Lexus has already shown its upcoming fully electric crossover, the RZ 450e, in prototype form.
Now it’s almost time for the production version to make an official debut for the U.S. market—with, as the brand teased Tuesday, a steering yoke.
With a reveal date now set for 4/20 and the yoke apparently included for the U.S. version, it’s easy to imagine a cross-Texas hat tip, from Lexus HQ in Plano to Musk & Co. in Austin.
The yoke is due to be accompanied by a version of Toyota’s steer-by-wire technology—which could make its application of the tech easier to live with. The Tesla yoke has been panned by a number of reviewers, including Consumer Reports, which called it out as a possible safety concern.
The Lexus brand is aiming to be all-electric by 2030, whereas Toyota has said that by 2030 battery-electric plus fuel-cell models combined will comprise just 15% of U.S. sales. According to U.S. executives for Toyota Motor North America, Toyota and Lexus are essentially planning to go different directions with their electric vehicles. While EVs from Toyota will emphasize affordability, those from Lexus will compete on performance and range.
2023 Lexus RZ
We know little otherwise yet about the RZ, other than it’s expected to share its e-TNGA platform underpinnings with the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra—making it about the same size as the Lexus NX on the outside, but roomier inside. And to meet those different EV goals for the luxury brand, we expect that an extra amount of engineering went into the Lexus to give it more of a performance-vehicle driving personality. Will it offer any more battery versus the bZ4X’s 71.4 kwh to boost range? Look for an answer to that April 20.
There are more Lexus EVs on the way—as suggested by three more Lexus concepts shown in February—but look for the RZ to set the performance and features for them. Check back; we’ll update this page with what Lexus reveals about the RZ.
