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Lexus appears to be cooking up a hardcore RZ F to take down the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Kia EV6 GT.
It looks increasingly likely there will be a high-performance 2024 Lexus RZ F electric car, and the performance flagship might even come to Australia.
Trademark filings in Europe have surfaced for ‘Lexus RZ F’ and ‘RZ F’, and an application for the latter has also surfaced on the local database, having been filed just last week.
Though the status is still “awaiting examination” and Lexus could just be covering its bases in regards to protecting the RZ F name, it appears the luxury brand has an appetite for a high-performance variant of its electric SUV.
As seen with this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, a styled-up RZ 450e F Sport Performance was unveiled, providing a glimpse of what a full-fat RZ F could look like if it were to come to fruition.
Based on the RZ 450e, the F Sport version changes things up with unique, aerodynamically optimised bodywork including a front splitter, eye-catching side skirts and a double spoiler rear end.
Lexus has added a vented carbon-fibre bonnet, while the RZ F Sport Performance rides on 21-inch wheels with tweaked suspension that promises a sportier drive.
In terms of powertrain, the RZ 450e F Sport Performance retains the same set-up as its donor car, meaning dual-electric motors (150kW front, 80kW rear) for all-wheel-drive and a 230kW output.
With a 71.4kWh battery, the RZ 450e provides a 470km driving range on Australian testing, though whether the changes to the F Sport Performance version change that figure is unknown.
The Lexus RZ 450e F Sport Performance is currently limited to 100 vehicles in Japan.
Expect then, that a hardcore F version of the RZ would up the ante significantly to better battle the 478kW Hyundai Ioniq 5 N (in boost mode) and 430kW Kia EV6 GT.
If the RZ F does come to Australia, don’t expect it to be affordable though, as the current RZ range starts at $121,675 before on-road costs for the 450e Luxury, and tops out at $133,675 for the 450e Sports Luxury.
As a reminder, Lexus Australia does not currently field a full-on F model to compete against the likes of Mercedes’ AMG, BMW’s M and Audi Sport since the discontinuation of the RC F and GS F in 2021 and 2020 respectively.
The post 2024 Lexus RZ F electric performance SUV one step closer to reality appeared first on Drive.
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