Lexus has registered the RZ 450e in the USA, Europe and Australia over the past two weeks, suggesting both a new model and a new powertrain could be on the way.
Of course, there is the matter of figuring out what exactly the RZ 450e nameplate could be — considering the current market, it’s a safe assumption this new model will be a crossover of some description. The engine is an even safer bet, as Lexus has adopted the letter e as their battery electric designation.
Key to this puzzle is the Z, as it essentially guarantees a new model. The R is also interesting, because the two other Lexus vehicles to share the letter are a crossover and a coupe, a combination that’s more and more common among luxury manufacturers.
Toyota announced that it would release six battery electric vehicles by 2025, with the first to debut in 2020. The UX 300e kicked things off, launching in China earlier this year, and it’s clear another Lexus EV is on the horizon.
(With nothing but letters to go on, it’s hard to make a guess at what the RZ 450e. A possibility is a crossover coupe, perhaps something like this recent Toyota concept:
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