Road Test: 2024 Lexus RZ 450e

“Sharing”. In the car world, it’s all the rage these days. You have about a bunch of different variations of a compact/mid-size crossover – from a bunch of different brands – riding on the GM Ultium platform. You have a German manufacturer dropping big money on a tech bet from an American manufacturer. Finally, you have an emerging conglomerate that – on the surface – is all about the sharing of tech between three pretty major Japanese manufacturers.

Which brings us to why we’re here today: the Lexus RZ. It is the third vehicle to emerge from an EV-creation partnership between Toyota and Subaru and true to form, it’s also the third brand to get the treatment after the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra.

Powertrain: As the “e” in “450e” suggests: the RZ is a full battery-electric vehicle, meaning there is no gas backup if the 71.4 kWh battery dies. The RZ does support fast charging but the hour it takes to take it from near zero to 80 per cent on a DC fast charge is a little longer than I’d like. Some of the blame can be laid at the RZ’s 400v architecture, but there are other BEVs out there with a similar spec that can get that 0-80% charge done in 30-45 minutes. A claimed 354 km of range (315 km for the higher Executive spec model) on a full charge isn’t exactly sterling, either. During our time with the vehicle, we saw little more than 300 km from a 100% charge.

So, not a super auspicious start in terms of the powertrain but things do improve once you actually start to drive the thing.

Power is rated at 308 horsepower and 321 pound-feet of torque, which are generous figures and much higher than what’s offered by either the Solterra or bZ4X when it comes to hp. Since there is no transmission delay to speak of, power delivery is instantaneous and the RZ makes its way down the road in a spirited manner when you put your foot down. There is very little in the car world that compares to the sensation of zipping along silently on EV power, with just a titch of wind noise to let you know as speeds climb.

Exterior: Top marks here. Indeed, all you have to do is spend 10 minutes observing the RZ parked curbside and see just how many stop n’ stares occur. There are many, and much of that probably has to do with the futuristic pinkish-copper two-tone ‘do (officially called “Copper Crest”, for what it’s worth). This is one of the best colours available in showrooms today, and a welcome refresh from the silvers, blacks and whites so often seen at this level, especially from Lexus. Other neat stylistic traits include darkened 20-inch multi-spoke wheels, an aggressively-sloping rear deck with subtle lip spoiler and just the right amount of body panel folds and creases to break up the lines. It’s the best looking by far of the trio and one of the best-looking EVs out there, period.

Interior: We don’t find quite as much flare inside; sure, the dash some swooping panels and a variety of shape choices – the unique regen paddles, steering wheel spokes, gauge hood and vent designs come to mind – but it’s all ensconced in a kind of grey-blue hue that gives the impression of a poorly-lit, overly-blue photograph. It’s too bad because the materials used and the tight construction of the panels is very good – if only it all looked a little better; there’s a tan interior option that would help. What doesn’t help is the fact that my base-spec tester also means no sunroof; it would have been nice to get a little more light in here.

Otherwise, as it’s the Lexus way the front seats are supportive and comfortable, the rear seats slightly less supportive but still nicely padded and while you can’t fit many tall items in the cargo bay due to that slanted rear deck, you can tip them on their side because it’s quite deep. The rear seats also fold in a 60/40 split, for even more depth and while there’s no frunk, there is underfloor storage in back. The beauty is that while its about the size of the NX crossover, interior space is closer to that of the larger RX.

Infotainment: One of the highlights of the cabin is the infotainment system (the digital gauge cluster, on the other hand, is one of the lowlights – more on this in a moment). The standard 14” touch display is bright and a joy to behold and while there’s just a little too much reliance on the touchscreen for various user functions (a drive mode menu instead of a hard button or knob is my sorest point), there are some hard buttons for certain climate controls and the volume. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android and charging are all standard and it came off without a hitch once my iPhone was linked. The backup cam is also nicely hi-def and there’s a great top-down view that makes the RZ “invisible” for easier parking.

Which brings us to the digital gauge cluster. The fonts and colours used are OK, but everything is just so blurry that I had to squint to make sure it wasn’t my aging eyes – it wasn’t, and the impressions of every passenger I had confirmed my suspicions.

Drive: At over 2,000 kilos, the RZ isn’t a lightweight considering its size. Thing is, when so much of that weight – the battery — is stuffed nice and low down in the chassis, it keeps the centre of gravity nice and low and body roll to a minimum. So, the RZ stays nice and flat through corners and rides very well, even with 20” rolling stock at all four corners. The steering also gets some surprising weight to it, which adds a level of performance to the proceedings as well. With any Lexus, however, even hi-po stuff like the LC coupe, rise is paramount and the RZ nails this. Also if an efficient drive is more your thing, the paddles behind the wheel allow you to adjust brake regen on-the-fly. It can be set two four levels (five if you include “off”) and starts at level II. If you want more, you have to flip the right-side paddle and that remains the case even if you choose a more efficient drive mode.

Conclusion: The RZ covers the “Lexus” stuff well. It has a great ride, the looks are spot-on and there’s good power on-tap. Add that great infotainment system and you have a very “Lexus” experience indeed. Fuel-free motoring is of course a great bonus as well. For me, though, I feel I’d really want a “Lexus” if I were to select this particular EV because there are vehicle out there that may not have quite as much luxury, but will take the RZ down in a best-on-best EV scenario.

2024 Lexus RZ 450e
Price as tested: $82,455
Freight: $2,205.00
Configuration: Front and rear EV motors/all-wheel-drive
Power/torque: 308 horsepower/ 321 lb-ft of torque
Battery (capacity): 71.4 kWh
Combined e-economy ratings (Le/100 km): 2.5 Le/100 km
Observed fuel economy (Le/100 km): 3.2 Le/100 km
Warranties: 8 years/160,000 km (battery), 4 years/80,000 km (basic)
Competitors: Acura ZDX, Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW iX3, Cadillac Optiq, Genesis GV70 Electric, Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4Matic, Tesla Model Y
Links: Lexus Canada