Item: Lexus RZ
Rating: 4
Author: Will Nightingale

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Smart #1

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The starting price of the Lexus RZ undercuts that of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/ix3/4x4/review/n22236">BMW iX3</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/genesis/electrified-gv70/4x4/review/n25030">Genesis Electrified GV70</a> but it's&nbsp;hardly a budget <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-suvs/n23038">electric SUV</a> option. The slightly smaller <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-y/hatchback/review/n23624">Tesla Model Y</a> (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.&nbsp;

All trims come with loads of safety features, including automatic emergency braking (<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">AEB</a>), 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 <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n19724">Euro NCAP</a> 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&nbsp;(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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The RZ is certainly quick. Its two electric motors pump out a combined 308bhp, meaning it can comfortably out-accelerate a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/ix3/4x4/review/n22236">BMW iX3</a>. True, you don't get the neck-jarring G-force you can experience in a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-y/hatchback/review/n23624">Tesla Model Y</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/genesis/electrified-gv70/4x4/review/n25030">Genesis Electrified GV70</a>&nbsp;– but then, who really needs that from a family SUV?

At moderate speeds, the RZ is generally a pleasure&nbsp;on a sweeping&nbsp;country road. There's loads of grip from tyres, and&nbsp;the&nbsp;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, though, or encounter an undulating section, the RZ&nbsp;loses&nbsp;some of its composure; there's more body lean than in some rivals, including the iX3, and the RZ&nbsp;doesn't feel very well tied down when tackling crests and troughs in rapid succession.

That paucity of control at higher speeds rather detracts from comfort, too, 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. It&nbsp;takes the edge off&nbsp;bigger bumps, too, but it can't make them disappear entirely. The RX is&nbsp;quiet on the move, too,&nbsp;even&nbsp;by <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-cars/n17000">electric car</a>&nbsp;standards; there's&nbsp;hardly&nbsp;any motor whine and low levels of road noise.

A feature that will appear later is&nbsp;what <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/lexus">Lexus</a> calls One Motion Grip, which replaces the regular (round) steering wheel with the version that appears in our pictures –&nbsp; looking&nbsp;a bit like something you’d find in an aeroplane. This feature&nbsp;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 in turn 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&nbsp;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 273 miles, which drops to 245 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 Tesla 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.

OUR PICK

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

Two electric motors pump out a combined 308bhp, and the RZ can comfortably out-accelerate a BMW iX3. There isn’t quite the neck-jarring G-force you experience in some electric cars, but who really needs that from a family SUV?

http://example.com

450e 230kW Direct4 71.4 kWh

450e-230kw-direct4-714-kwh

Lexus is always keen to point out that it was ahead of the game with electrification, and it's true that it&nbsp;was the first premium car maker&nbsp;to launch a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/hybrid-cars/n17013">hybrid</a> model. However, the&nbsp;Lexus RZ&nbsp;we're reviewing here is actually the Japanese brand's first bespoke <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-cars/n17000">electric car</a>.

We say&nbsp;‘bespoke’, because before the RZ, there was the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/lexus/ux/hatchback/review/n22099">Lexus UX 300e</a>. That&nbsp;was an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-suvs/n23038">electric SUV</a> 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&nbsp;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&nbsp;big improvement.

<iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NSrKEncNGoo" width="560"></iframe>

The Lexus RZ can’t just be a big step forward for <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/lexus">Lexus</a>,&nbsp;though. If it’s going to be a success, it’ll need to tempt buyers away from the brilliant <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/ix3/4x4/review/n22236">BMW iX3</a> and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/genesis/electrified-gv70/4x4/review/n25030">Genesis Electrified GV70</a> – as well as the slightly smaller <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-y/hatchback/review/n23624">Tesla Model Y</a>.

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.&nbsp;

When you’ve decided which car you want to buy, head over to our What Car?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/">New Car Deals section</a> to find out how much you could save off the brochure price. You’ll find plenty of tempting <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/electric-suv">new electric SUV deals</a>.

One of the reasons the efficiency (and range) of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-cars/n17000">electric cars</a> plummets in cold weather is that lots of energy is used up keeping the interior nice and warm. To help with this, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/lexus">Lexus</a> has fitted small infrared heaters to Premium Plus Pack and Takumi versions of the RZ.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;5000W is used if you fire up the main climate control system, so&nbsp;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&nbsp;touchscreen-only system. That means it’s more distracting to use on the move than the systems in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/ix3/4x4/review/n22236">BMW iX3</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/genesis/electrified-gv70/4x4/review/n25030">Genesis Electrified GV70</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;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&nbsp;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.

Estate

In the same way that Infiniti acts as Nissan’s premium arm, Lexus has a similar tie-in with Toyota. And since most of Toyota’s models are offered as hybrids, it’s no surprise to see the same from Lexus, although there are some traditional petrol engines, too.

The brand focuses heavily on SUVs – namely the NX and RX – but also has the CT hatchback, ES executive saloon and LS luxury car among its portfolio. More small and large SUVs are expected in the future.

Like Toyota, Lexus has built a very strong reputation for reliability and regularly finishes very close to the top of our annual Reliability Survey.

LEXUS

The first bespoke Lexus electric car is good to drive and practical, but key rivals have longer ranges

The Lexus RZ is based on the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/bz4x/hatchback/review/n24187">Toyota bZ4X</a> and&nbsp;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.&nbsp;That makes it one of the most practical <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-suvs/n23038">electric SUVs</a>&nbsp;on sale, and while the rear seats don’t slide back and forth (as they do in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/ioniq-5/hatchback/review/n22944">Hyundai Ioniq 5</a>), you can adjust the angle of the rear seatbacks slightly.

The RZ has a slightly bigger boot than its direct rivals (the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/ix3/4x4/review/n22236">BMW iX3</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/genesis/electrified-gv70/4x4/review/n25030">Genesis Electrified GV70</a>), with plenty of underfloor storage for the charging cables. That makes the absence of any additional stowage under the bonnet less of an issue.

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 entry-level trim comes with plenty of standard equipment, including electric front seats, climate control and a panoramic roof, plus lots of safety kit, including blind-spot monitoring and a driver attention monitor.

The top-of-the-range trim adds a dimmable panoramic roof, an upgraded sound system and plusher interior finishes, but is too expensive to recommend.

Takumi

takumi

The RZ's range between charges is nothing to write home about, but it is compelling in many other ways. It’s practical, good to drive, pleasant to sit and – as long as you steer clear of the range-topping trims – reasonably priced.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test </li> <li>Quick charging times and compatibility with the most ubiquitous types of public charging points </li> <li>Priced to be within the grasp of more than just the privileged few </li> <li>As with any car, ride comfort, practicality and ownership costs can’t be ignored</li></ul>

We define an electric car as one that runs purely on battery power and has no tailpipe to puff out nasty chemicals.

The best of the breed offer sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test cycle.

Electric

This class is all about SUVs that run purely on electricity. No petrol, no diesel and not even any hybrid technology.

Relatively low-cost options include the MG ZS EV, but you can easily spend three times as much on more luxurious alternatives, such as the BMW iX.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Electric SUV

<h2>What we're looking for </h2><ul><li>Long range and ultra-fast charging capability</li> <li>Luxurious and comfortable interior</li> <li>Smooth ride and capable handling</li> <li>Lots of high-tech driver aids</li> <li>Strong performance and great refinement</li></ul>

Large Electric

Practicality

Lexus RZ review

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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.,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.,

Read review covering Lexus RZ boot space, size and dimensions, front and rear seat comfort by the expert What Car? test team.

Lexus RZ review

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