EV Review: 2023 Lexus RZ 450e

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The latest entry in the “better late than never” EV category is the first-ever electrified Lexus, the RZ 450e. Sharing a platform with Toyota’s BZ4X, the RZ wants a piece of the luxury EV market and seeing as their RX is the money maker, debuting with a similarly shaped and styled EV is certainly the right move. It’s not as important to be first in the EV world as much as it is to get it right and for the most part, the RZ has accomplished that, save for a miscue on range and limited fast charging, which I’ll dig into the further you read.

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As for its looks, the RZ 450e sticks with the signature Lexus spindle-inspired grille, even though it’s not a real grille but makes it instantly recognizable as a Lexus. Similar in shape to the wildly popular RX, the long roofline brings a floating roof design, with two tiny fin-shaped spoilers at the top of the tailgate. Lexus opted for this over a traditional bar spoiler as they say it reduces drag and wind resistance, with the wind flowing down the rear window and falling off over the flat edged trunk lid. A gorgeous rear light bar wraps up the rear look. The aero wheels look OK, but the thick plastic cladding over the wheel wells simply doesn’t do it for me as it gives an excessively rugged look for a sleek EV.

Rear seat and storage space

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The rear seats are comfortable and there’s plenty of leg and headroom, given the low floor and lack of driveshaft tunnel with it being an EV. The moonroof on the Executive trim makes a world of difference and if you’re carting around rear passengers, I’d opt for it.

Cargo space with the rear seats up rings in at 966L for the Signature trim and 988L for the Executive trim; both figures being plenty for daily usage in the real world.

What’s the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e’s range?

The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e uses s fairly small 71.4 kWh battery compared to the competition. For comparison, BMW’s iX uses a 76.6-kWh battery, the Electrified GV70 from Genesis uses a 77.4-kWh battery and you’ll find an 82-kWh battery attached to the Tesla Model Y.

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If you opt for the Signature trim with 18-inch wheels, range clocks in at up to 354 km on a full charge. However, if you opt for the top-trim Executive with 20-inch wheels, you lose 39 km of range, for a less-than-grand total of up to only 315 km… under ideal conditions. Fire up the HVAC and seat heaters on a cold winter day and it would be even lower.

Curiously, there’s no battery percentage meter; Lexus only list the remaining range in kilometres at the bottom right of the instrument cluster, and of course that will vary depending on conditions, driving style and use of auxiliary functions.

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How long does it take to charge the Lexus RZ?

I’ve got three figures plus a massive asterisk for you:

The asterisk? Lexus says you can only Level 3 fast charge the RZ twice per day in order to preserve battery health. It’s buried pretty deep in the Lexus Canada website so you’ve gotta dig to find it but it’s there. Most EV drivers won’t Level 3 charge more than twice a day but given the low range on the high side of 354, multiplied by two to give you maximum 708 km per day, long distance driving and road trips are pretty much off the table or severely compromised.

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Another low figure is the 6.6-kW onboard charger, where as most others have 7.2 kW or higher, meaning it tends to charge a bit more slowly. David Booth talks about this disadvantage extensively in his Toyota BZ4X review, which shares a platform with the RZ.

How much horsepower and torque does the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e have?

Regardless of trim, every 2023 RZ is powered by a 150 kW motor up front and an 80 kW motor in the rear, which churns out 308 net horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, along with the new Direct4 AWD system, which enables independent control of all four wheels. Also, it can flip torque splits between 100:0 and 0:100 front:rear – pretty impressive and useful in our Canadian climates.

It can tow up to 1,563 pounds but know that once you latch something to the RZ, your already low range will dip even further thanks to the good ol’ power to weight ratio.

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2023 Lexus RZ trims

The Lexus RZ offers a Signature trim and Executive trim, and there’s a Luxury package that can be added to the Signature trim.

The Signature trim highlights include wireless charging, Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, a 10-speaker audio system run through their 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system, heated NuLuxe seats, a heated tilt and telescopic steering wheel, and full LED exterior lights.

Tick the Luxury Package box and some of what you’ll get is a panoramic moonroof, 360º camera, cooled front seats, decorated instrument panel, and a radiant front knee heater. A quick note on the moonroof; there’s no sunshade. Instead, it uses the same tech as the Toyota Venza’s where with the push of a button, it goes from transparent (open) to opaque (closed).

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The top Executive trim highlights include a 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, 64-colour ambient interior lights, acoustic glass, the advanced touch steering wheel (they just couldn’t fully toss anything trackpad based, could they?) and a head-up display.

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What’s the 2023 Lexus RZ like to drive?

The Lexus RZ is exceptionally smooth, refined and extremely comfortable. Lexus has some of the best driving dynamics in the luxury world and their first electric offering is impressive. It sails over bumps with minimal feeling for passengers, acceleration is respectably brisk given that it’s got instant torque. Although its 320 lb-ft of torque may not sound as impressive as many other luxury EVs, you’ll still be able to overtake with ease, even considering its curb weight is 4,618 pounds.

Despite its taller stance, cornering and handling score well here, thanks in part to the Direct4 system. Gear selection is done via dial instead of lever to create more space in the centre console and the clean, minimal layout makes it easier to focus on driving rather than being distracted by an overly-engineered cabin.

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There are also five drive modes; Eco, Normal, Sport, Range and Custom, with Range capping your speed at 100 km/h, only using the front motor and eliminating the A/C function. After testing all five thoroughly, I’d use mostly Eco and Normal if this were my vehicle.

Is there one-pedal driving?

Nope. There are, however, four levels of regenerative braking controlled by paddle shifters. Why? Lexus wanted to keep a similar driving feel between its gasoline and electric models for an easier transition feel-wise. A nifty safety measure of the regen-braking system is that when you remove your foot from the accelerator and the RZ starts to slow down, there’s a red bar at the bottom of the instrument cluster that appears, showing the brake lights are engaged and letting the driver behind you know what’s up.

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Is there a glovebox in the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e?

I’m happy you asked! The answer is no. Lexus opted to give the front passenger extra leg room (how thoughtful!) and in doing so, have forced occupants to use the fair-sized centre console and or the pass-through storage beneath the gear selector. But Lexus, where am I supposed to put my gloves?! Kidding, kidding!

2023 Lexus RZ pricing and competitors

Lexus’ first venture in the electrified world has come a little late but at least they now have an offering, unlike Infiniti and Acura, in the luxury space.

Pricing, including freight, PDI and dealer fees for the Signature is $68,225. Add the Luxury package and you’re at $76,825. If you want everything the RZ has to offer, the Executive trim is $84,225. Considering the BMW iX only starts at $82,000 and Genesis Electrified GV70 at $84,000, it’s a reasonable value proposition on the whole. However, factor in the GV70’s 383 km of range and the iX’s 356 km, and the RZ 450e Executive trim’s range of 315 km is simply too low.

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Electrification in the auto world is still in its infancy and as such, there’ll be growing pains aplenty, and Lexus needs to grow its electric range to be taken seriously. If Lexus can get their range closer to the 400-km mark, the dollars-to-range figure becomes more enticing. In today’s world, this is disappointingly low and will be the primary objection on sales floors and online research.

The RZ, once the broken supply chain is repaired, will be available outside of British Columbia and Quebec, as those are the only places you can get them as of publishing.

The overall package is a strong debut with all the components Lexus is known for: premium materials, an impressive drive quality and feel, modern technology and polarizing looks. For now, this Radiant Zero electric crossover, their first on the dedicated battery electric platform, at least offers Lexus loyalists an option in a massively competitive segment.