Kelley Blue Book: Review: The all-new 2023 Lexus RZ luxury electric SUV—range, charging and more

There are faster-charging rivals with better ranges, though—the Genesis GV60, for instance.

However, it’s high time that Lexus came out with an electric vehicle. Size-wise, the new RZ 450e slots between the compact NX and the midsize RX.

It’s not coincidental that Toyota’s
TM,
-0.89%
new bZ4X all-electric SUV also launches this year. These two vehicles are based on the same platform and share more than a few mechanical parts. This Lexus naturally has its own interior and exterior designs while catering to the luxury end of the market.

2023 Lexus RZ pricing

The 2023 RZ 450e starts at $59,650. That’s for the Premium trim with 18-inch wheels, which enables the best range of 220 miles. It’s another $1,240 for the 20-inch wheels. The top Luxury trim — from $65,150 — has those larger wheels as standard.

These figures are the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices and include the $1,150 factory-to-dealer delivery fee (destination charge). A federal tax credit may become available for the 2023 Lexus RZ.

Learn more: See which electric vehicles get a tax break on new list

For some context, the Audi Q8 e-tron (range: 285 miles) is bigger and more expensive — from $74.4K. The Tesla
TSLA,
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Model Y starts at $55K and is capable of 330 miles. The Volvo
VLVLY,
-1.75%
C40 Recharge (226 miles) comes in at $55.3K. The Genesis GV60 (248 miles) begins at around $59.3K, while the Cadillac Lyriq is in that same financial ballpark yet has a maximum range of 308 miles.

Before buying a new Lexus RZ 450e luxury electric SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Talk of resale values is premature, but Lexus vehicles are invariably chart-toppers in this respect.

What’s new for 2023

The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e is a completely new model based on a dedicated electric vehicle platform. It’s a little smaller than the ever-popular Lexus RX SUV.

Range, charging, and performance

The new RZ 450e SUV can travel for 220 miles from a full battery. That’s with 18-inch wheels fitted. When the 20-inch wheels are in place, maximum range dips to 196 miles.

Charging the lithium-ion battery pack in the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e takes about half an hour to go from almost empty to 80% on a DC fast charger. This doesn’t qualify it among the fastest-charging EVs. Tesla vehicles and EVs from the Kia/Hyundai/Genesis camp are all quicker. A 240-volt home setup can add around 25 miles of range per hour, with a full replenishment achieved in about 9.5 hours.

Lexus claims a 0-60 mph time of exactly five seconds for the 2023 RZ 450e.

Read: Those EPA range estimates for electric cars may be unreliable

Driving the 2023 Lexus RZ

Like most of today’s electric vehicles, the RZ 450e is exceptionally and effortlessly quick. With its standard dual-motor setup delivering 308 horsepower and the added traction of all-wheel drive, it’ll do 0-60 mph in a scant 5.0 seconds without breaking a sweat or waking the neighbors, even. While we’ve found it athletic enough to handle that kind of power, the RZ is, first and foremost, a quiet, comfortable Lexus SUV.

The optional steering setup featuring a yoke-style steering “wheel” took some getting used to. Still, it’s probably a more sensible approach to directional control than the relatively clumsy hand-over-hand dance we’ve been doing for more than a century. Lexus doesn’t expect too many buyers to opt for the yoke, but we’d at least consider it. We also wish the RZ offered a one-pedal driving mode, perhaps further demonstrating how our driving preferences are evolving as more and more of our seat time is spent in electric cars.

Check out:The 2024 Honda Prologue: Honda’s new electric SUV is attractive and spacious. When can you get one?

Tactile interior

The interior of the RZ resembles the passenger cabin of just about every other modern Lexus. We suspect many will prefer the familiarity compared to some of the more futuristic and austere interiors in the electric vehicle space.

Although most SUV buyers cherish the raised driving position, the RZ 450e’s front seats seem set higher than usual. Yet there’s little space under them for rear passengers to tuck their feet. Not that this is much of an issue, as occupants in both rows will find plenty of space in which to move around. Behind the rear seats is a luggage area big enough to take three sets of golf clubs.

Options for this 5-seater cabin include a panoramic moonroof with a dimming feature, and radiant heaters that can warm the front section without placing too much of a burden on the battery.

Usual Lexus exterior, but with a twist

The new RZ 450e doesn’t need a radiator grille up front because there’s no combustion engine to cool, but Lexus has placed a typically huge spindle shape there anyway. The rear end has the Lexus name spelled out in upper-case letters, which looks arguably cooler than the regular company logo, while a ducktail spoiler completes the picture. A two-tone paint job is available, featuring solid black at the front end, running up to the hood and the roof.

At 189.2 inches long, the 2023 RZ 450e is 3.3 inches shorter than the midsize RX, 5.7 inches longer than the compact NX, and features a lower roof than both.

Also see: The 2023 Lucid Air: It’s powerful and plush, with an unbeatable 516-mile range

Our favorite features and tech

Infotainment touchscreen
At 14 inches on the diagonal, it’s not the biggest display in the luxury electric vehicle class, but a substantial size, nevertheless. It enables Lexus to keep the rest of the RZ 450e’s cabin nice and tidy by migrating many functions that would have required physical buttons in the past.

Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
The so-called entry-level Premium model comes with standard cable-free phone integration, along with wireless charging, Wi-Fi, and five USB-C ports.

Panoramic view monitor
Quite often an option in other vehicles, this is standard in the new RZ 450e electric SUV, providing a 360-degree view of the surroundings.

Mark Levinson audio
Like every other new Lexus, the RZ 450e offers an optional Mark Levinson audio setup, one of the nicest sounding in the automotive world. The option here is for a 13-speaker/1,800-watt surround-sound system.

Advanced Park
This optional feature takes care of steering, acceleration, and braking when maneuvering into and out of tricky parking spaces.

Frequency Reactive Dampers
Deployed for the first time in a Lexus, these are a sophisticated form of shock absorber that provides great handling stability without having to make the typical trade-off where ride quality suffers.

Don’t miss: 10 new electric cars with the longest range

Engine and transmission

Two electric motors, one for each axle, provide an electric form of all-wheel drive (which Lexus calls Direct4) as standard. Together, they generate a total of 308 horsepower. The front motor is capable of 196 lb-ft of torque, and the rear develops 124 lb-ft, making 320 lb-ft in total.

Power can be distributed between the front and rear wheels according to the conditions and demands. For example, at the exit of a corner, it’s the rears that gain 80% for maximum traction and efficient acceleration. Other times, most of the work is done by the front wheels for optimum efficiency. The driver doesn’t really feel all this going on. Transitions are seamless.

Dual electric motors
308 combined horsepower
320 lb-ft of combined torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 115/98 MPGe (18-inch wheels), 102/87 MPGe (20-inch wheels)
EPA-estimated range: 220 miles (18-inch wheels), 196 miles (20-inch wheels)

More range and efficiency information is available on the EPA’s website.

4-year/50,000-mile warranty

The basic Lexus new-vehicle warranty lasts for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first — a typical arrangement among luxury vehicles. Powertrains are covered for six years or 70,000 miles, which is better than many European luxury brands. An 8-year/100,000-mile warranty applies to the RZ 450e’s battery.

KBB’s car review  methodology.

This story originally ran on KBB.com.