Lexus charges into electric future

LEXUS has made its second bold step into Australia’s EV market, launching the luxury-focused RZ 450e mid-sized battery-electric SUV priced from $123,000 plus on road costs.

The RZ BEV follows the brand’s first all-electric model, the UX 300e, which went on sale late last year and becomes part of Lexus’ commitment to offer electrification on all its models in Australia by 2030.

Lexus’ RZ also beats the Toyota BZ4X BEV– with which it shares the platform and some drivetrain components – to market by about six months.

Lexus Australia CEO John Pappas said at the RZ launch in Adelaide this week that the SUV “marks a turning point in Lexus’ history.”

“It is the first Lexus designed from the outset as a BEV. It also brings all the fine qualities of refinement and luxury expected of the brand and packages it in a car that redefines the driving relationship.

“The RZ is the right vehicle for those wanting a luxury SUV evoking the feeling of Lexus driving with the addition of a smooth and quiet battery-electric powertrain.”

The RZ is built on Toyota’s e-TNGA platform – to be used in the BZ4X and Subaru Solterra – but unlike these two, comes exclusively with two electric motors and constant all-wheel drive.

Lexus has loaded the RZ with all the luxury features and a comprehensive safety inventory built under its ‘takumi’ craftsmanship and mandate for high build quality.

Externally it carries the decade-old ‘spindle grille’ theme but the shape appears only as a body-coloured panel and not as an operating intake for an engine’s cooling system.

Mr Pappas said the ‘reinterpretation” of the design language of previous Lexus models still retained the brand’s distinctive cues while marking it as “something very new”.

Two variants are available – the RZ 450e Luxury ($123,000 plus on-road costs) and the RZ 450e Sports Luxury ($135,000 plus costs) with the only option being black dual-tone paint for an additional $4200.

Both versions have the same drivetrain – two motors each powering the front and rear axles with a combined 230kW and 435Nm of torque.

Lexus said that almost 20 years of expertise in battery and hybrid technology is within the RZ “resulting in a battery designed to perform at the highest levels and backed with a leading 10-year/unlimited km warranty.”

The drivetrain comprises a pair of electric “e-Axles” at the front and rear of the SUV, each having a motor, gearing and power-control unit to distribute infinitely variable power to each individual wheel.

Outputs are 150kW/266Nm for the front motor and 80kW/169Nm for the rear unit.

The e-Axles work with the all-wheel-drive system that monitors vehicle speed, steering angle and G-forces to best deploy motor torque.

Lexus claims the RZ will accelerate to 100km/h from rest in 5.3 seconds. Importantly, it said the range is 470km on the NEDC cycle.

The lithium-ion battery, which sits beneath the cabin floor, is rated at 71.4kWh and has a 10-year warranty.

As part of its customer care program, all RZ grades come as standard with an 11kW on-board charger, which can recharge the vehicle in approximately 6.5 hours when connected to a three-phase power supply.

Recharging to 80 per cent capacity cuts the waiting time to 30 minutes when connected to a DC fast charger.

The RZ comes with a free home charger and installation, three years of complimentary charging with the Chargefox DC rapid charging network and a subscription to Lexus’ Encore Platinum owner benefits program^.

The Encore Platinum program has ownership and lifestyle benefits including the new subscription service ‘Lexus On Demand’ which allows owners to borrow a different Lexus of their choice up to four times over the duration of their subscription.

The RZ also comes with Lexus Connected Services as standard.

Standard equipment for the Luxury includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with static auto-levelling and headlight washers, LED daytime running lights, rear spoiler, rear privacy glass and heated side mirrors and driver’s side auto-dimming with auto power folding function.

Vegan upholstery is standard in both variants but varies in its look and feel. The Luxury comes with ‘NuLuxe’ upholstery, eight-way driver and front passenger power adjustable seats with two-way driver lumbar adjustment, 14-inch multimedia display, 10-speaker Panasonic audio with digital radio, wired Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, five USB-C ports, a wireless phone charger and a smart key card.

The Sports Luxury adds 20-inch alloy wheels, acoustic glass, dynamic auto-levelling headlights with cornering function, Ultrasuede (vegan) interior trim, heated outer rear seats, ventilated driver and front passenger seats, heated steering wheel and the new radiant front heating feature for front passengers.

The upmarket version also gets a 13-speaker Mark Levinson hi-fi premium audio system, three-position driver’s seat memory, touch sensitive steering wheel controls, head-up display, adaptive high-beam system, intelligent park assist and a panoramic roof with dimmable glass.

Mr Pappas said the ‘drive-by-wire’ electronic steering system shown in overseas markets is likely to come to Australia as an option but is “12 to 18 months away.” He said the hold-up was related to meeting ADR compliance.

The system, called Lexus One Motion Grip system which uses a ‘yoke’ instead of a steering wheel, allows variable input by the driver without requiring a hand-over-hand manoeuvre.

The RZ comes with five years of capped-price servicing that are fixed at $395 per service with intervals of 12 months or 15,000km.

PRICING (excluding on road costs):

RZ 450e Luxury:  $123,000

RZ 450e Sports Luxury: $135,000

Option: Black two-tone paint: $4200