Launch drive: The Lexus RZ

Lexus SA has unveiled the all-new RZ – the brand’s first globally available, purpose-built battery electric vehicle (BEV) and a defining milestone in its evolution toward a fully electrified future. New models are an epitome of power, style and quite smoothness. I got to experience the Lexus RZ in Cape town recently and I have to say it has really made a huge impression on me.

The stylish looks of the SUV turned heads everywhere I drove it to. But that’s not all. The interior is just so plush, with everything centred around the driver.

But the one aspect that really had me impressed is the immediate “surge” of power you get when you step gently on the accelerator pedal. The coastal scenic route that I drove the RZ on got that much better being in the Lexus RZ. Electrification is no longer positioned as an alternative powertrain; it now forms the very foundation of the Lexus driving experience, shaping everything from platform architecture to driver engagement.

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The RZ marks the next decisive step — a dedicated BEV engineered from inception to deliver seamless performance, innovation and the signature serenity that defines Lexus worldwide. Dedicated electric buildUnlike adapted internal combustion platforms, the RZ has been conceived from the ground up around a dedicated electric architecture. Electrification, therefore, influences every aspect of the vehicle — from proportions and packaging to structural rigidity, weight distribution and dynamic balance. With the flexibility offered by its dedicated electric architecture, designers were able to craft seamless, aerodynamic proportions that express the immediacy and purity inherent to electric driving.

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