2026 Lexus RZ review: updated electric SUV gains a raft of upgrades
We've driven the updated version of the RZ that's due to arrive in 2026, with a bigger battery, more power and the introduction of a 'yoke' steering wheel...
On sale Spring 2026 | Price from £53,995
In the satirical TV show Parks and Recreation, Treat Yo' Self Day is a chance to spend money on lavish and luxurious goods as a form of self-care. If that’s a concept you can get on board with, the Lexus RZ could be one of those extravagant items you’d choose to splurge your money on over more humdrum rivals.
That’s especially true if you’ve been looking at the RZ alongside the Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X. The three cars share the same basic underpinnings but the RZ is longer and more powerful to go with its slightly higher price tag.
That means if it’s going to be a success, it’ll need to tempt buyers away from another upmarket rival – the Genesis GV60 – as well as more popular electric SUVs, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y.
We’re reviewing the updated version of the RZ that is available to order now, with deliveries arriving in early 2026. It comes with a bit more power than earlier versions, and has tweaks to the suspension and strengthened underpinnings to improve the way it drives.
There’s also a bigger battery to address its disappointing range. For the first time ever in a Lexus, the RZ is available with an aeroplane-style "yoke" steering wheel allowing you to fully turn the wheels without the need to apply a large amount of lock.
But is that enough to tempt you away from its rivals? Read over the next few sections to find out.
What’s the new Lexus RZ like to drive?
There are three versions of the new RZ to choose from. The entry-level 350e has a 221bhp electric motor driving the front wheels and provides ample performance for most buyers. It may not leap off the line, but there’s plenty of shove on the move to get up to motorway speeds.
The 500e has an extra motor that drives the rear wheels to give it four-wheel drive and is considerably more lively, producing 375bhp and cutting the 0-62mph time to 4.6 seconds. While it doesn’t deliver its power with the neck-jarring G-force you can experience in a Genesis GV60 or Tesla Model Y, who needs that from a family SUV?
With 402bhp, the range-topping 550e AWD doesn’t feel noticeably quicker than the 500e, reflected by a 0-62mph time that’s on fractionally lower, at 4.4 seconds. As a result, we don’t think it’s worth paying more based on performance alone.
However, what might entice you to splash the cash on the 550e is the Interactive Manual Drive function. If you press the M button on the centre console, it makes the RZ drive as though it has an eight-speed paddle-shift gearbox. The paddles on the back of the steering wheel used to adjust the regenerative braking now shift up and down the simulated gears and it responds quickly, while a small kick is accompanied with each “shift” to make it feel like a mechanical gear change.
It’s quite realistic in that you can’t change down too many “gears” and when you’re in too high a gear, it takes time to build up power again before getting into its stride – behaving like a petrol or diesel engine would. If anything, the downshifts are more convincing than the upshifts because you also experience some (imitation) engine braking.
Overall, it works better than the virtual gearshift in the Kia EV6 GT, helped by a digitised sound that changes tone as it builds up towards the limiter to help you judge the timing of gear shifts.
At most speeds, the RZ is generally a pleasure on a sweeping country road. There's plenty of grip from the tyres, the nose turns in accurately 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.
Four-wheel-drive versions maintain a high level of traction to help you make use of the extra power when exiting a corner, with the system shuffling power to deliver a neutral 50:50 bias.
There's a bit more body lean than in a Kia EV6 and the RZ doesn't feel quite as well tied down as that car when tackling crests and troughs in rapid succession. However, it’s still tidier than the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and slightly taller Nissan Ariya. F Sport trim (limited to the 550e) comes with firmer suspension to benefit handling, but it makes little difference.
A feature that has been introduced with the 550e is the steer-by-wire system, which replaces the regular (round) steering wheel with the yoke. The "wheel" doesn’t have a physical connection with the front wheels and your inputs are sent electrically to a motor on the steering rack, which moves the wheels at a varied rate.
There’s a back-up controller in the unlikely event the first one fails, and the system does bring some advantages. For one thing, you only need to apply 200 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 at low speeds – something that takes additional concentration and a bit of time to get used to because tiny inputs have a big say on the direction of the car. However, it never makes the car feel twitchy or nervous. At higher speeds the response calms down significantly and feels natural enough so that you can build up a rhythm easily on a sweeping country road.
We’re not entirely convinced the benefits are worth the extra cost of the yoke, but we can see it being a novelty that some owners will be willing to commit to.
The RZ’s suspension set-up is firmer than the GV60’s, but it deals with bumps in a well-controlled manner, especially on 18in alloy wheels. Larger 20in wheels do transmit lumps and bumps a bit more, especially over sharper ridges, but it still manages to take the sting out of them. The same is true for the stiffer F Sport trim, although it doesn’t settle down as often.
In fact you’ll hear a thump from the larger tyres more than feel it, otherwise there’s very little road noise. The RZ is quiet on the move, even by electric car standards, with hardly any motor whine or wind noise. The consistent brake-pedal response makes it easy to come to a smooth stop as well.
Meanwhile the regenerative braking system activates smoothly. There are four levels to choose from, and even in its strongest setting the braking effect kicks in gradually and makes it easy to modulate your speed.
With a total battery capacity of 77kWh (usable capacity has yet to be confirmed), the RZ travels the furthest when fitted with 18in wheels on the 350e (353 miles) and 500e (311 miles). That means the 350e has a longer range than the Toyota bZ4X (up to 317 miles), Genesis GV60 (up to 321 miles) and Tesla Model Y RWD (311 miles).
On 20in wheels, the RZ's range drops to 316 miles and 283 miles respectively, while the 550e has the shortest official range of 280 miles. The Model Y Long Range can travel even further (387 miles) while costing slightly less.
We calculated a real-word range of around 285 miles with the 500e on a mixture of motorway and country roads, which is an improvement over the previous version’s official 251 mile range (on 20in wheels).
"In some EV’s, the Eco drive mode completely dulls down the car’s performance and can leave you floundering when you need to go for a gap in traffic, but I’m glad even the least powerful RZ still drives with enough gusto." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor
What’s the new Lexus RZ like inside?
The new RZ has the same interior as the current Lexus RZ – the biggest difference is the yoke steering wheel on F Sport trim.
While the positioning of the yoke steering wheel makes it easy to hold, the control lay-out could be better. You still have stalks for the indicators and wipers in the conventional nine and three position, but because they’re on the back of the wheel, it’s easy to mistake them for paddles you’d use to adjust the regenerative braking in other electric cars. As a result, some drivers will need time to readjust their muscle memory to prevent, for example, flashing the headlights when they actually want to change down a gear.
You adjust the regenerative braking (or the simulated gears) by using two slightly shorter stalks mounted higher up on the back of the wheel. Some will find it’s like they’re operating something similar to a gaming controller. What’s more, the fact that all the stalks move with the wheel as you turn will initially feel odd, and while it does get easier over time, the overall set-up feels more like a novelty rather than something that makes life more convenient.
Interior space remains the same as before, so there's a generous amount of space for four six-footers and a generous 522 litres of boot space for their luggage.
"The controls on the yoke steering wheel take time to get used to, but I reckon simply swapping the centrally placed indicator/wiper ones with the higher-set ones for the regenerative braking ones would help it feel more intuitive." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor
2026 Lexus RZ verdict
While the 150kW charging speed remains the same as before, a pre-conditioning function that can be activated manually in the infotainment system (or automatically, if a charger has been set as a waypoint on the sat-nav) should help you achieve the maximum rate more often, especially in colder temperatures.
Prices for the RZ start at £53,995, which is around the same as what you'd pay for a Genesis GV60 and significantly more than entry-level versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y.
The updated RZ remains practical and good to drive while improving on the early version’s lacklustre range and efficiency makes it appreciably more usable. The entry-level 350e makes the most sense for buyers, and while the top-level F Sport with its yoke steering wheel works well enough, it's more of a novelty than a necessity.
What Car? rating 3 stars out of 5
Lexus RZ F Sport 550e
Price £67,795 Engine Two electric motors Power 402bhp Torque 198lb/198lb ft (f/r) Gearbox 1-spd auto, 4WD Battery Size 77kWh (total) 0-62mph 4.4sec Top speed 112mph Official range 280 miles
Rivals:
Genesis GV60
Tesla Model Y
Read more: The best electric SUVs
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