Lexus RZ

Lexus RZ at a glance

The RZ follows the UX 300e, a converted combustion-engined car, as Lexus's second electric model, and sits alongside the brand's hybrids in our Lexus catalogue. It is also listed among all battery cars in the electric cars section.

Development and launch

Lexus previewed the RZ with the LF-Z Electrified concept in March 2021 and showed a prototype in December 2021. The production RZ 450e was unveiled on 20 April 2022, the same day German customers could reserve one, and the first cars reached European dealers in spring 2023. Production of the RZ 450e started in March 2023.

Compared with the Toyota bZ4X, the RZ has its own body and interior. The RZ 450e combines the front motor of the front-wheel-drive bZ4X with the rear motor of the all-wheel-drive bZ4X. The aluminium bonnet and the battery under the floor help keep the centre of gravity low. The front suspension uses MacPherson struts, the rear a double-wishbone layout.

Generations and versions

There is one RZ generation. ADAC treats the 2025 update as a separate phase because the batteries, motors and model names changed.

The front-wheel-drive RZ 300e joined the range in Europe in July 2024 as a cheaper entry point. The facelift, presented in March 2025 and on sale in Germany from October 2025, replaced both versions. It also introduced Interactive Manual Drive on the F Sport, a virtual gearshift system. Lexus followed it with an RZ 600e F Sport Performance, which sits 20 mm lower than the RZ 550e F Sport and reached dealers from March 2026.

Motors, battery, range and charging

In the RZ 450e, a 150 kW front motor works with an 80 kW rear motor. The DIRECT4 system can vary the torque split anywhere from 100:0 to 0:100; in normal driving it stays between 60:40 and 40:60. The early car has a 71.4 kWh battery, the same pack as the bZ4X; ADAC lists 16.8 kWh/100 km and a WLTP range of 439 km for the RZ 450e. It charges at up to 150 kW DC (about 30 minutes to 80 percent) and 7 or 11 kW AC.

For the facelifted RZ 550e F Sport, ADAC lists a 77.0 kWh battery, 17.9 kWh/100 km, 462 km of WLTP range, up to 22 kW AC charging and 150 kW DC. The regenerative braking has four levels, from none to a maximum deceleration of 0.15 g. Detailed data for the RZ 350e and RZ 500e were not available to us at the time of writing.

Steer-by-wire with a yoke

The RZ is offered with steer-by-wire. Called One Motion Grip in some markets, it replaces the mechanical link with electronics and uses a yoke instead of a round wheel; it needs only 300 degrees of rotation from lock to lock. It is an option, and US cars kept a conventional steering wheel.

Dimensions, weight and boot

The 2,850 mm wheelbase is long for a 4.8 m car. The 750 kg towing limit is low for an SUV of this size, so caravan owners should look elsewhere.

Running costs

ADAC lists WLTP consumption of 16.8 kWh/100 km for the RZ 450e and 17.9 kWh/100 km for the RZ 550e F Sport, which is typical for a heavy all-wheel-drive electric SUV. With those figures and your own electricity price, our cost of ownership calculator estimates the yearly bill. In the US, the EPA range estimate is 322-362 km depending on wheel size, a reminder that wheel and tyre choice affects range noticeably.

Prices and trims

German list prices according to ADAC:

The facelift made the all-wheel-drive car cheaper: the 280 kW RZ 500e Executive cost EUR 5,000 less in 2025 than the 230 kW RZ 450e did at launch in 2023.

Safety

Euro NCAP tested the RZ 450e in 2023 and awarded five stars. The car scored 87% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupants, 84% for vulnerable road users and 81% for safety assist. It took full marks in the child crash tests and the lane support tests; its weakest item was driver monitoring, with 0.3 of 2 points. ANCAP aligned its 2023 rating with the Euro NCAP result, and in the US the IIHS rated it "Good" in the small overlap, moderate overlap and updated side tests. More results are in our safety section.

Reliability

The RZ has been on sale for too short a time for meaningful breakdown statistics, and our sources list no recurring faults. Its battery and motors are shared with the Toyota bZ4X, which spreads development and parts across a larger volume.

Sales

Lexus sold 2,023 RZs in Europe in 2023, its first year. In the United States the figure was 5,386 in 2023, 9,697 in 2024 and 6,400 in 2025. In China sales fell from 5,250 in 2023 to 547 in 2025.

Rivals

The RZ competes with premium electric SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, BMW iX, Audi Q8 e-tron, Genesis GV70 Electrified and Polestar 3, and, more closely on price, with its own platform twins from Toyota and Subaru.