LEXUS RZ 350E

Lexus addresses the key flaw – and more - of its luxurious electric SUV

- JACK WARRICK

While many midlife updates take the form of minor design changes or some additional equipment, the revised Lexus RZ brings a host of firsts for the luxury Japanese brand.

It’s the first electric Lexus with a performance F Sport trim level and the first car in the UK available with a steer-by-wire system, complete with a yoke for a steering wheel and simulated manual gearshifts.

More broadly, changes include battery upgrades, improvements to body rigidity and handling and enhanced comfort.

They apply across a three-model range that comprises the single-motor, front-wheel-drive RZ 350e (our main focus here, as Lexus anticipates it will take a 65% share of RZ sales in the UK, mostly in middling Premium Plus trim), the dual-motor, four-wheel-drive 500e and the more overtly performance-oriented 550e.

The most significant change is the introduction of a slightly larger (77kWh) battery, with a new cooling system and preconditioning for rapid charging. It addresses the original RZ’s biggest flaw, a comparatively short range, upping the total from 297 to 353 miles in the 350e (and to 311 miles in the 500e).