The electric RZ 450e, an all-wheel-drive compact SUV closely related to the Toyota bZ4x and Subaru Solterra. For 2024, Lexus is filling out the RZ family with a more affordable front-wheel-drive variant, the RZ 300e, which drops the price of entry $4,500 from the 2023 model.
The new RZ 300e is powered by a single electric motor on the front axle making 201 horsepower. With a 72.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack, the RZ 300e has an estimated range of 266 miles on the standard 18-inch wheels, according to Lexus; opt for the 20s, and range drops to 224 miles. (Official EPA figures are not yet available for the 2024 RZ.)
Meanwhile, the RZ 450e carries over unchanged, utilizing the same 201-hp motor on the front axle and supplementing it with a 107-hp motor at the rear, for total output of 308 hp and AWD. It has a slightly smaller 71.4-kWh battery pack and a range of 220 miles on 18s or 196 miles on 20s.
Lexus says the RZ 300e can make the run to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, while the 450e can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.0 seconds. Both the versions use a 7-kilowatt charger capable of accepting up to 150 kW of DC fast charging. They can charge from 0 to 100% in about 9.5 hours on a Level 2 home charger or from 0 to 80% in about 30 minutes on a DC fast charger.
Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 is standard on every RZ. This suite of safety tech includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection and emergency steering assist, as well as the ability to detect oncoming vehicles when the EV is making a left turn; adaptive cruise control; lane-centering steering assist with lane departure prevention; and road-sign recognition. Hands-free traffic jam assist, parking assist and a head-up display are available.
