2026 Lexus RZ 550e F SPORT: The EV That Fakes Gear Shifts, and Gets Away With It
I have long held that electric vehicles make great luxury vehicles. So when Lexus builds an EV, you know it is going to be good. The 2026 Lexus RZ 550e F SPORT AWD goes a step further, with a feature inside that makes driving it far more engaging than most soulless EVs.
A huge thank you to Lexus for loaning us this RZ 550e F SPORT. Yes, I know the name is a mouthful. I first drove one on a speed date of sorts at the Texas Auto Writers Association’s Auto Roundup earlier this year, where I was thoroughly impressed. Getting to spend a full week with it on our home turf in East Texas has been a blast.
402 Horsepower From Dual Electric Motors
Pop the hood and you won’t find a front trunk or an internal combustion engine. Instead, dual electric motors send power to all four wheels through Lexus’ DIRECT4 all-wheel drive (AWD) system, with a total system output of 402 horsepower. Lexus doesn’t really advertise torque, but trust me, this thing is quick, and all of that power arrives instantly. A 76.96-kWh lithium-ion battery feeds the motors.
Chasing 60 MPH in the RZ 550e
For my first 0 to 60 run, I put it in Sport mode with M Mode engaged and brake torqued it. The wheels slipped, and the RZ hit 60 MPH in 4.57 seconds. With M Mode on, you get engine sounds that tell you when to shift, so it was definitely more engaging than a typical EV launch.
Next, I turned M Mode off and went straight from the brake to the accelerator. That was quicker. My goodness, 4.13 seconds. Lastly, I tried M Mode one more time without brake torquing it, and the runs came in at 5.00 and 4.54 seconds. So the RZ can do fairly consistent sub-4.5-second runs, and without M Mode, all you have to do is push the pedal and hold on.
The Anti-Spindle Grille
The Lexus spindle grille has long been ridiculed for being too big and too brash. Since there is no internal combustion engine to cool here, the RZ gets what I call an anti-spindle grille, because it is all closed off and solid. A lower grille still helps cool the battery and the AC compressor, but it is a very tame look. You also get an illuminated Lexus badge, the Lexus check mark running lights, and LED headlights up front.
This platform is now shared across the Toyota Motor Group and its partnership with Subaru, including the Subaru Uncharted, Solterra, and Trailseeker and the Toyota C-HR, bZ, and bZ Woodland. Of all of them, I think the RZ is the best looking. It is very clean and very handsome, with what I would dare call a timeless, futuristic design.
Wheels That Hide the Best Part
One thing I don’t love is the 20-inch wheels. They are part wheel, part wheel cover, with matte black plastic aerodynamic inserts that don’t look all that premium or luxurious. I understand they help with efficiency, but you can’t even see the cool blue brake calipers that come with the F SPORT package. The Dunlop Sport Maxx tires (235/50R20) are rather grippy for what this vehicle is, though they did squeal a little under hard acceleration.
Around the wheels, black wheel arches and black lower rockers give a visual lift, since this is technically an SUV. A floating roof design, a sharp line back to the very wide rear haunches, and the 550e’s spoiler give it a racy look. My one complaint here is the power-folding mirrors. They are very easy to bump in and have no weight to them, so they feel a little cheap. I guess I would rather them fold than get scratched up.
NACS Charging Comes to Lexus
The RZ is the first Lexus product to use the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, the same plug Tesla uses. That means you can charge at far more locations than older RZ models with the CCS plug. Lexus also includes CCS1 and J1772 adapters in a branded zipper case, Velcroed to the side of the cargo area, so you are covered no matter what plug you find.
The EPA estimates 229 miles of range, and the RZ is rated at 95 MPGe combined. DC fast charging takes it from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes, and the 11-kW onboard charger fills it up in about eight hours on 240 volts. At home, we charged it with our partners at Lectron and their Lectron Nexus charger with the NACS plug, which has plenty of cable to reach the driveway. When it comes to charging EVs at home, there is no brand we trust more.
Disclosure: Lectron is a GT: Garage Talk partner, and the Lectron link above is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase through it, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support our reviews, and we only recommend products we use and trust.
Cargo Space and Hidden Storage
Out back, a padded, flexible butterfly-style cargo cover keeps prying eyes away from your stuff. I am not quite sold on it. It is one step below a hard cover, and it reminds me of an old Nissan my brother had, just a little more luxurious. Remove it and you get a good amount of cargo space, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, and top tethers all the way across for child safety seats.
Because there is no fuel tank or muffler, there is extra storage under the cargo floor. You can’t drop the floor down for more vertical space, but my backpack would fit down there nicely. The liftgate has a kick-to-open feature, which you don’t actually have to kick (my shin found the plastic bumper the hard way), plus buttons to close or close and lock. It moves quickly, so get out of the way.
A Clean Rear Design
If the front of the RZ isn’t quite your taste, maybe the back will be. The spoiler, the Lexus wordmark, the very wide hips accentuated by how far out the LED taillights sit, and a running light across the back give it a very clean look. The 550e badging lets everyone know you got the top trim.
Remote Start and Electronic Door Handles
One demerit I give every Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru on this platform is remote start. There is no dedicated button on the key fob. If you are any distance away, you have to use the app. From the fob, you push the lock button once, twice, and then push and hold it the third time, and then you wait. On a hot day leaving the zoo with Tucker, I want this thing cold before I get to it. Competitors like Cadillac give you a dedicated remote start button on the key fob, including on the Escalade IQ.
The rest of the entry process is very nice, though. It is a proximity key, so you just grab the door handle and climb in. The handles don’t move. An electric latch button on the backside pops the door open, so you don’t hear a clunk every time the doors lock. If the battery is dead, you can pull the interior handle twice to get out.
A Cabin That Cuddles You
Open the door and you get a lot of synthetic suede, with a design etched into the door panels. The seats use Lexus’ new synthetic leather with suede accents and blue F SPORT contrast stitching. They are well bolstered on the bottom and sides and hug you quite nicely without squeezing you like the racing seats in the Volkswagen Golf R I tested recently. They are heated and ventilated, with two-way lumbar and driver’s memory.
The power tilt-telescoping steering wheel is wrapped in the same super soft synthetic leather, with a little padding underneath. It is a very satisfying wheel to grab hold of.
Four Screens and a Busy Steering Wheel
Push the start button and four screens stare back at you: a digital rearview mirror, a head-up display with all the pertinent information, a 14-inch touchscreen, and the digital gauge cluster. That cluster is the best on this platform, but it is so dimly lit, even at full brightness, and it is only about seven inches wide, with a lot of wasted black space around it. Even Subaru has a better digital gauge cluster than this. To be fair, the other vehicles on this platform have an even more outdated screen mounted up near the windshield.
I also have a gripe with the steering wheel buttons. The touch-sensitive D-pads on both sides show a readout in the gauge cluster and head-up display as you rest your finger on them, and they control a lot of different functions. It is overly complicated. I have been in plenty of other Lexus products without this setup, and I prefer them.
Climate Concierge and a Smart Center Console
The 14-inch touchscreen is shared across this platform, but the RZ gets dual-zone climate control. My favorite feature is the automatic climate concierge. Set your temperature, and it handles the fan speed, heated and ventilated front seats, and the heated steering wheel based on the outside temperature. It was 92 degrees outside, I set it to 70, and it took care of the rest. My only nitpick is the free-spinning volume knob, which I wish had some clicks to it.
The 360-degree camera system has an invisible car view that remembers what was underneath you and fills in the space as you drive. You also get two USB-C charging ports, a USB-C data port, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a wireless charger that takes up a lot of valuable storage space. The center armrest opens from both sides, which I like. There is no glove box, since packaging required a pass-through storage area underneath instead.
The Coolest Roof in the Business
This might be one of the most unique roofs in the entire business. The Dynamic Sky panorama glass roof uses electrochromic technology, so with a push of a button it frosts over, and with another I can see the clouds above me. It is quick and snappy, and I don’t feel any heat coming through it. A lot of glass roofs radiate heat here in Texas. Looking at you, Cadillac Escalade IQ. Absolutely miserable. Not a problem here.
A Roomy Back Seat
You can unlock the rear doors right from the back, which is very nice when you are trying to get a kid in on a warm day. The rear seats keep the blue contrast stitching, but lose the suede accents. Legroom is ample, a benefit of pushing the wheels out to the corners on an EV. You also get rear air vents, three-stage heated outboard seats, USB-C ports, a household-style power outlet, adjustable headrests all the way across, and a fold-down armrest with two cupholders. The seats even recline about as much as an airline seat.
M Mode Makes This EV Fun
Driving the RZ, the vibes are just so pleasant. I have been listening to classical music all week. It is quiet, serene, and so comfortable on the road that you just want to get out and cruise. Even on the highly textured pavement around the lake, there isn’t much road noise. But if you want to, you can mash the accelerator and it throws you back. The F SPORT’s improved brakes mean you can take roads with that little twisty road sign, too.
What really makes it a blast is M Mode. It pumps a sound through the audio system so you know when to shift, gives you an RPM-style readout in the gauge cluster, and uses paddle shifters to run through eight virtual gears. Downshift and it even blips like you are revving up, though it won’t let you go too low. Hit the redline without upshifting and it runs out of steam, almost like hitting the brakes. It is about as close as you can get to paddle shifters without a true traditional stepped transmission. Lexus didn’t have to do this, but I appreciate that its engineers did. And if you don’t want it, turn it off and you have a calm EV with 402 horsepower on tap.
2026 Lexus RZ 550e F SPORT AWD Specs and Pricing
Powertrain
- Dual Electric Motors With 402 Total System Horsepower
- 76.96-kWh Lithium-Ion Traction Battery
- DIRECT4 All-Wheel Drive
Performance
- 0 to 60 MPH: 4.13 Seconds (GT: Garage Talk Tested)
Drivetrain
- DIRECT4 All-Wheel Drive With Refined Front-to-Rear Torque Distribution
- M Mode Interactive Manual Drive (Virtual Eight-Speed Shifting With Paddle Shifters)
Suspension, Steering, and Brakes
- F SPORT-Tuned Chassis
- Blue Brake Calipers
Wheels and Tires
- 20-Inch Alloy Wheels With Aero Covers
- Wheel Locks
Exterior
- F SPORT Exterior Styling
- Illuminated Front Badge
- Bi-LED Headlamps and LED Taillamps
- Dynamic Sky Panorama Glass Roof
- Thematic Illumination With Animated Door Trim Shadow Illumination
- Cold Area Package (Headlamp Washers and Windshield Wiper De-Icer)
Interior and Seating
- Seating for Five
- F SPORT Interior Styling With Ultrasuede Trim
- F SPORT Ultrasuede-Trimmed Heated and Ventilated Power Front Seats With Driver’s Memory
- F SPORT Synthetic Leather-Trimmed Heated Steering Wheel With Memory
- Digital Latch With Safe Exit Assist
- Carpet Cargo Mat
Technology and Infotainment
- Lexus Interface With 14-Inch Touchscreen Display
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Wireless Android Auto
- Connected Services Capable (4G Network Dependent)
- SiriusXM With Three-Month Trial Subscription
- Wireless Phone Charger
- SmartAccess Card Key
- Mark Levinson Premium Audio System (Luxury Package)
- Digital Key With Three-Year Remote Connect Trial (Luxury Package)
- Digital Rearview Mirror (Luxury Package)
Driver Assistance and Safety
- Lexus Safety System+ 3.0
- Blind Spot Monitor With Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Traffic Jam Assist With Three-Year Drive Connect Trial (Luxury Package)
- Advanced Park With Remote Park (Luxury Package)
Range and Charging
- EPA Estimated Range: 229 Miles
- 95 MPGe Combined (102 City/88 Highway)
- 2.9 Miles per kWh
- 35 kWh per 100 Miles
- DC Fast Charging: 10% to 80% in About 30 Minutes
- 11-kW Onboard AC Charger
- EPA Estimated Eight Hours of Charge Time on 240V
- NACS Charging Port (SAE J3400) With CCS1 and J1772 Adapters
- Plug and Charge Capable
- Dual-Voltage Charging Cable (120V and 240V Outlets)
Pricing and Colors
- Wind Exterior
- F SPORT Interior With Ultrasuede Trim
- Base MSRP: $57,000
- Blue Brake Calipers: $500
- Cold Area Package (Headlamp Washers, Windshield Wiper De-Icer): $200
- Luxury Package: $2,600 (Digital Key, Traffic Jam Assist, Advanced Park With Remote Park, Digital Rearview Mirror, Mark Levinson Premium Audio System)
- Carpet Cargo Mat: $140
- Wheel Locks: $99
- MSRP: $60,539
- Delivery, Processing, and Handling Fee: $1,295
- Total MSRP as Tested: $61,834
Final Thoughts on the 2026 Lexus RZ 550e F SPORT
Is the RZ as fun on twisty roads as the Golf R? No, but it is quicker off the line. The best I ever got in the Golf R was just over 4.5 seconds to 60, and the RZ is flirting with the low fours. You can tell it is quite a bit heavier, but it is blisteringly quick. It is plenty fast when you need it to be and plenty calm when you want it to be.
There are a few gripes, like the plastic-clad wheels, the dim gauge cluster, the busy steering wheel buttons, and the lack of a dedicated remote start button. Still, at $61,834 as tested, the RZ 550e F SPORT is easy to like. It doesn’t look gangly like a lot of futuristic EVs did half a decade ago, and its cabin is a wonderful place to spend time. I am so glad Lexus brought it back to me after our speed date earlier this year, and it is fun to see how far the RZ has come since we tested the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e. Holli’s family review is coming later this week, including how Tucker’s child safety seat fits in the back. You can build your own on Lexus.com.
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