The fully electric Lexus RZ has finally made its official debut in Malaysia at the Toyota Beyond Zero event at Bukit Jalil. While Lexus Malaysia has previously collected registration of interest for the RZ, the electric Lexus has yet to be launched in Malaysia. It shares the same underpinnings as the Toyota bZ4x which also hasn’t been launched here.
Fortunately for those keen to have a look at the electric Lexus RZ, you can have a look at it at the ongoing event in Bukit Jalil. It made its world premiere back in April 2022 and it is the first battery electric vehicle (BEV) from the Lexus brand.
There are two powertrain options for the RZ, namely the RZ 300e and the RZ 450e. The unit displayed in Malaysia is the RZ 450e. The RZ 450e is a dual-motor electric SUV that outputs a combined power of 230 kW (312 hp metric) and a total torque of 435 Nm.
The front motor itself makes 150 kW (204 hp metric) and 266 Nm while the rear motor makes 80 kW (109 hp metric) and 169 Nm. The RZ 450e is essentially front-biased. The system allows for a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 5.3 seconds and a maximum speed of 160 km/h.
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With a battery capacity is 71.4 kWh, the Lexus RZ 450e is capable of an electric range of about 440 km on a single charge. AC charging can be done at a maximum rate of 11 kW, while DC charging can be done at a maximum rate of 150 kW. The former charges the car from flat to full in 6.5 hours and the latter charges the car from 0 to 80% in 30 minutes.
EV technology-wise, the Lexus RZ 450e doesn’t have much to show for, but it sure looks the part of a premium electric SUV. The styling is elegant and understated. The display unit at the event sits on a set of 18-inch wheels and gets gloss black cladding.
Inside, the Lexus RZ 450e sports a large 14-inch touchscreen head unit and a 7-inch TFT instrument cluster. The RZ is also equipped with a wireless phone charger, and a 10-speaker sound system.
Among the driver assistance systems in the RZ include all-speed adaptive cruise control (ACC), Lexus Teammate Advanced Park (assisted parking), a panoramic view monitor, Pre-Collision System (autonomous emergency braking), Lane Tracing Assist (LTA), Lane Change Assist (LCA) with blind spot monitoring (BSM) and rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA).
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