Introduction to the 2025 Lexus RZ 500e
The Lexus RZ, launched in 2023, was only the second all-electric model from this Japanese company with such a long history of electrified vehicles (as in, hybrids), following on from the UX 300e of 2021. And when the RZ, based on the same underpinnings as the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, first appeared, it proved to be pleasant enough to drive but saddled with a few drawbacks.
Chief among these were its relatively limited range and charging speeds. Well, now Lexus has enacted a lot of useful detail changes on the RZ, just two years into its life, in an effort to address these few negatives.
We headed over to the car's international media launch in Portugal to try out the updated RZ in all of its main formats, although we're getting a slimmed-down line-up here in Ireland. Here are our thoughts on the dual-motor RX 500e variant, which should form the flagship of our range.
Pros & Cons of the 2025 Lexus RZ 500e
Pros: Longer range, superb interior, cultured driving manners
Cons: Big wheels ruin the ride, odd steering yoke
Exterior & Design of the 2025 Lexus RZ 500e
• Swooping form with angular lines
• Some models could have a black bonnet option
• Choice of 18- or 20-inch wheels
Although this is a technical update, it's not a facelift of the Lexus RZ - and so the company hasn't changed the way this all-electric coupe-SUV looks on the outside.
That's no bad thing, as it's a smartly styled vehicle in the first place, replete with plenty of Lexus' angular styling lines and a reasonable set of overall proportions.
There's possibly going to be the option of a two-tone colour scheme on the revised RZ, including a black bonnet for a more distinctive appearance, but even in one colour the Lexus looks decent.
Alloy wheel sizes are 18 inches or upgraded 20-inch items, although the latter do have a significant impact on the range.
The RZ 500e's dimensions are:
Length: 4,805mm
Width: 1,895mm
Height: 1,635mm
Wheelbase: 2,850mm
Interior, Practicality, Tech & Comfort of the 2025 Lexus RZ 500e
• High-quality fit, finish and feel
• Loads of room for passengers
• Weird steering yoke...
As with the outside, nothing has changed within the Lexus RZ - unless you have the new steer-by-wire system. This removes the physical link between the steering wheel and the front axle of the electric SUV and is signified in the RZ by the replacement of the regular wheel with something called a steering 'yoke'.
This is a vaguely oblong-shaped device that's 360mm wide and 197mm high, and it will take a lot of getting used to if you go for the steer-by-wire set-up; Lexus Ireland says it is only going to sell the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive RZ with this item, mind, so get used to it Irish buyers must.
It only moves 200 degrees to either side from dead-centre, meaning that a full lock-to-lock swivel of the yoke is little more than one complete turn of the device - much less than you'd need with a conventional, round wheel.
But because of its unusual design, the stalks for the wipers and indicators are moved from the actual column onto the yoke itself, meaning they rotate with the control as you steer. Also, some of the functions for lights and wipers (such as the sensitivity of the rain-sensing feature of the latter) are brought forward onto the face of the yoke.
All of this makes for an unusual and not especially intuitive experience. Some will adore the novelty value, of course, and we're sure you'd become acclimatised with it if you were using it every day for a prolonged period of time. But we simply found it alien-feeling and a literal case of needlessly reinventing the wheel. We far prefer the RZ with a regular, round, three-spoke steering wheel.
Other than that, the build quality and material finishing in this Lexus is truly excellent, while the 14-inch touchscreen infotainment and smattering of useful switchgear makes for a far less infuriating interface than that experienced in models from this company of only five or six years ago.
Admittedly, the digital instrument cluster isn't the greatest exponent of its type, but it's not bad either, and there's a sharp head-up display for the driver to use as well.
Space is another strength of the RZ, because its rakish exterior looks and the fitment of a panoramic sunroof up top seem to rob it of no headroom whatsoever in the second row of the cabin.
Those sitting in the back of the SUV will also luxuriate in masses of legroom, while at the rear of the RZ is the same 522-1,451-litre boot as seen before the facelift.
Performance of the 2025 Lexus RZ 500e
• Single- or dual-motor models available
• RZ 500e ramps power up to 381hp
• Lovely refinement, smooth ride
Where previously we had the single-motor, front-wheel-drive RZ 300e and then a dual-motor AWD 450e above it, there are now three derivatives of the Lexus electric SUV.
However, the all-new and most potent version, the 408hp RZ 550e, is only sold in F Sport trim and we're not getting that specification here, so it won't be available to us unless you decide to import one from the UK (where it will be on sale).
That leaves us with the two updated models, both of which have more power than the 204- and 309hp derivatives they supersede. They get new badges accordingly: first up is the 224hp RZ 350e, and then the twin-motor, 381hp RZ 500e, which is what we're testing here.
Lexus has made structural enhancements to all models in the range to sharpen the driving experience, while also retuning the suspension and, when it's the conventional set-up rather than steer-by-wire, the steering too, all aiming to make the car more comfortable, more refined and more enjoyable to drive.
The good news is these changes have worked well, because the RZ is a pleasure to steer. Even with the yoke fitted, it's the 'wheel' itself which brings the oddness to the way you control the Lexus, rather than the by-wire technology behind it. Apart from a little low-speed immediacy that feels unnatural, once you're up to speed the RZ steers in an organic and natural-feeling fashion.
You can then revel in the fact it is so adept in the corners. Maybe not thrilling, because it's a 2.1-tonne-plus SUV and from Lexus, a company not normally known for the sporty, but the body control is improved from the old car, with less of the lean as you turn into a corner that we experienced from the RZ the first time around.
It also has lots of grip, minimal understeer and excellent traction, thanks to revisions to its Direct4 AWD system as part of this update. Get it into a fast, flowing groove on a country road, and the Lexus RZ 500e is quite a satisfying machine.
But its real forte is rolling refinement and ride comfort, which is exactly where you want a Lexus, and indeed an EV, to excel. Admittedly, on the bigger 20-inch wheels, there are times you feel larger compressions in the road - such as sunken manhole covers - as they dully thud into the cabin through the alloys.
There's also a background patter on gently rippled tarmac, but otherwise the RZ rides with real dignity and grace. It's also supremely quiet, especially at higher speeds, and rock-steady as it travels along, so the Lexus is a relaxing, assured and remarkably comfortable vehicle to travel in.
There is a new technology in the RZ range where it can simulate driving a combustion vehicle by mimicking 'gears' in the transmission, while also making noises to attempt to fool its driver into thinking it is revving.
We tried this system, even though we're not going to get it in Ireland, and thankfully we can tell you we're not missing much. It's nowhere near as convincing a set-up in this EV as it is in properly focused cars with similar tech, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, and furthermore the sounds the Lexus emits to go with the gearchanges are quite bizarre.
Add in small, narrow paddles that are too high-mounted on the steering yoke, and ultimately this Interactive Manual Drive feels nothing more than a gimmick - a well-meaning attempt to inject more driver interactivity into the process of piloting an EV along in an enthusiastic fashion, but one you'll likely try once or twice, and then leave alone forever more.
Range, Battery & Charging of the 2025 Lexus RZ 500e
• Battery enlarged to 77kWh
• AC charging peak rate increased to 22kW
• Pre-conditioning feature improves charging speeds
All updated RZ models have an enhanced 77kWh battery pack, which increases the range of the entire line-up well beyond 500km in the case of the front-driven 350e.
This 500e, however, tops out at bang on 500km if fitted with 18-inch wheels and then 456km on the optional 20s. They're both far more impressive figures than the 438km on smaller wheels and 395km on similar 20-inch rims that the old 450e could manage, so you should get more usability from the Lexus RZ all year round.
Also helping matters are improvements to the battery tech and support systems, which further boost the RZ's credentials. The make-up of the cells has changed in the Lexus, while the company has now also fitted the RZ with battery pre-conditioning.
This means that it should be able to still do its 10-80 per cent fastest charge at 150kW on DC outlets in just 30 minutes, even if the temperatures drop to -10 degrees C - the engineers admitted it could previously only do that if the ambient conditions were 'perfect' (i.e., 20 degrees C etc).
The AC peak charging speed has also doubled, from 11kW previously to 22kW now, which means on the latter connection it would take just 3.5 hours to get the battery from 10-100 per cent charge. However, the RZ would need around seven hours if you only have an 11kW AC supply at your disposal, and more than ten hours at the typical 7.4kW domestic wallbox hook-up to do the same job.
Running Costs of the 2025 Lexus RZ 500e
• RZ's zero-emission nature brings cost benefits
• Average energy consumption figures
• Warranty is industry-base three years, 100,000km
As we've already touched upon, even if the RZ 500e cannot do the official 500km maximum on a single charge, you should be able to get much more like 400km out of it in real-world conditions before having to charge it again.
And as an EV, the 381hp 500e will cost a lot less than any equivalent-power SUV of a similar level of luxury which has a combustion engine fitted.
It's therefore a minor shame that Lexus Ireland only offers the bare-minimum, industry-standard warranty of three years or 100,000km, although its products are usually Swiss-watch dependable so maybe that's not such a deal-breaking thing after all.
Irish Pricing & Rivals of the 2025 Lexus RZ 500e
• Prices not confirmed as yet
• Two grades, Executive and One Motion
• Competes with premium electric SUVs
We don't have Irish prices for the revised Lexus RZ range yet, but the pre-facelift 300e is still showing on the company's website with a starting price of €65,150.
Given all the additional equipment and tech fitted, plus the power hikes, we'd expect the updated car's price to rise from there once they are confirmed, while a fancier AWD model like this 500e will be even dearer again.
Lexus Ireland says it will offer just two grades, the current Executive specification on the front-driven 350e and then the One Motion trim for this 500e, complete with yoke and steer-by-wire. As usual with Lexus, the standard specification on even an Executive should be markedly generous.
Although the RZ is related to both the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra underneath, the Lexus badge on its nose means it is aimed at a different class of competitor to its two relations. Lexus considers the RZ's natural rivals to be the likes of the Polestar 2, Audi Q4 e-tron and BMW iX2, but you could obviously expand that to include the Tesla Model Y, another Polestar (the 4) and also more car-like alternatives such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, BMW i4 and recently launched DS No.8.
Verdict - Should You Buy the 2025 Lexus RZ 500e?
Well, the Lexus RZ as a whole is making a stronger case for itself than it was prior to these technical updates. We wish Lexus Ireland wasn't insistent that the excellent dual-motor 500e came with the steer-by-wire system as standard, as we'd rather the yoke was an option instead of standard-fit, but with more range, better performance and some sophisticated driving manners, this is an edifying and likeable big electric SUV.
FAQs About the Lexus RZ 500e
Will there be a hybrid version of the Lexus RZ 500e?
No, the RZ is on a purely electric platform, so no hybrid models of the car are planned.
Why don't we get an F Sport version of the Lexus RZ 500e?
The F Sport trim is solely reserved for the even-more-powerful 550e model and that RZ is not coming to Ireland, so unfortunately there won't be any F Sport RZs.
Want to know more about the Lexus RZ 500e?
Is there anything else you'd like to know about the Lexus RZ 500e? Or anything you feel we haven't covered here? Then just head over to our Ask Us Anything section and, well, ask us anything.
