details in the center screen and an optional heads-up display.
The interior of the luxury-brand Lexus feels a bit more upscale than the mainstream-brand Toyota’s. Surfaces are wrapped in suede-like materials, with fewer hard plastic touch points. The ride is quiet and refined, with plenty of pickup off the line, thanks to the electric powertrain.
Lexus
Yet the one thing that stands out the most is the RZ’s optional yoke-style steering wheel. The only other car-maker so far to show a yoke steering wheel is Tesla. Lexus, however, will offer the RZ with a yoke that is completely drive-by-wire, meaning there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the car's tires. The yoke will be an option on the all-wheel-drive version of the RZ 450e.
Lexus
2023 Lexus RZ Efficiency and Range
The EPA is yet to evaluate the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e. Lexus, however, has said it expects the electric SUV to get around 225 miles of range from its 71.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack. This is the same array that underlies the Toyota bZ4X in front-wheel-drive configuration, which is rated by the EPA for an estimated 252-mile range on a full charge.
2023 Lexus RZ 450e Pricing
The Lexus RZ 450e will go on sale in late 2022 as a 2023 model, and though pricing data is still on the way, it’s likely the new RZ will start around $55,000.
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Abigail BassettAbigail Bassett is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Los Angeles. There, she covers everything from automotive and business to travel and luxury. She has a passion for 1980s-era Volvo wagons, microcars, and dogs. She is also a World Car Juror.
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