Lexus RZ 450e, a strong contender

The Lexus RZ 450e has raised the game in the fierce fight for buyers eyeing up zero-emission electric cars

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Car Reviewed: Lexus RZ 450e Premium Plus bi-tone

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The 450e has the latest electronic axles, effectively providing four-wheel-drive, while the newer two-wheel-drive RZ 300e series costs between £49,995 and £61,095 but shares the same trim specifications.

The RZ 450e has a 150KW front e-axle motor and an 80kW motor on the rear e-axle controlled by an onboard computer to ensure the optimum grip in any conditions and responses to the driver’s input on throttle, brakes and steering.

To maximise the powertrain and car’s abilities, there are four selectable drive modes: normal, eco, sport and range; the last ensures battery power and systems are optimised to stretch out the charge as far as possible. The other modes are biased to bring out what a driver prefers at a particular time with the rear motor first engaged and adding the front motor if required.

Paddles on the column give four levels of regeneration/deceleration from mild in eco to mighty in sport. These can be fine-tuned as well to the driver’s taste.

For all its state-of-the-art powertrain permutations, the RZ 450e suspension is fairly conventional with front MacPherson struts and rear double wishbones with trailing arms fitted with self-sensing shock absorbers to vary responses on particular surfaces.

The electric steering gave a lot of feedback, and the turning circle was good in town without being twitchy on open roads; the brakes were up to anything thrown at them and held the heavy car on a steep slope. 
The low centre of gravity pulled down by the under-floor battery pack meant it cornered flat and fast with hardly any body roll or pitching under braking or acceleration.

Generally, it was extremely comfortable, but occasionally, a really bad piece of road would be felt inside, and a rumble would rouse the usually composed cabin through the wheels and suspension.

Access was excellent for occupants, and when using the boot with the power cables neatly housed in their compartment beneath, you might have to move luggage or bags if you wanted to charge at some point. Capacity was good, over 1450 litres.

Visibility was excellent despite a high waistline with sensors front, back and to the sides, ensuring a driver was always aware of surroundings and threats.

Intelligent lane control, speed warning and integrated cruise control made a long trip easy, even in heavy traffic.

Very good self-dipping headlights were bright without dazzling oncoming vehicles, wash and wipers were highly effective. You felt very safe in the RZ 450e.

The driver has an extensive display of sweeping instruments with essential gauges in front, infotainment, and comfort controls alongside the centre of the car’s fascia. Everything was straightforward, clear and quickly adjusted.

Two big sunroofs added a spacious feel to the cabin, and the air conditioning kept everything in check with fine settings for heads, bodies and feet throughout the interior.

The seat adjustment was excellent for those in front, with plenty of wrap-around support and a little less padding on the back split seats. The room was good throughout.

With so much technology to touch and try, it was interesting to vary the deceleration and try different drive modes, and this meant the test car’s range went from an indicated 250 miles at the start of our test to finish up after two recharges with an indicated 210 miles over a mixture of motorway, main and secondary roads in light to moderate traffic. We think this is probably a fair indication of what you could expect. It comes with a rapid charging ability using faster chargers should you also need it on a longer journey.

Considering expectations, it’s worth mentioning that the Lexus battery pack is guaranteed to have 70% charging capacity after ten years and possibly up to 90%, thanks to an enormous amount of experience in BEV technology.

The Lexus RZ 450e is undoubtedly one of the best modern BEVs in terms of performance, equipment, and refinement, and its sophistication is a match for the dwindling luxury cars that still rely on petrol to power them. It certainly makes a strong case for the upper EV sector.