Lexus RZ 2026 review: Australian first drive

Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

8 / 10

Firstly, the Lexus RZ has been so aggressively marked down, it’s almost insulting to those who’ve spent the $120k+ to already own one.

The first variant in the new RZ line-up is the RZ500e Luxury, starting at $84,500 before on-road costs and featuring heated synthetic leather front seats with power adjustment, dual-zone climate control, a 14.0-inch touchscreen multimedia display and 7.0-inch driver display, plus wireless smartphone charger and 10-speaker Panasonic audio.

There’s also a set of 20-inch metallic alloy wheels, a powered tailgate, and the full suite of Lexus’ safety features standard across the range.

Not bad for a $35,000 price cut at the entry grade. Oh, and the RZ500e is, as you’d expect, more advanced and powerful than the 450e predecessor, but we’ll get to that.

The $91,000 Sport Luxury gains different two-tone 20-inch wheels, more colour options and upmarket trim, dynamic interior lighting, it gets ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and heated rear outboard seats, a dimming panoramic roof, a head-up display and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system. 

The headlights are adaptive and auto-leveling in the Sport Luxury, plus there’s a digital mirror and the parking assist is upgraded to ‘Intelligent Parking Assist’.

Finally, the RZ550e F Sport costs $105,000 and comes with the much-hyped yoke steering system, the synthesised gear shifting Lexus calls 'Interactive Manual Drive’, there’s more power and a bigger battery, plus other additions like F Sport styling inside and out, and a functional rear spoiler.

On the way is a limited-edition RZ600e F Sport Performance with a bit of extra power and kit, but there will be more info to come once the details are confirmed for Australia.

Design – Is there anything interesting about its design?

7 / 10

The RZ holds onto a lot of Lexus’ little design cues, but the adaptation of the brand’s ‘spindle’ grille shape into a body-coloured shape at the front of the car is the most notable here.

As an EV, the RZ’s lack of grille meant designers changed up the way the electric SUV looks compared to its stablemates, and it’s sharp and edgy, bordering on aggressive.

It’s not a bad looking SUV from most angles, though you could argue some areas of the car are rather busy - there’s a lot going on at the front, and in the F Sport variant the spoiler and winglets under and over the rear window look like a bit of an afterthought.

It’s a little too aggressive for a mid-size SUV that probably won’t be used as a hard-driving machine by most buyers, but at least you can’t accuse Lexus of playing it safe.

Inside, a relatively restrained interior is punctuated by physical buttons and a fair amount of familiar Toyota elements, but the most noticeable feature is certainly the yoke, if you find yourself in an F Sport.

Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside?

6 / 10

While the RZ does everything it needs to in terms of practicality, it’s lacking some handy features and mostly just ‘meets the bar’ in some areas.

For the size of the RZ, the interior doesn’t feel incredibly spacious, and there’s no glovebox in front of the passenger, just a reasonably sized central storage bin.

There are cupholders in a sensible place, a good servicing of physical controls for drive modes, climate and the like, and a head-up display to add to the clear layout of information for the driver.

But the tech itself, software shared with Toyota for the most part, is a bit laggy and swiping between screens on some menus feels disjointed.

There are also heating panels on the dash for the front passengers, though neither seems to really warm up enough to make a difference.

There’s also a lack of physical blind in sunroof-equipped models, which would do a better job of stopping the sun turning the car into an oven when parked than even a decent dimming glass roof can manage.

The seats are comfortable, and the electric adjustment means finding the right driving position is easy, while most controls fall nicely to hand without too much reaching.

USB-C sockets, a 12-volt socket and wireless phone chargers are all there for power output, the second row also gets USB-C outlets.

There’s not a huge amount of amenity in the second row, save for heated seats in the F Sport, but individual vent controls and a comfy bench seat are welcome, even if a little more under leg support would be nice.

Behind the rear seats, there’s 522 litres of boot space which is decent but not cavernous, though folding the seats down makes that 1451L.

There’s no spare wheel, just a tyre repair kit, which is expected but is nonetheless disappointing.

Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission?

8 / 10

The RZ has a dual-motor setup in every variant, so all-wheel drive across the board, while the power is the key change between variants.

The 500e versions have a 280kW output, while the 550e F Sport has a bit more power at 300kW.

Total torque isn’t quoted, but each motor is able to produce 167kW and 269Nm on its own.

The two different power outputs result in 100km/h showing up in either 4.6 or 4.4 seconds respectively.

Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range?

7 / 10

Battery capacity has increased to 74.7kWh with the update, the 500e variants now have a claimed 460km range, which is starting to feel short as 600km+ becomes more common.

The slightly larger 77kWh battery in the F Sport brings 437km, for reference.

On test we saw power consumption range from 19.6 to 22.2kwh/100km, which is fine for a relatively big EV.

Lexus claims 18.0kWh energy use per 100km for the 500e, and 18.8Wh for the 550e.

With 150kW DC charging, the RZ’s not exactly top of the charts, but at least the AC charge rate has doubled to 22kW.

Lexus claims fast-charging with DC power takes about 28 minutes, though doesn’t provide a percentage span - the usual standard is 10 per cent up to 80.

Driving – What's it like to drive?

7 / 10

I’ll start by saying the drive loop we were sent on for this launch was probably a bit kind to the RZ. There weren’t a whole lot of challenging, fast, or twisty sections of driving.

Not that I don’t think the RZ would suit those, but the route given to media on the launch was likely a realistic example of a day out in an RZ, highway driving, some country b-roads, and relatively calm travels through small towns.

This, unfortunately, meant coming away still a smidge confused about the F Sport’s steering yoke and new by-wire setup.

Ergonomically, the yoke feels fine, though training your brain to keep your hands on the grips and not let go to cross arms takes a while, as does reducing the amount of lock you roll on.

Despite the lack of physical connection, it’s weighted well and feels accurate enough for the kind of driving that would be expected of the RZ.

The synthesised transmission that comes with it is more confusing, however, as the sounds and physical feedback are far enough removed from what you’d feel in a real ICE-powered car with gears that ‘gimmicky’ is the polite way to put it.

If Lexus was trying to replicate what Hyundai has managed in the Ioniq 5 N (and now 6 N) with making an EV more engaging, it’s missed the mark, as the drivetrain’s reaction to the synthetic ‘redline’ is underwhelming and the ‘engine sound’ is comical.

Having said all that, the RZ is an otherwise comfortable, capable, and peppy electric SUV that deserves its flowers for its dynamics. In the standard steering wheel-equipped variants, feedback is enough to feel in tune with what’s happening at the front wheels, and the RZ proves itself able to handle its weight without its suspension letting in too much of the road’s imperfections.

The biggest question is, who is the yoke for? Lexus customers skew older, and that new system is sure to turn away some that would otherwise be keen on a Lexus EV.

It’s not optional, rather mandatory, in the F Sport, so if you like your steering wheel connected to the front wheels and shaped in a circle, go for one of the 500e variants.

Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating?

9 / 10

There’s a decently equipped suite of safety kit across the range in the RZ, a big plus, though notable features are the parking assist, pre-collision system with intersection assistance and emergency steering assist, and the radar cruise control with lane trace assist.

The RZ also has a five-star rating from ANCAP, tested in 2023, with a healthy nine airbags for protection.

Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

8 / 10

Lexus has a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and there’s an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the high-voltage battery, which is fine for a premium brand, but keep in mind Lexus is part of Toyota, so it feels like more could be done.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and cost $395 per service for the first five years.

The ‘Lexus Encore’ ownership program is a big benefit, and the three years of access includes exclusive offers and event invites, discounts and loan cars for servicing. 

Verdict