The look is sharp and handsome, but a bit heavy, and lacks elements that Lexus knows how to make and offers in other models (Photo: Yoel Schwartz)
Lexus, as well as Toyota and most manufacturers, do not believe in a battery-based electric future.
It's too expensive, not clean enough, requires complex infrastructure changes and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
But the Western world is running in that direction, and Lexus has sat on the fence long enough.
She may have pioneered luxury hybrids, but when it came to electricity, she just put that hot potato aside and hoped it would cool down.
It did not happen.
And instead she got a pile of hot potatoes from old brands and new Chinese manufacturers that just weren't there yesterday.
To cope with the changing reality, Lexus introduced this vehicle: RZ - a new all-electric crossover designed to compete with models such as the Mercedes EQC, BMW iX3 and others.
It shares the e-TNGA platform, batteries and suspension with the Toyota BZ4X and Subaru Soltra (coming to us in the future), but to differentiate itself it looks different inside and out, offers a much more powerful engine (an increase of almost 100 hp), different suspension and steering calibration And much more equipment including a unique on-wire steering mechanism.
The power unit produces 313 hp and dual drive. The performance is excellent, but most competitors offer much more (photo: manufacturer's website)
Design:
The look is very much identified with Lexus, and includes components that tie it to the family such as the side window line that rises towards the end, which started in the Lexus LC and continues today in other models.
I'm not a big fan of a coupe-like design when it comes to leisure models, and even here this arrangement seems too heavy for me.
If it's because of the area of the tin compared to the area of the glass, because of the wheel arches that stop just before they reach the bottom, the square rears, the shoulder line of the windows that slopes backwards and more.
Even the bow, which tries to maintain the "hourglass" characteristic of the brand, works less design-wise when it is sealed.
There are nice little touches like the roof spoiler fins, or the three-dimensionality of the rear lights, but from a luxury brand, and from a vehicle of these dimensions, one would expect more.
It is enough to look at the RX, the slightly older brother, and the multitude of graphic elements in it - such as the nose - to understand that, at least in terms of exterior design, Lexus did not go all the way here.
More in Walla!
It's so delicious and simple: a recipe for caramelized bananas
In collaboration with the Galil company
For the first time in Lexus, a dial-shaped gear lever.
In front of the passenger is a thin dashboard obtained by giving up a glove box (photo: manufacturer's website)
Passenger cabin:
The cabin is also different from the brand's existing line.
Mainly because Lexus follows a vegan line.
There are no leather and wood coverings, but plastic (very high quality) with a smooth texture.
At night, tiny lighting throws rays in a rhombus pattern and creates an interesting look on the smooth plane.
The overall design is nice, but the air conditioning vents weigh a bit on the appearance from the driver's position and it looks a bit clumsy.
From the passenger capsule it looks better also because the dashboard on this side is really thin and the space is more airy.
This thinness was achieved at the expense of practicality, because there is no glove compartment.
In its place there is a large compartment in the front part of the console between the seats, but this only partially compensates, because there is still another closing compartment missing.
In front of the driver is a small dashboard (7 inches) that is further reduced visually due to the large frame around it.
The data in it is readable, but some of it is too small, and some of it is hidden by the steering wheel. At least in this matter, Lexus has a solution - a YOKE steering wheel - an elliptical steering wheel with an open top. More on that later. On the other hand, the multimedia screen is very large (14 inches), Easy to use, and partially integrates the climate control into it. Lexus tried to keep the buttons to a minimum, and quite succeeded in the task, as what is easy to use and overall intuitive.
The space is impressive, the seating position less so.
The result of a relatively high position of the batteries (photo: manufacturer's website)
The seating in the RZ is a little strange, with the position low, the knees in the air, and the legs extended far forward.
It's not a "recreational vehicle" seat, and not really a sporty recreational vehicle seat as the pointed design suggests.
The reason for this is mainly the limited space between the floor and the ceiling due to the batteries below.
To arrange adequate headroom, Lexus placed the seats low.
This is true from the front as well as from the back, where the knees are also in the air in a position that will not be comfortable over time.
On the other hand, there is a huge space between the back and front seats, partly thanks to the use of a dedicated electric platform that makes it possible to increase the distance between the axles to 285 cm. The other dimensions are also generous so that the passenger compartment is very spacious both in front and in the back. Trunk
:
This area also suffers from the same problem of a relatively high floor, which means that the bags from the supermarket will have to be lifted higher.
In addition, the cover that hides the contents is relatively low, and this affects the usability of the cell.
This cover is also flexible, so you can't put things on it either.
The volume is respectable (522 liters), but the floor is relatively high and you will have to lift the bags from the supermarket higher (photo: manufacturer's website)
Equipment:
like Lexus models, here too there are three trim levels with the traditional names 'Kyushu' which includes electric steering and heating for the leather-like front seats, 18-inch rims, surround cameras, electric trunk opening, wireless charging, panoramic sunroof, USB C sockets in front and behind and more.
The 'generational' level of finish adds memories to the driver's seat, ventilation and heating for the front and rear seats, overhead display and more.
The highest finish level 'Takumi' upgrades to Alcantara upholstery, a Mark Levinson audio system, a heated steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof that dims at the touch of a button and the rims grow to 20 inches.
Safety:
in all trim levels there is automatic braking, lane departure correction, "dead zone" vehicle warning, rear cross traffic warning, door opening warning for a passing vehicle, adaptive cruise control, emergency maneuver assistance, speed sign recognition and more.
Aerodynamic elements that we also met in bz4X (photo: Yoel Schwartz)
Engine and performance:
The RZ has two electric motors.
Front with 204 hp and rear with 150 hp.
Together we have 313 hp and dual drive. The jump from a standstill is immediate and kicking, with the intermediate accelerations just as impressive. To 100 km/h is reduced in 5.3 seconds and only from this three-digit area does the acceleration calm down, although still, the immediacy does not cease to impress.
Just a pleasure to overtake with this car.
The launch route was too short (about 150 km) and it is not possible to make a firm ruling regarding the energy consumption. But it is impossible with nothing, so I will note that the trip computer reported an average consumption of 20 kilowatt hours. The battery capacity is 71.4 kilowatts, so the meaning is a range of 350 km.
RZ supports fast charging of 150 kWh, and to fill the battery from 0 to 80% you will need about 30 minutes.
Lexus' YOKE steering wheel will join the lineup in 2025.
You don't need more than a quarter of a turn to make a U-turn (Photo: Manufacturer's website)
Comfort and behavior: the calibration of the shock absorbers in the RZ is stiffer than the one in the Toyota.
Still, you have to deal with a significantly larger herd of horses, and also with premium competitors who are less compromising in the field.
On the roads of Provence, the RZ exhibited a certain rigidity at urban speed that became a successful restraint as the speed increased.
The noise isolation is good, so the overall ride quality is good.
When you start to push it into a corner, you discover a pleasant partner for sewing up kinky roads. It is not particularly sporty, but the steering is sharp and precise, the body is restrained, the tires grip is high and the brakes bite.
In the RZ, Lexus also brings a new item: steering by wire - without a mechanical connection to the wheels.
Wait, before the enthusiasm.
It will not be ready for production until 2025 and Lexus claims to have all the necessary approvals for it.
As part of the launch, we got a taste of the new mechanism and the elliptical steering wheel, and the truth is that it's strange.
A slight turn of the steering wheel at low speed turns the wheels fully, so that it takes no more than a fraction of a turn to make a turn, and only a little more to complete a U-turn.
Parking maneuvers are performed in quarter turns of the steering wheel to each side, and you're out.
As the speed increases, the turning ratio changes and becomes more familiar to what we are used to today, but going down from suburban speed to urban speed requires rethinking when it comes to the operation of the hands, because suddenly again a light turn causes a large shift.
I don't know, probably with time you can get used to it, for now no one else has it.
Not even for Tesla, which only presents a steering wheel without a top part, but with a normal mechanical steering mechanism.
The "coupé-like" configuration is emphasized with the blackened rear part (photo: manufacturer's website)
The Bottom Line
The Lexus RZ is the new electric toy in a neighborhood where there aren't many competitors.
It is quite spacious, highly equipped in all trim levels, offers an acceptable range, and a respectable reputation.
The price ranges from NIS 450 to 500 thousand, making it one of the cheapest tools in the segment.
The point is that some of the competitors are significantly stronger and not much more expensive.
RZ will hit the roads of Israel in the coming weeks and Lexus expects sales of several hundred.
In a reality where ships are hijacked before they even get off the ship, it doesn't seem like Lexus will have a problem meeting the targets.
The writer was a guest of Lexus in France
On the technical side: Lexus RZ
Engine, drive:
two electric motors, dual drive
Combined power:
313 hp
Gearbox:
auto, direct transmission
Battery:
71.4 kWh
Dimensions:
Length (m):
4.9
Width (m):
1.9
Height (m) '):
1.6
Wheelbase (cm):
285
Trunk (liters):
522
Performance:
0-100 acceleration (seconds):
5.3
Maximum speed (km/h):
160
Combined range (manufacturer):
435 km
Combined range (impression):
350 km
Safety:
Crash score in the European test:
Active safety has not yet been tested:
Automatic braking, correction of lane deviation, warning of a vehicle in a "dead zone", warning of cross traffic from behind, warning of a passing vehicle to open a door, adaptive cruise control, emergency maneuver assistance, speed sign recognition and more.
Competitors:
BMW ix3, Genesis GV70 ev, Jaguar i-Pace, Mercedes EQC
vehicle
Vehicle tests
Tags
Lexus
electric car
Crossover
electric car
