Refining the electrified experience

Lexus RZ 550e F Sport

- By INIGO S. ROCES

Despite being one of the earlier fully-electric vehicle offerings in the country, the Lexus RZ450e continues to be the lone fully-electric model in the Lexus Philippines lineup. Though many competing brands now offer multiple models in several categories, Lexus has focused on the car's many areas for improvement to offer a truly enticing vehicle to welcome early adopters into electrification.

The upcoming RZ 550e takes everything its predecessor, the RZ 450e, offers up a notch. As evident by the name change, the most notable is power, but also driving range, and most importantly, the driving experience.

With so much effort put into performance and driving feel, little has changed with its exterior styling. These are minor alterations in the front bumper for better cooling, new wheels, new color options, and in the case of the F Sport model, a new two tone color option and spoiler.

Steer-by-wire

Perhaps the biggest and possibly most controversial change in the car is the inclusion of the steering yoke, rather than a conventional steering wheel, a small part of the larger steer-by-wire upgrade to be made available exclusively on F Sport models.