Experience the 2023 Lexus RZ450e prototype, the first electric car of the Lexus brand
The luxury car brand Lexus entered the electric car market, and took us on a tour to preview its first electric car, and test the first car of its new Lexus 2023 model Lexus RZ450e, it is the first electric car of the brand ever, and spoke with the chief engineer of Lexus Takashi Watanabe. Lee said they were very early prototypes of European-spec vehicles, with incomplete software and calibrations for the suspension and powertrain,
What we present today will be far from the final review and comprehensive evaluation of the car. The main purpose of our visit was to try the (optional) wire routing, which is cool enough. In terms of specs, we didn’t learn much more than we shared in our first look at the 2023 Lexus RZ, but we did get a pretty clear idea of how to put the entire Lexus RZ package together. We were positively impressed with most of the ingredients, but not all.
Exterior design is a twin without twinning between the Lexus RZ and the BZ4X
For those unfamiliar, the 2023 Lexus RZ450e is a Lexus version of Toyota’s bZ4X and a Subaru version of Solterra. Not that you’ll know them by looking: the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra are nearly identical, but the RZ got its own unique look inside and out. It’s very sexy and exciting, especially the Lexus trademark spindle grille, and I loved the exterior that I’ve seen.
Our driving time was limited to a few laps around a nearly 2.6-mile track, which gave us our first chance to drive a car built on Toyota’s custom electric e-TNGA platform.
As with cars built on the ICE-powered TNGA platform, but ours is an electric platform, the
2023 Lexus RZ450e looked exciting, and took to the track with more enthusiasm than we’d traditionally expect from Lexus.
AWD Experience Torque Vectoring in the 2023 Lexus RZ450e
The 2023 Lexus RZ450e comes standard with a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup, with a 201hp engine at the front and a 107hp engine at the rear (these numbers might sound familiar, as the front-wheel-drive RZ comes from the front-wheel drive bZ4X and the rear-wheel drive is more efficient Slightly but otherwise identical to the bZ4X’s all-wheel drive.
The first model I drove had a great deal of traction, probably because it was planted in the ground with Dunlop SP Sport Maxx summer tires.
Gravel hasn’t confirmed it to me, but it’s possible that US-spec RZs will get less aggressive all-season rubber.
As we increase our speed through the turns,
In turns thrown front end, the all-wheel drive system worked as advertised: depressing the accelerator directs power to the outside rear wheel, providing enough thrust to tighten the RZ’s starting line but not so much that it floods the tires.
Like many electric vehicles, the RZ’s power delivery shoots out at higher speeds, and as we rolled out of the corners I found myself gasping early and often.
The body roll was moderate, just enough to know we were pushing the car hard but not enough that we were worried about hitting the pavement, it was using a two-valve arrangement that limited oil flow under rapid (vertical) acceleration.
We also drove a 2023 Lexus RZ450e on a slick glass track surface, which gave us a bit of info on how off-roading affects the ride and handling of the 2023 Lexus RZ450e, but we appreciate how well the acoustic glass and sound insulation in the RZ’s cabin worked in blocking wind noise.
Steering in a 2023 Lexus RZ450e
As for the steering, we drove an RZ equipped with a conventional steering and steering wheel, and it was on par with other Lexus SUVs: it weighed well but lacked a bit of feedback and a feel of centering.
We’ve also driven an RZ with a steering yoke and the new Lexus Steer-by-Wire system, which will (eventually) be optional at the top of the RZ lines.
With Steer-by-Wire technology,
There is no physical contact between the steering column and the rack;
Instead, the system constantly changes the steering ratio based on driving conditions so that the steering wheel never has to be turned more than 150 degrees from center.
Unlike Tesla’s half-baked steering yoke, one never needs to be walked by hand.
Although not as comfortable to grip as a conventional steering wheel, the variable-ratio steering is surprisingly intuitive and delivers great tracking, good feel, and reasonable feedback and responses to maneuvers.
You can get deeper insights into the system in our separate 2023 Lexus RZ450e review with technology the company calls Steer-by-Wire;
Giving better movement, in the form of equipment that could (and probably should) be the guidance system in the future.
Range of the Lexus RZ450e
Our short test drive meant we avoided testing
issues with charging and range , but that would be a sticking point for Lexus, as it is for Toyota.
The 2023 Lexus RZ450e has a 71.4 kWh lithium-ion battery with the single-motor version, and Lexus expects an EPA range rating of just 225 miles with 18-inch wheels, or 200 miles with 20-inch wheels.
Those numbers are a good fit for China, where Lexus expects to sell in the Chinese market the roughly 30,000 or so RZs it will build in the first year, but for America those numbers are modest at best.
The charging equipment is also mid-level, with a maximum fast charging rate of 150 kW.
Lexus RZ450e Charging
Lexus says the 2023 Lexus RZ450e can be charged from 0 to 80 percent in half an hour, but when you look at the actual miles earned in that time — and charging times for electric vehicles that use 350kW chargers — there’s nothing to brag about.
When we questioned Chief Engineer Watanabe about the stats for the 2023 Lexus RZ450e, he told us that the choices he and his team made were based more on efficiency rather than capacity.
We haven’t seen official EPA numbers, so we can’t make a judgment, but given that focus, we were surprised to learn how the 2023 Lexus RZ450e’s regenerative braking system works.
Regenerative braking technology uses the engines as generators, to recharge the battery with captured energy while the engine’s brake resistance slows the car.
And many electric cars have a strong enough recovery that one rarely needs to apply the friction brake.
The RZ will have four levels of regenerative braking control via paddles on the steering column, a technology used by Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles that has won experts acclaim.
And when the driver takes their foot off the accelerator, unlike most other electric cars, the brake pedal doesn’t mix regenerative braking with friction, as the RZ has a completely conventional hydraulic braking system.
2023 Lexus RZ450eWe didn’t get a chance to test the regeneration levels, as the system wasn’t fully implemented in the build prototypes we drove, but Watanabe told us that the 0.15g max deceleration was identical to the bZ4X’s.
That’s enough to slow down without the brake pedal in normal traffic flows, but it’s not nearly as powerful as a Tesla or Rivian, and unlike those cars, Toyota requires the driver to depress the brake pedal to a full stop.
Interior Design Cabin for 2023 Lexus RZ450e
On a more positive note, I liked the RZ’s interior, which is radically different from its very similar bZ4X/Solterra twins.
The RZ uses a fully digital instrument panel, which is positioned differently on steering-wheel and steering-wheel vehicles.
The central infotainment screen and climate control are raised almost directly from the newly redesigned NX, with temperature dials integrated into the display and volume dial in the center.
It’s an intuitive system, and seeing it in the RZ was as fun as meeting an old friend.
The steering wheel is also similar to the one on the Lexus NX, but there is a camera pouch on top of the shaft.
Lexus says this is for a system that monitors driver attention, but we bet it will also help enable the Lexus Teammate, a Level 2 semi-autonomous driving system developed in conjunction with General Motors.
Currently, Lexus offers this system only in Japan, and we are waiting for copies with American and international specifications.
I liked the back seat too, which is comfortable and has a flat floor.
I was a bit disappointed not to find storage space under the front hood, but Lexus told us that they flipped the front gearbox’s “electronic axle” assembly, positioning it vertically for packing and trunk disposal purposes.
I was also impressed with the build quality although such prototypes usually have issues with fit and finish, but the cars we drove had beautiful interiors that felt like production ready.
First impressions driving the prototype of the 2023 Lexus RZ450e
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the 2023 Lexus RZ450e, including pricing and equipment.
What we do know is that the RZs are set to arrive at most Lexus dealerships at the end of November, by which time we should have had a chance to drive a production version with US and international specifications.
We don’t expect to see any changes to midrange, or fast charging performance in the 2023 Lexus RZ450e.
But in all other respects, the 2023 Lexus RZ450e looks poised to be a serious contender in the electric luxury SUV segment.
As for its Steer-by-Wire system, it won’t go on sale until long after the initial 2023 Lexus RZ450e launch. Overall, Lexus’ first electric SUV made a positive first impression, and we’ll remain eager to try it out in final production form.
Steering clear in the 2023 Lexus RZ450e
The 2023 Lexus RZ450e will be available with two different steering systems: a traditional all-electronic futuristic wheel and axle setup, or a Steer-By-Wire with no physical connection to the front wheels.
In some countries, this guidance system will be called the One Motion Grip or OMG for short.
According to engineers at Lexus, it offers several advantages for seniors, and the handlebar provides more motorcycle handling compared to the wheels, provides a better view of the instrument cluster, and provides improved agility at low speeds without any tension on the highway.
It also limits wheel spin.
And all this is backed by redundant electronic systems and even a small secondary battery to power all of this stuff in an emergency.
And on the track, the steering wheel is surprisingly good, boosting the RZ’s agility and adapting seamlessly to the steering ratio and shifting gears.
It makes this SUV feel stable and nimble, despite the almost no feedback from the front tires.
The knob only rotates about 150 degrees from lock to lock, so it doesn’t make a full revolution unlike the steering wheel setups on Tesla cars.
Unfortunately, at low speeds around a tight conical track, I felt small corrections that lead to large front wheel movements, making the SUV feel like it’s swaying from side to side.
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