On Wednesday, Toyota-owned luxury brand Lexus officially launched its first-ever dedicated electric vehicle model in Korea.
Lexus expects the new RZ 450e to aid the brand in fulfilling the expanding local demand for EVs and reaching its goal of becoming an all-electric brand by 2035.
About the RZ 450e
Lexus RZ 450e is a large all-electric SUV carrying a 71.4-kWh li-ion battery. It rides on Toyota’s EV-dedicated e-TNGA platform.
The RZ 450e boasts a driving range of up to 377 kilometers(234 miles) between charges. Moreover, it generates 312 horsepower and 44.4 kg-meter of torque.
The EV replaced the iconic Lexus grille with a “Spindle Body,” highlighting its aerodynamic efficiencies, optimized proportions, and design.
As for the pricing, the RZ 450e’s sticker price starts at 84.8 million won ($65,640).
Below are the RZ 450e’s key specifications:
| Dimensions | Lexus RZ 450e |
| Full Length X Full Width X Full Height | 4,805mm × 1,895mm × 1,635mm |
| wheel base | 2,850 mm |
| unladen weight | 2,090kg |
| Powertrain | Lexus RZ 450e |
| form | battery |
| fuel type | electricity |
| battery capacity | 71.40 kWh |
| Maximum mileage per charge | (room temperature complex) 377km |
| peak power | Total system output: 312ps (front wheel motor: 150kW + rear wheel motor: 80kW) |
| maximum torque | 44.4kg.m |
| Government-approved standard warfare | Combined: 5.4km/ℓ City: 5.8km/ℓ Highway: 4.9km/ℓ |
| Chassis | Lexus RZ 450e |
| Suspension (front/rear) | Macpherson strut/double wishbone |
| Brake system (front/rear) | Ventilated Disc |
| driving method | DIRECT 4 (AWD) |
| tire efficiency rating | Lexus RZ 450e |
| before/after tire | Before: 235/60R18 , After: 255/55R18 |
| tire manufacturer | BRIDGESTONE |
| Coefficient of rolling resistance | 2 |
| Wet braking force index | 3 |
Lexus solidifies its presence in the Korean market
Lexus International President Watanabe Takashi noted in a press conference that Korea is a crucial market for the company, and the country is now catching up in the EV industry.
“Electrification is gaining speed in South Korea amid a growing demand for environment-friendly vehicles. Korea is an important market for Lexus to understand the latest trends in the automobile markets.”
Lexus International President Watanabe Takashi (via Yonhap News Agency)
Notably, the brand also released the fifth-gen RX SUV’s plug-in hybrid variant, RX450h+, in Korea. Apart from that, it launched the RX 350h gasoline hybrid and the RX 500h F SPORT turbocharged gasoline hybrid performance for Korean customers.
Targets
President Watanabe anticipates that its BEV portfolio in the Korean market will continue to expand in the next few years.
Toyota and Lexus aim to launch 30 BEV models globally by 2030, aiming to hit 3.5 million BEV sales by the same year.
According to the report, Toyota aims to bring its all-electric bZ4X SUV to Korea by the first half of 2024.
Lexus alone, the 2030 sales target drops to 1 million. The luxury brand also aims to electrify all its vehicles by 2035.
For reference, the report noted that gasoline hybrid models accounted for 98% and 93% of Lexus and Toyota’s global sales as of June 2023, respectively.
Despite that, the parent company still plans to maintain its ICE vehicles in its portfolio. Toyota intends to fulfill the demand for traditional models in markets lagging behind in charging infrastructure development, including Southeast Asia.
See Also:
- Lexus introduces the RZ 450e, the company’s first electric vehicle
- Toyota to introduce a “Next-Generation” EV under the Lexus brand
- The first electric Lexus RZ 450e SUV costs more than a Tesla Model Y
- Toyota plans to develop EV-only platform, CEO replaced by Lexus chief
- Lexus is developing electric cars with manual transmissions
It is worth noting that Toyota and Lexus, along with other Japanese automakers, have struggled in the Korean market since 2019 due to the Japan-Korea export conflict at that time.
Fortunately, Lexus sales in Korea improved from January to May as the conflict eased, more than doublings its sales to 5,295 units from just 2,410 year-on-year.
Meanwhile, Toyota’s Korean sales surged 35% to 3,012 units from just 2,237 in the same period last year.
