Lexus can’t sit by while Toyota-badged versions that are very similar to its own vehicles improve. Which is why the 2026 Lexus RZ will get more power for both the base and a new top-spec model, as well as more range. It will also add the new NACS charge port, giving it access to the extensive Tesla Supercharger network. However – and this being good or bad will vary greatly depending on who you ask – it will not come with the steer-by-wire system and yoke controller that Lexus will offer in Europe.
2026 Lexus RZ Goes Further
For 2026, the entry-level for the Lexus RZ lineup is the RZ350e. It will make 221 horsepower and has an estimated range of 300 miles. That’s a big increase from the 201 hp last year’s RZ300e offered, with range climbing from 266 miles for this front-drive model an even bigger perk.
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In the middle of the range, the RZ450e continues with the same 308 horsepower as last year. But, thanks to the same updates inside the battery pack as the 350e, it too will offer more range: an estimated 260 miles instead of the 220-mile rating from 2025.
F Sport Adds Power, Luxury
At the top of the range is a new performance model. The RZ550e F Sport is a dual-motor EV that makes a total of 402 horsepower. Lexus claims 0-60 in 4.1 seconds. The RZ550e has a larger battery pack than the other RZ variants, but the difference is small. 77 kWh to 75. Because it’s the most powerful, it delivers the shortest estimated range, with 225 miles.
Other F Sport features will include some of the styling tweaks you’ll find on other F Sport Lexus models and a quasi manual mode that will mimic gas engine and transmission shifting. An Ultrasuede interior with blue accents is also exclusive to F Sport, and there will be new animated door trim illumination.
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Whichever Lexus RZ you pick, you’ll get NACS charging with a port on the front passenger fender. The electric crossover should be able to get from 10 to 80 percent charge in 30 minutes in optimal conditions.
Now, back to the yoke. Lexus first showed off its futuristic steering idea in April 2022, not long after Tesla did the same. But the difference was that in the Lexus, it came with a steer-by-wire system that offered a variable ratio. So you wouldn’t be crossing your arms in a parking lot, and it wouldn’t be F1-car darty on the highway.
In 2023, Lexus delayed the system. Sakiko Aono, Lexus product marketing manager, told CarBuzz that the company wanted to make sure it was “perfect” before it hit the market. The One Motion Grip system arrives this fall in Europe and other markets, but Car And Driver reports it won’t be offered in the U.S. this year.
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There’s also no timeline for if or when it might arrive stateside, and Lexus has not yet revealed pricing for the 2026 RZ electric. Expect it on sale later this year, with pricing to be announced closer to its arrival at dealers.
