Lexus RZ 450e, an aggressive and luxurious SUV that promises 400 kilometers of autonomy

Lexus has made its RZ 450e official, its new 100% electric SUV. The luxurious brother of the Toyota bZ4X is a segment D with 4.8 meters in length, a new all-wheel drive system and an autonomy that promises to exceed 400 kilometers based on the WLTP cycle.

Lexus RZ data sheet

Lexus RZ 450e, a display of luxury and technology

The Lexus RZ 450e is the Japanese giant’s first electric Lexus to be developed completely from scratch. At the exterior design level, the hood has been lowered and the size of the intake openings reduced. The front is still purely Lexus, with plenty of muscle and a long wheelbase, almost 2.9 meters. It is a large car, over 4.8 meters long, almost 1.9 meters wide and more than 1.6 meters high. The standard wheels reach 18 inches (optional 20) and are made particularly striking elements such as the rear lightshorizontally arranged and joined together.

Its platform is called e-TNGA (the same used by both the Toyota bz4Xe and the Subaru Solterra) integrates the battery into the chassis. The objective is lower the center of gravity of the car to improve response, something especially relevant in an SUV. Also noteworthy is the new DIRECT4 all-wheel drive control system, which balances the torque sent to each wheel through sensors that evaluate the behavior of the vehicle. Thus they promise to achieve a more efficient all-wheel drive, regulated by its two electronic axles.

Much of the technological display is found inside the RZ 450e. The center console has a diagonal of 14 inches, with the Lexus infotainment system and compatibility with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Lexus also highlights its “active cloud” based navigation system, with information about the road, traffic and accidents in real time. We found a variant with a Yoke flyer, which will have it quite difficult to land in our territory.

There is no lack of active safety elements such as the Lexus Safety System, capable of detecting accident risks and promoting emergency braking. It is also capable of lock the doors if the opening will not be safe (risk of impact) and it has a front camera to determine the angle of the curves and adjust the direction of the turn.

The heart of this Lexus is a double engine (rear and front) that offers a maximum power of 230kW (313 hp) with a maximum torque of 435. It promises a range of more than 400km under WLTP homologation, with a consumption below 18kWh/100 KM. Top speed is limited to 160km/h and battery capacity is 71.4kW. Lexus promises that the battery is capable of retaining 90% of its capacity after 10 years of driving, during which the battery will be under warranty.

There is, at the moment, no official price or availability for this Lexus. The brand wants to market about 6,000 units in Europe, under reservation of 1,000 euros to get one. The units, according to Lexus, will be delivered at the end of 2022.

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