Lexus RZ review

Lexus is always keen to point out that it was ahead of the game with electrification, and it's true that it was the first premium car maker to launch a hybrid model. However, the Lexus RZ we're reviewing here is actually the Japanese brand's first bespoke electric car.

We say ‘bespoke’, because before the RZ, there was the Lexus UX 300e. That was an electric SUV too, but was adapted from a hybrid model – and, to be frank, it wasn’t very good. It had a tiny boot and a high price, and even after some mid-life updates, took well over an hour to charge from 10-80% at any public charging point.

Thankfully, that’s one of the areas where this new, larger Lexus RZ does much better. It has a CCS (rather than a CHAdeMO) charging port – the accepted European standard – and can pull up to 150kW from the grid. That means the same 10-80% charge can be covered off in half an hour, which is a big improvement.

The Lexus RZ can’t just be a big step forward for Lexus though. If it’s going to be a success, it’ll need to tempt buyers away from the brilliant BMW iX3 and the Genesis Electrified GV70 – as well as the slightly smaller Tesla Model Y.

We've driven the RZ, and over the next few pages of this review, we’ll run you through the model’s strengths and weaknesses, tell you which version makes the most sense and explain what’s particularly clever about the interior heating system.

When you’ve decided which car you want to buy, find out how much you could save off the brochure price by visiting the What Car? New Car Deals pages. You’ll find plenty of tempting new electric car deals.

The Lexus RZ is certainly quick. Its two electric motors pump out a combined 308bhp, meaning it can comfortably out-accelerate a BMW iX3. True, you don't get the neck-jarring G-force you can experience in a Genesis Electrified GV70 or a Tesla Model Y – but then who needs that from a family SUV?

At moderate speeds, the RZ is generally a pleasure on a sweeping country road. There's loads of grip from tyres, and the steering wheel gives a reasonable sense of connection with the front wheels, with weight building reassuringly as you apply lock on the way into a corner. If you up the pace or encounter an undulating section, the RZ loses some of its composure. There's more body lean than in some rivals, including the iX3, and the RZ doesn't feel very well tied down when tackling crests and troughs in rapid succession.

That reduced control at higher speeds rather detracts from comfort, and that's a shame, because things are fine at moderate speeds. Even on the largest available 20in alloy wheels, the suspension does a fine job of blotting up the kind of pockmarks that scar British roads. True, it can’t quite make bigger bumps disappear entirely, but it takes most of the sting out of them. The RX is quiet on the move, even by electric car standards. There's hardly any motor whine and low levels of road noise.

A feature that will appear later is what Lexus calls One Motion Grip, which replaces the regular (round) steering wheel with the version that appears in our pictures – looking a bit like something you’d find in an aeroplane. This feature won’t be available in Europe until at least 2025, and the ‘wheel’ doesn’t have a physical connection with the front wheels. Instead, your inputs are sent by wire to a motor on the steering rack, which moves the wheels.

There’s a backup controller in the unlikely event the first one fails, and the system does bring some advantages. For one thing, you only need to apply 150 degrees of steering angle to go from the wheels pointing straight ahead to full lock, so you never need to take your hands off the wheel or feed it through your hands. The steering ratio is incredibly quick below 10mph – something that takes a bit of getting used to because tiny inputs have a big say on the direction of the car. The response calms down significantly at faster speeds.

We’re not entirely sure the benefits will be worth whatever premium Lexus decides to charge for the system. The electronics will be fine-tuned over the next couple of years before One Motion Grip is offered in Europe, so we’ll reserve final judgement until then.

The range of the RZ between charges depends on whether you go for the 18in alloys fitted to the entry-level Premium Pack car or the 20in wheels on all other models. Officially, 18in wheels give a range of 271 miles, which drops to 251 miles on the bigger alloys.

Even the higher figure isn’t quite a match for the iX3 or GV70 – let alone the slightly smaller and cheaper Model Y – although that’s hardly surprising given that the RZ has a relatively small 64kWh (usable capacity) battery. On the plus side, Lexus says the RZ is more efficient than its direct rivals, which should translate to lower electricity bills.

One of the reasons the efficiency (and range) of electric cars plummets in cold weather is that lots of energy is used up keeping the interior warm. To help with this, Lexus has fitted small infrared heaters to Premium Plus Pack and Takumi versions of the Lexus RZ.

They radiate heat to your legs and those of your front passenger to make you feel as though you’ve got warm blankets on your knees – and they use just 170W. Around 5000W is used if you fire up the main climate control system, so the potential savings are huge. We found we needed the heated seat and steering wheel on as well to stay comfortable without wearing a coat, but even with those working, you’ll be quids in on your energy usage.

That means you’ll get to spend more time in the RZ’s interior between charging pit stops. And that’s a good thing, because it feels really robust inside, with plenty of classy materials on the dashboard and the insides of the doors. The upholstery in range-topping Takumi versions does a passable impression of suede, but is in fact made out of a combination of recycled and biodegradable materials.

The 14.0in infotainment touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard is decent enough, but does have the disadvantages of any touchscreen-only system. That means it’s more distracting to use on the move than the systems in the BMW iX3 and Genesis Electrified GV70 – both of which have a rotary dial interface so you don’t need to worry about pressing icons while driving.

The fundamental driving position in the RZ is superb, thanks to a comfortable and supportive seat, and plenty of adjustment. We found it easy to see the digital instruments behind the steering wheel on both the regular RZ and the version with One Motion Grip. Although you sit closer to the road than in most rivals, the RZ still just about feels like an SUV.

The Lexus RZ is based on the Toyota bZ4X and like that car it has a frankly ridiculous amount of leg room in the back, a flat floor to make life easy for a middle rear seat passenger, and more than enough head room to accommodate tall people. That makes it one of the most practical electric SUVs on sale, and while the rear seats don’t slide back and forth (as they do in the Hyundai Ioniq 5), you can adjust the angle of the rear seatbacks slightly.

The RZ has a slightly bigger boot than its direct rivals (the BMW iX3 and Genesis Electrified GV70), with plenty of underfloor storage for the charging cables. That makes the absence of any additional stowage under the bonnet less of an issue and should mean you have space for more than eight carry-on sized suitcases (the amount the iX3 swallowed in our tests).

There’s no lip at the entrance of the boot, and the load bay is very broad towards the very back of the car – ideal for carrying golf clubs. All versions come with 60/40 split-folding rear seats and a powered tailgate as standard.

As for front storage, there’s a small tray below the infotainment screen for your phone, along with a cubby under the centre armrest and a couple of cupholders between driver and passenger. The door bins are fairly small, though, and, unusually, the RZ doesn’t have a glovebox.

The starting price of the Lexus RZ undercuts that of the Genesis Electrified GV70 but just about matches the BMW iX3 so it’s hardly a budget electric SUV option. Even the most expensive version of the slightly smaller Tesla Model Y (which has a longer range and can charge up more quickly) costs thousands less.

You get plenty of standard equipment, with alloys (18in), electric front seats, climate control, keyless entry and a panoramic roof offered even with the entry-level Premium Pack. We think the Premium Plus Pack is worth the extra because it adds infrared heaters, ventilated front seats, a head-up display and 20in wheels.

The range-topping Takumi adds a dimmable panoramic roof, an upgraded sound system and plusher interior finishes, but tempting as it might seem, it's a bit too expensive to recommend. 

All trims come with loads of safety features, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, a driver attention monitor and a system that warns you of approaching vehicles when you’re reversing out onto a road. The RZ hadn’t been appraised for crash safety by Euro NCAP at the time of writing.

In terms of charging, a 10-80% top-up can take as little as half an hour with a fast enough charger (the RZ's CCS charging point allows speeds of up to 150kW). That’s roughly a match for the BMW iX3, while the Electrified GV70 can accept up to 239kW for a 10-80% charge in less than 20 minutes. A full 0-100% charge at home using a regular 7kW wall box will take around 10 hours.

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