New Lexus RZ450e: Details about the electric crossover

In 2022, Lexus will launch its first mass-produced electric car on the market, it will be the Lexus RZ450e compact crossover. The company has published photos of a promising model.

Separate parts of the Lexus RZ were shown back in early December 2021 . Now you can see the whole body.

Lexus RZ450e

The novelty is made in the spirit of the LF-Z Electrified concept car , presented in March 2021. The designers slightly simplified the individual elements of the body and its proportions, but the direction of the style remained the same. The electric car will have branded details on the exterior, such as daytime running lights in the form of a checkmark, a solid brake light strip in the spirit of the new Lexus NX and a “floating” roof.

Lexus LF-Z Electrified

Unlike internal combustion engine models, the RZ does not have a large front grille, although the hourglass shape itself is still played up in the composition of the front. The battery recharging connector is located in the front left fender and is covered with a hatch. The swollen rear roof pillars create a dynamic silhouette.

Lexus RZ450e

The RZ will be the brand’s first model built on the new e-TNGA modular platform jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru specifically for electric vehicles, meaning the RZ will be a close relative of the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra.

Features of Lexus RZ450e

They also get the technical stuffing. It is possible that versions more powerful than 218 hp will appear in the Lexus RZ line. (so many offer twin-engine bZ4X and Solterra). So far, only one modification is known – RZ450e. The company patented such an index back in 2020 , and now it has been officially confirmed. Other 450 Lexuses (for example, the hybrid RX 450h or the diesel LX 450d) have power in the region of 300 hp.

Lexus LF-Z Electrified

Recall that Lexus already has an electric crossover UX300e , but it is produced in a small edition. So, the quota for the Japanese home market for 2020 was only 135 cars.

The timing of the start of sales, configuration and price of the Lexus RZ450e has not yet been disclosed.

Dinesh: Dinesh Kumar has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology's importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.