With Toyota having just introduced its first all-electric SUV, the bZ4X, it was an extremely safe bet that Lexus would follow suit before long. In fact it was sure bet, since the Lexus LF-Z concept presented earlier this year had confirmed the plan. Today, we have a few images to get our teeth into, as well as a name: the RZ.
The future Lexus RZ will of course use many elements found in and on the Toyota bZ4X, but as we can see from the images, it will have its own style, its own signature. The RZ will be the first electric vehicle that Lexus markets here (the company already offers a UX300e for the Chinese market).
The name RZ450e has already been registered by Toyota's luxury division, which gives us a very good idea of its future full name. The number 450 suggests a power output higher than the 215 hp that Toyota’s bZ4X will offer in a dual-engine configuration. Lexus will certainly include all-wheel drive in the equation, and we may be getting more power in that case. In fact, the company has already shared details about a powertrain called Direct4. This uses a 201-hp electric motor on each of the front and rear axles, so the RZ450e could serve up something in the 350 to 400 hp range.
Luxury will necessarily also a bigger focus with this EV. For the rest, we're left to speculate, especially since the first images tell us nothing about the interior.
We'll have more details to tell you about this Lexus RZ when it's presented to us in greater detail at some point in 2022.