Lexus Shows Off the RZ Crossover Before Its Reveal

• Lexus teases the RZ ahead of its full reveal.

• The Lexus RZ follows the Lexus LF-Z Concept, but will likely become the first Lexus electric crossover to hit the US.

• The Lexus RZ likely shares a platform with the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra but will probably see performance upgrades.

The Lexus LF-Z Concept showed that Lexus isn’t afraid of flexing its styling muscles as the company transitions into electrification. That said, the more aggressive crossover coupe concept might not be everyone’s style. The Lexus RZ, on the other hand, is what most crossover fans are expecting to see at Lexus dealerships when their time to buy an EV comes.

While we still don’t know much about the upcoming Lexus—even what it looks like—we can glean a lot from the teasers. Assuming that this teaser will shortly turn into a production vehicle, it will likely share its platform with Toyota’s ungainly named bZ4X. We’re also expecting the RZ lineup to follow more closely with the rest of the Lexus naming convention and have a traditional alphanumeric badge when it hits the market.

Even if it shares a platform with the Toyota and Subaru crossover, you can likely expect some upgrades headed to the Lexus. Standard all-wheel drive would probably be a nice place to start, but a battery and motor upgrades likely aren’t off the table. As for the interior, we’re going to assume that Lexus will follow the path laid by its UX300e and feature a relatively normal cabin. Of course, we’ll ultimately have to wait until we see more than just a teaser.

We’re expecting to see the full RZ reveal sometime next year, and wouldn’t be surprised for Lexus to announce its availability shortly thereafter. There’s no word on price, but it should fall in with the rest of the Lexus crossover lineup. For context, the Lexus RX, which seems like the likely analogue for the similarly named RZ, starts at $46,895, so $50,000 probably isn’t out of the question.

Do you think the Lexus RZ will help push more interest into EVs? Or will crossover fans still crave gasoline? Tell us your thoughts below.