Toyota global president Akio​ Toyoda has said that Lexus will sell only electric vehicles by 2035 and the brand is expected to launch its first standalone battery-electric vehicle – the RZ 450e – soon. This week, the Japanese premium marque released new images of the upcoming model.

In December last year, we reported that Toyoda-sanannounced no fewer than 16 new battery-electric vehicles – of which four were Lexus models – at the brand’s Megaweb showcase in Tokyo. While the Aichi-based giant has certainly been at the forefront of petrol-electric hybrid technology for decades, many of Toyota’s European, South Korean, Chinese and North American rival manufacturers have been quicker to introduce (adapted and standalone) battery-electric vehicles, especially in the luxury-car space. Lexus has clearly got some catching up to do…

Well, this weekLexus International President Koji Sato said:“In 2022, we will release a series of new models, starting with the BEV-exclusive model RZ in (the Northern Hemisphere) spring.”

That means we’ll get to see the full reveal of the RZ 450e during the second quarter of the year, with international sales to begin too soon thereafter (although it’s not on the cards for Mzansi yet).

These images,which were released in conjunction with Lexus’2021 global sales data, offer a better look at the upcoming all-electric crossover’s profile and rear-end styling.It’s apparently of a similar size to the new NX, which will be launched in Mzansi soon, and is based on the same e-TNGA platform as the Toyota bZ4X (which is not part of Toyota South Africa Motors’ product plans – at this stage) and its cousin, the Subaru Solterra. We’d imagine that it will compete with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and, of course, the Audi e-tron, BMW iX3, Jaguar I-Pace, Mercedes Benz EQC, etc.

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Compared with its ToyotaandSubarucousins, however, the RZhas notably sportier styling and is said to incorporate bespoke modifications aimed at elevating “(its) driving experience to the next level”.

In prolife, it certainly appears sleekerthan its NX sibling (courtesy of narrow side-glass areas and blacked-out C-pillars), while the kicked-up rear end features a slim light bar and LEXUS lettering (as employed on last year’s LF-Zconcept) – reports say that they are likely to become common cues of all of the brand’s standalone BEV models.

The vice-president of Lexus’ European division, Pascal Ruch, told British motoring title Autocar that it was a priority for Lexus to deliver“exhilarating driving performance”and hinted that the brand would offer variants of future BEVs that“support the sporty position of the brand”.

The RZ 450e is expected to offer “lighter and more compact motors”, increased body rigidity, steer-by-wire technologyand Direct4 fully-variable four-wheel-drive technology;Ruch added thatthe newcomer would provide owners with “an engaging and rewarding driving experience”.

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The Direct4 system allows the RZ 450e to apportion its power delivery across both axles, which means it can dynamically switch between front, rearand all-wheel drive as situations require. Lexus will employ this set-up on all future bespoke BEVs, which presupposes a standard twin-motor set-up.

This interior image of the bZ4X provides clues to what the Lexus RZ’s cabin architecture is likely to look like.

For context, the most potent version of the Toyota bZ4x features a pair of 80-kW electric motors (one at each end of the vehicle) powered by a 71.4-kWh lithium-ion battery. The all-wheel-drive bZ4X produces 160 kW/336 Nm, is said to have a range of about 415 km (on the WLTP cycle) and is claimed to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 7.7 sec.

Toyota further saysthe battery will hold 90% of its charge for the first 10 years of its lifespan and, if you utilise rapid charging, a 150-kW fast charger can recharge the packfrom depleted to 80% in 30 minutes.

We anticipateLexus will use this package as only the starting point for the RZ 450e’s powertrain, but will we’ll bring you more technical details when they become available.

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