Text/Qin Ming
Just a few days ago, Lexus RZ officially debuted, as the first electric model under the Lexus brand, not only using Toyota's e-TNGA modular platform, but also using the early Lexus LF-Z Electrified concept car design, as the first pure electric model under the Lexus brand, will be the first lexus electric series in the future, let's take a look at the first step of Lexus as it began.
RZ retains the family style of the Lexus brand to a certain extent, but at the same time has also made innovations in new energy products. LEXUS's signature spindle grille adopts a closed treatment, the headlights on both sides are sharply shaped, and connected by the black intake below, the iconic folding angle is easy to recognize that this is a Lexus, the corners and other details have been three-dimensionalized, and with the sporty front surround design, the front of the car is very visually impactful.
The body lines are also very sharp, and the dive design combined with the low body and suspended roof creates a strong sense of sport. The rearward-extending lines on the side of the body convey a sense of strength that is ready to be launched, and the double waist line and prominent wheel arches allow the new car to have different light and shadow effects at different angles. It is also equipped with a small tail wing and button-type opening door handles, and the door shape also shows a distinct sculptural aesthetic, presenting a stunning and glittering shape. The slipback shape and integrated rear pressure show the style of the coupe SUV, and there are also guide wings on the left and right sides of the roof, and the sports details are full.
The rear of the car adopts a simple and neat horizontal design, and the through-type headlights are delicate and slender, which also stretches the horizontal look and feel, giving the RZ a more spacious and atmospheric posture. Above the slim through taillight cluster is the newly designed LEXUS lexus letter tail marker, and the overall style is very sporty.
The design concept of RZ interior is more inclined to be concise, the layout of the center console is clear at a glance, the hugging cockpit design is more similar to NX, equipped with a full LCD instrument, the central console is equipped with a 14-inch central control screen and a full LCD instrument, which facilitates the driver's operation of the central control screen, the car machine system also supports mobile phone mapping / interconnection and OTA functions, and the comfortable and spacious cockpit uses a variety of environmentally friendly and textured materials to interpret a simple and elegant luxury space.
The most noteworthy is the steering wheel of the Lexus RZ, which is equipped with a very special-shaped steering wheel with a unique steering wheel shape, and it is said that the rider and the horse know each other through the reins and build trust is the inspiration for the rein concept cockpit. Precisely synchronized tracking of steering wheel button commands with the HUD head-up display allows the driver to maintain a stable line of sight control navigation, audio and multiple driving modes without the need for cumbersome operations.
The steering wheel features a new Steel by Wire variable ratio electronic steering-by-wire system, with the steering column eliminated between the steering wheel and the steering machine, replaced by an electrical signal, and the steering ratio can be adjusted widely. Therefore, the full direction only needs to be rotated 150 °, and the minimum turning radius is 5.7m, which makes the operation easier when stopping and turning around, and also improves the usability of the special-shaped steering wheel.
The RZ is produced using the same Toyota e-TNGA pure electric architecture as the bZ4X, and follows the new Direct4 electronic all-wheel drive system of the LF-Z Electrified concept car, with an electric motor on the front and rear axles, and the system can deploy the front and rear axle output at any time, switching between front, rear and four wheel drive. The front motor has a maximum power of 150 kW and the rear motor has a maximum power of 80 kW, giving the RZ 450e a maximum power of 230 kW.
The RZ 450e has a battery capacity of 71.4kWh and the WLTC range is 450kW, although Lexus has not announced the charging specifications of the RZ 450e, but it has the same chassis and battery capacity as the Toyota bZ4X, so it should also be DC 150kW fast charging premise, can complete 80% of the charging capacity in 30 minutes.
The new RZ is also equipped with a unique AVS simulation sound wave system, so that you can feel the exhaust roar of the fuel vehicle on the pure tram, which meets the user's nostalgia for the roar of the traditional model and brings a new driving experience that integrates electric and fuel.
Compared with the longer endurance and more intelligent configuration of the current pure electric model chase, Lexus has chosen not to participate in the inner roll of the electric vehicle in terms of intelligence, but to truly pursue the essence of driving - control, it can be seen that Lexus as a luxury brand still maintains a unique brand tone in the field of pure electricity.