Lexus Philippines has officially launched its first battery electric vehicle (BEV) in the Philippines in the form of the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e. And you can purchase one for a hefty ₱4,828,000.

Its arrival in the local market is a milestone for the Japanese automaker, and it is an important step toward the brand’s carbon neutrality goal of offering 100% BEVs globally by 2035.

Lexus Philippines is no stranger to electrification as most of its local lineup of vehicles already comes with a hybrid variant available. 

An in-between for the NX and RX

Sharing the modified-ICE e-TNGA platform with the Toyota bZ3, the Toyota bZ4X, and the Subaru Solterra, the Lexus RZ 450e measures 4,805 mm long, 1,895 mm wide, and 1,635 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,850 mm.

Given its measurements, this puts the electric crossover somewhere in the size range of the Lexus NX but with a similar cabin space to the Lexus RX, which has the same wheelbase. 

Also Read: Toyota bZ4X EV equivalent to ₱4.4 million, launches in Indonesia

The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e carries the Japanese automaker’s latest Seamless e-Motion design language, which was made to highlight Lexus’ driving pleasure into electrification. 

Since the RZ 450e does not come with an internal combustion engine at the front, the designers at Lexus had more freedom to play with the overall look of the crossover. This is why the EV has a more prominent spindle “grille” along with a pair of unique LED headlights. 

The RZ also has a coupe-like roofline, giving it a more stylish look and aerodynamic shape. It is paired with a sleek LED light bar that highlights the back of the crossover with creases and cuts that give it a muscular appearance. To complete the look, the EV comes with massive 20-inch alloy wheels.

A refined interior

Inside, the Lexus RZ 450e has a minimalist multilayer dashboard. It has two massive displays, an 8-inch and a 14-inch display.

The 8-inch monitor is your digital gauge cluster, while the 14-inch display is for the infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Capabilities. 

It also has its navigation available on board, along with an assortment of USB Type A and Type C charging points, plus a power outlet, a wireless charging pad, dual-zone climate control, and a multi-color LED ambient lighting system. 

Other interior features available for the RZ are the following:

• Power-adjustable front seats with a memory function
• Ventilated front seats with Ultra suede material
• A 10-speaker Mark Levinson sound system
• The cloud-connected Lexus Link multimedia system
• Electronic parking brake
• A 360-degree panoramic camera system
• Panoramic roof
• A color heads-up display.

Electrified power

Powering the Lexus RZ 450e is a pair of electric motors along with a 71.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The battery pack is expected to retain at least 70% of its capacity after 10 years of driving. However, Lexus is confident in its battery technology and has stated that the actual battery capacity after 10 years of use should be at least 90%. 

As for its range, the Lexus BEV can do around 395 km in the WLTP combined cycle. For those who opt for 18-inch wheels the range of the RZ gets extended by another 40 km. 

For the driver's peace of mind, the instrument cluster will display the range as 0 km when the battery reaches approximately 8% remaining charge. It gives the driver a bit of leeway to get to a charging station.

The Japanese automaker states that the RZ has an energy consumption of between16.8 kWh and 18.7 kWh per 100 km in the combined WLTP cycle. 

The front motor produces 150 kW while the rear makes 80 kW, together they produce a total of 230 kW of power which translates to 312.7 PS.

The RZ is equipped with an automatic transmission, sending power to all four wheels via a DIRECT4 all-wheel drive system first seen on the 2023 Lexus RX.

The DIRECT4 system uses an ECU that splits the torque between all the wheels for better handling and stability. 

Also Read: All-hybrid lineup! 2023 Lexus RX launched in the Philippines

Lexus claims the RZ 450e can travel about 450 km on a full charge and sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds.

For charging, the Lexus EV has an 11 kW charger on board. When connected to a three-phase power supply/ charging station, it can top the battery pack in around 6.5 hours. However, a one-phase power supply/ charging station will take about 10 hours to charge the vehicle fully. DC fast charging is available for the RZ, bringing it from 0 to 80% charge in about 30 minutes. 

Lexus safe

The Lexus RZ 450e comes with the brand’s proprietary Lexus Safety System +3 which gives the electric vehicle access to a wide array of intelligent driver aids and assistance features such as:  

• Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
• Lane keep assist,
• Pre-Collision System
• Lane Tracing Assist
• Lane Departure Alert
• Blind Spot Monitor System
• Adaptive High-beam System
• Safe Exit Assist

Pricing

The Lexus RZ 450e can be had for a special introductory price of ₱4,828,000. Aside from this, Lexus Philippines also gives you the option to lease the EV through the KINTO Philippines program.

Given the competition with the Jaguar i-Pace, the BMW iX, the Kia EV6, and the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and 6, do you think the Lexus RZ is worth its asking price? Let us know in the comments section.

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