2026 Lexus RZ 550e review: Likable, but it needs improvement

Ars Technica · Feb 25, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Sometimes you drive a car you just don’t gel with. The original Lexus RZ was such a case. It was Lexus’ first battery EV, and I was less than impressed when I drove it in 2023. In fact, I compared it negatively to the extremely not-good Vinfast VF8. Lexus knew there was room for improvement, too, so it reworked the RZ with new motors, a new battery, and NACS charging for North America, among other tweaks, for model year 2026. A front-wheel drive RZ 350e is now the range’s entry point at $47,295, and there’s also a $58,295 all-wheel drive RZ 550e F Sport that tops the range. We spent a week with the latter. Mindful of how little I liked the first RZ I drove, I made sure to approach the 550e F Sport with an open mind. And despite a number of the car’s shortcomings, I find I have warm feelings for the electric Lexus. New battery, new motors There are new batteries for all MY2026 RZs, but the 550e benefits from a slightly larger capacity, at 77 kWh. Each axle features a permanent magnet synchronous motor, now with silicon carbide electronics, that delivers a combined 402 hp (300 kW). There’s also some new body stiffening, plus added sound dampening. As an F Sport Lexus, the 550e also gains some styling additions compared to its lesser siblings. There are new bumpers and a new front grille, plus 20-inch wheels wearing aero covers that hide blue-painted brake calipers. It’s a relatively compact EV, at 189 inches (4,800 mm) long, 74.6 inches (1,895 mm) wide, and 64.4 inches (1,636 mm) tall. Jonathan Gitlin On those 20-inch wheels, the range is just 229 miles (369 km), and that’s only in optimum ambient conditions. In chilly but not sub-freezing February weather, the RZ 550e averaged 2.5 miles/kWh, and with the battery at 50 percent state of charge, the car reported only 88 miles (142 km) of range. AC charging now peaks at 11 kW rather than just 7 kW, and with its NACS port, the RZ can DC fast-charge from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 30 minutes, Lexus says.