Lexus RZ 450e 2022 Review

With the launch of the Lexus RZ 450e still many months away, there’s about as much chance of obtaining its pricing from a Lexus suit as getting them to admit they are running a tad late to the luxury electric SUV party.

But let’s conduct some educated guesswork.

Revealed in April and already on sale overseas, the 2022 Lexus RZ 450e is a 4.85m-long five-seat mid-size SUV built over the top of parent Toyota’s e-TNGA dedicated EV architecture.

It’s fitted with a 230kW/435Nm dual electric motor powertrain and can reach 100km/h from rest in 5.6 seconds.

We know there are going to be multiple RZ 450e model grades, so maybe it will start somewhere in the $100,000-$110,000 range. Situated there, it would settle in against the BMW iX3, Genesis GV60 and the Performance version of the Tesla Model Y.

Or you could you pay heaps less and opt for the excellent Kia EV6, which has just been named carsales’ Car of the Year for 2022.

So what is the 2022 Lexus RZ 450e going to come with? Externally, there’s bespoke sheetmetal that trades in the orthodox spindle grille for a solid spindle ‘body’.

The test car was painted in a two-tone scheme that will be optionally available. It also rolled on 20-inch alloy wheels that will be available on RZs at the top end of the model walk.

We understand the launch of the RZ 450e will be staggered, with those higher grades coming later.

Inside, a normal round steering wheel will be standard, while the racing car-style yoke we’re testing here is intended to be an option on higher grades. But as we don’t know their exact launch timing, yoke availability is TBA.

The 14.0-inch touch-screen shared with RX and NX is standard in all RZ models. It is tilted toward the driver as part of a driver-centric interior design philosophy Lexus calls Tazuna. A dial-type gear selector is a Lexus first.

Lexus Australia isn’t drilling down into equipment details at the moment, so to give you some idea of what’s onboard let’s check out what the Poms are getting.

Their three-model RZ line-up starts with synthetic leather upholstery, eight-way power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, a power tailgate, privacy glass and a panoramic roof.

Added one step up are ventilated front seats, driver’s seat memory and a front seat radiant knee heater.

The top speccer exclusively includes ultra-suede upholstery (and was in our test car), 64-colour ambient lighting, coloured (rather than black) wheel-arches and a panoramic sunroof with electrochromatic auto-dimming operated by a switch. When activated it still lets in light but no UV. This feature was also fitted to the car being sampled.

No surprise, there’s no warranty and service cost details yet surfacing for the RZ 450e. But Lexus offers a range-wide five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Lexus warranties are up to 10 years/unlimited kilometres for high-voltage batteries excluding degradation. That is guaranteed not to fall below 70 per cent of original capacity for up to 10 years/160,000km. Lexus says it should stay above 90 per cent over 10 years.

If the UX 300e battery-electric vehicle is any guide, the capped-price servicing cost will be pretty affordable. A complimentary JET Charge home charger and Chargefox on-road recharging should also be part of the deal.

On top of that, the RZ 450e will probably come with membership of the high-spec Platinum version of Lexus Encore which allows you to borrow another Lexus model up to four times per year. Maybe a petrol-sucking V8 convertible to remind you of how the troglodytes live.

No ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety rating exists for the 2022 Lexus RZ 450e as yet, but expect one to turn up next year. Anything less than five stars would be a surprise.

We also can’t tell you as yet how many airbags the RZ 450e is fitted with.

But we do know drive assist systems fitted to the RZ 450e start with all-important autonomous emergency braking (AEB) aided by junction turning and emergency steering assist.

Adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross traffic alert, lane departure alert and lane change assist are also part of the safety package.

Adaptive cruise and lane trace assist combine to provide traffic jam support up to 40km/h.

The one-touch E-Latch electronic door release system is linked with blind spot monitoring to cancel door openings when vehicles or cyclists are approaching. It feels weird opening doors from the outside because the handles don’t pull or lift. You grasp them and the door opens.

The RZ 450e monitors head and body movement and will even slow and pull the car up with hazard lights flashing and call for help if it judges the driver is incapacitated.

It can park autonomously with a driver in the cabin or remotely via a smartphone app. It comes equipped with front and rear parking sensors.

Both reversing and 360-degree cameras are available. LED headlights with auto high beam are standard while an adaptive system is also on offer, along with LED fog lights and cornering lights.

The 2022 Lexus RZ 450e shows off a new driver-oriented cockpit layout called Tazuna. That means the big new 14.0-inch touch-screen is angled toward the driver.

The annoying old touchpad is gone and there’s also a Lexus-first dial gear selector that operates via shift-by-wire.

Information is also furnished to the driver via a digital instrument panel and a head-up display.

In the UK, the RZ comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Lexus Link connected services provides remote start via a smartphone app and allows over-the-air updates.

A 10-speaker sound system is standard but a 13-speaker system from long-time Lexus partner Mark Levinson is also available.

In the US, the RZ 450e comes with subscription-based Drive Connect capability with cloud navigation, including Google points-of-interest data, plus intelligent assistant (including Hey Lexus) and destination assist.

A Wi-Fi hotspot and integrated streaming are included. There are five USB-C ports fitted to the vehicle.

But at this stage we just don’t know how much of this stuff is coming to Australia and in what grades.

The 2022 Lexus RZ 450e is powered by two e-motors that combine to make 230kW and 435Nm and comprise the new Direct4 all-wheel drive system.

Unusually, the more powerful 150kW e-motor sits on the front axle and an 80kW unit at the back.

Essentially, the RZ 450e gets the front-wheel drive Toyota bZ4X’s more powerful e-motor. All-wheel drive bZ4X models get 80kW e-motors on both axles.

Each e-motor sits within what’s called an eAxle that includes motor, gearing and power electronics.

They work together to modulate torque allocation between wheels depending on whether the RZ is accelerating, braking or cornering. It can be front-, rear- or all-wheel drive.

Lexus says the system also helps reduce nose-lift when accelerating and dive under braking.

Driving via a single-speed reduction gear, the RZ 450e is claimed to reach 100km/h from rest in 5.6 seconds and has a 159km/h top speed.

The 71.4kWh lithium-ion high-voltage battery slung between the axles of the 2022 Lexus RZ 450e is familiar from the Toyota bZ4X spec.

It delivers a 450km claimed range between recharges based on the WLTC protocol.

The maximum Type 2 AC charging rate is 11kW and it can DC fast-charge at up to 150kW. That’s not spectacular and is indicative of its battery’s 355V rating.

First things first. Our brief drive of the 2022 Lexus RZ 450e took place on Toyota’s short bitumen test track with no elevation changes, no bumps or potholes and no loose surfaces.

The vaguely rectangular steering yoke that looks like it’s been lifted from a racing car was the primary focus of the exercise.

This is also a feature that is part of the tech package of the Toyota bZ4X.

A steering yoke has also been launched in the latest Tesla Model S and X, although we don’t get those vehicles in Australia yet and we don’t know when we will.

But the trick with the RZ 450e (and bZ4X) is the yoke attaches to a new steer-by-wire system that is less than one turn lock-to-lock. A normal mechanically linked steering system is two to three full rotations lock-to-lock and that’s what you’ll get if your RZ 450e has a round steering wheel.

Doing the latter with a yoke means all sorts of arm tangling, negating advantages such as a better view of the instrument panel.

So what’s it like then?

Well, the slower you go and the tighter the turn the more different the experience is to orthodox mechanical steering.

The RZ’s steer-by-wire system monitors road speed and varies its gear ratio in response. The slower you are going the quicker it is.

In a tight hairpin on the test course it was all too easy to turn too sharply and then have to open the steering again to avoid cutting across the inside of the corner.

The yoke can be cranked just beyond vertical on maximum lock. It feels fine to hold because the rim isn’t too thick. But if you don’t like the nine to three position then too bad, there’s no other choice.

Lexus says the system provides good feel. I’d say it doesn’t feel especially digital or artificial.

The faster and more open the corner the less different the yoke behaved, settling into a slower, steadier and more predictable ratio.

What became noticeable then was the RZ’s very gentlemanly preference for pushing the front wheels into understeer, accompanied by early onset squeal from Dunlop SportMaxx rubber.

The chassis compromises MacPherson-strut front and double-wishbone rear suspension working with Yamaha-developed frequency reactive dampers. Resetting from Normal into Sport mode (the other drive modes are Eco and Range) seemed to tie things down a bit more.

Direct4 was more noticeable in a 40km/h slalom exercise. Then, working with the steer-by-wire and the low centre of gravity provided by the positioning of the battery, the RZ proceeded without fuss, but with a noticeable amount of body roll.

The RZ 450e has familiarly strong EV acceleration. Direct4 ensured no scrabbling and no fuss. Just wind it up on the brake and away you go. It’s not in the ballpark of a Tesla Model Y Performance but the 0-100km/h acceleration claim is certainly believable.

Regenerative braking levels can only be adjusted through four levels via plus and minus flappy paddles on the yoke. Pressing the pedal activates only the hydraulic disc brakes. That means single-pedal driving is not something the RZ 450e really does.

All up, the RZ felt a bit Jekyll and Hyde with some very distinct character phases. But we are still a fair way from this car rolling in to local dealerships, so maybe there’s some finetuning to be done.

Is there a car brand in the world for which electrification is better suited than Lexus? After all, quiet, soothing cabins are a cornerstone of its character.

Such is the 2022 Lexus RZ 450e. This is a cabin that has the usual Lexus traits of high-quality materials including brushed aluminium on the dashboard and suede door inserts in the test car, plush comfort and soothing isolation from the outside world.

The digitally tuned e-motor soundtrack can be varied through three levels – high, medium and low. High sounds like a spaceship in warp drive.

Lexus told us the example being driven was roughly on par with what the cabin of a high-grade local RZ 450e will be like when it rolls into dealerships next year.

The revised dash layout is an improvement, simply because the touchpad and toggle switch have been dispensed with.

The small instrument panel has been raised to take advantage of the yoke’s shape, for maximum visibility. The steering column is power rake and reach adjustable.

The rear seat is especially spacious considering the vehicle’s overall manageable length. The flat floor is an EV signature. But there is no frunk under the bonnet and the boot doesn’t look so generous either.

And, of course, there is no spare tyre under the rear floor thanks to that high-voltage battery and rear eAxle.

We’ll expand more on the interior when we get back into the Aussie-spec RZ 450e next year.

It’s far too soon to make a definitive call on whether the 2022 Lexus RZ 450e will be a worthy purchase or not.

This drive was brief on very limited and entirely smooth roads, the vehicle was not a production example in Aussie spec and we don’t know equipment and pricing levels.

But there’s enough interesting stuff here – led by the steering yoke and steer by wire – to make us keen to return and test this car again when we know more about it and can drive it more extensively.

2022 Lexus RZ 450e at a glance:
Price: $100,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: Mid-2023
Powertrain: Dual AC synchronous electric motors
Output: 230kW/435Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 71.4kWh lithium-ion
Range: 450km (WLTC)
Energy consumption: 15.87kWh/100km (WLTC)
Safety rating: Not tested