New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Release Date, Interior, MPG

New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Release Date, Interior, MPG  – The New 2026 Lexus RZ450e, the brand’s newest offering, fills a major stock shortfall. The only Lexus SUVs with three rows that were previously available were the now-canceled RX L (which had a useless additional set of seats) and a big, ineffective body-on-frame SUV that was mostly used for hauling and off-roading. Drivers looking for a three-row Goldilocks-style family transporter now have an amazing option thanks to the 2026 Lexus RZ450e.   New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Release Date

The Lexus RZ450e closely resembles the Toyota Grand Highlander with which it shares a platform. Parked side by side, I think the Grand Highlander looks better because the RZ450e’s grille with body-coloured horizontal slats looks pretty awkward. This is a reference that almost no one will get and exposes me as a major nerd, but the RZ450e’s front end makes it look like a Cylon robot’s helmet from the 1970s Battlestar Galactica series. It’s not as divisive from the rear and sides, and the floating roof effect helps make it look more luxurious.

New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Redesign and Update Plan

Exterior and Interior

Both front- and second-row occupants are treated to heated and ventilated seats, and there’s lots of room to get comfortable and move around. The third row is fine for kids, but anyone older than a teenager might find it a bit tight, which is quite normal for this segment. It still feels a bit roomier than the third rows in some competitor vehicles, including the Acura MDX.  New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Release Date

The infotainment touchscreen also lacks a home button and useful shortcuts to commonly used features, making it more distracting to use while driving. Drive modes, for example, must be accessed through the touchscreen and it takes three taps to pick one.

Having an analogue button or dial would make much more sense. It doesn’t help that the menus can be unintuitive to navigate to find what you’re looking for. And because Google Maps information isn’t displayed in the instrument cluster or head-up display, it requires a lot of flipping between screens, which is very distracting. These types of interactions happen multiple times a day and need to be simplified for safety.

New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Specs

In-vehicle audio systems all sound kind of the same to me, but the upgraded unit in the RZ450e stands out because it’s notably good. At low volumes, my podcasts come through crystal clear, and even in songs I’ve heard dozens of times before, I noticed layers or sounds that were new to me.

The RZ450e has a generous list of standard features, but there are many optional upgrades that I expect to see as standard at this price. Some standard highlights include wireless phone charging, a camera-based digital rear-view mirror display with Homelink, a power rear hatch with kick sensor, customizable ambient lighting with 64 colours, and more.    New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Release Date

Engine and Performance

A 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine and front and rear electric motors provide 366 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque to the RZ450e 500h under test. Even in eco mode, there’s more than enough power on tap to pass slower traffic with confidence or get up to speed without drama. Power is transferred via a seamless and user-friendly six-speed automatic gearbox, and all-wheel drive is standard. I adore the hybrid parts that provide a quick power increase and aid in fuel efficiency, or at least they ought to.

New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Fuel Economy

At first blush, my as-tested average of 10.0 L/100 km after 325 km of mixed driving seems very reasonable for a vehicle of this size, but it’s actually quite far from its official combined rating of 8.6 L/100 km. I drove the RZ450e mostly in eco mode, but my local area was under a deep freeze during this test, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Still, I was driving very gently for the most part and trying to get the best fuel economy I could, and the RZ450e should have performed better.    New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Release Date

New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Safety Features

The RZ450e comes standard with every safety feature Lexus has to offer (with a few others included in upgrade packages), including everything from safe exit assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, rear seat reminder, left turn junction assistance and loads more. It’s a comprehensive suite that mostly works as expected with minimal false alarms, though sometimes the system still freaks out when there’s no actual risk of danger.   New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Release Date

New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Price and Release Date

The New 2026 Lexus RZ450e 500h starts at $84,200 before the $2,205 destination fee. The model tested here added on a $6,000 F Sport Performance 3 package that includes a lot of features I’d like to see as standard for this price such as adaptive high beams, front cross-traffic alert, a panoramic camera view, and more, for an as-tested price of $92,505.

The New 2026 Lexus RZ450e is a well-rounded three-row luxury SUV. While it doesn’t excel in any one specific area, as an entire package, it’s executed well and ends up being better than the sum of its parts. The flaws it exhibits probably aren’t dealbreakers, and its great strengths more than make up for them. For a busy family looking for a practical and upscale SUV that can easily tackle trips to the cottage or a quiet date night and everything else in between, the Lexus RZ450e delivers.  New 2026 Lexus RZ450e Release Date