Members of the UK motoring press were recently invited to test-drive the extended, all-electric 2026 Lexus RZ line-up. What did the road testers think about our flagship e-SUV’s improved power, efficiency and dynamic performance? Scroll down to see excerpts of their 2026 Lexus RZ reviews articles. To read the full online reports, simply click on the hyperlinks in the emboldened titles.
2026 Lexus RZ reviews:
Autocar: 4/5
“Many mid-life updates take the form of minor design changes or some additional equipment, [but] the revised RZ actually brings a host of firsts. It’s the first electric Lexus with a performance F Sport trim level and the first car in the UK available with a steer-by-wire system, complete with a yoke for a steering wheel and simulated manual gearshifts. They do combine to make this car a more compelling package. Addressing the model’s… range has brought it more in line with premium rivals, [though] its practicality and interior quality are still the main reasons you would be drawn to it. The RZ heralds in some interesting new technology and is all the better for it on the road.”
Auto Express: 4/5
“Given the facelifted Lexus RZ retains the same sharp lines and pointy details of its predecessor, you’d be forgiven for thinking that little has changed. However, lots of changes have been brought in underneath, namely by increasing its power, extending its range and cutting its charging times. The principal talking points here are that the battery capacity has increased to 77kWh (previously 71.4kWh), while changes to its cell make-up and the adoption of a higher peak AC charging speed of 22kW has reduced the amount of time owners should have to wait with the vehicle plugged in.”
Autotrader: 4/5
“Lexus is synonymous with Japanese sophistication and refinement, so the introduction of the smooth all-electric RZ to its line-up felt like a completely natural progression with all the hallmarks of a true Lexus. The field of large electric SUVs has only increased since the RZ first arrived, however thanks to a round of updates it now has the substance to match its sleek looks. With a larger battery, increased power, better efficiency and the introduction of novel ‘steer-by-wire’ tech the RZ distinguishes itself with its unique mix of style, comfort and effortless driving experience.”
Business Car: 8/10
“The highlights of this facelift are the introduction of the Lexus steer-by-wire system, and the addition of the range-topping RZ 550e F Sport, which also debuts Lexus’s… simulated eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The RZ’s battery electric powertrain has been revised, with the focus on enhancing performance, practicality and driving pleasure. Key to this is the introduction of a new high-capacity lithium-ion battery and revised e-axles with improved motor output and inverter efficiency, and a significant reduction in internal losses. There is also a new 22kW onboard charger as standard, equalling a 10-80% charge in just 30 minutes.”
2026 Lexus RZ reviews:
CAR: 3/5
“A lot of the RZ’s improvements aren’t all that visible. The battery pack and electric motors have seen improvements in efficiency, with new battery cooling and a slightly denser pack, as well as ‘eAxle’ motors that have been designed to reduce energy losses as much as possible. Lexus has also included some new soundproofing. [It now feels] like a much more competitive car. It’s reasonably efficient, smooth to drive, has loads of room and feels impressively well built. Lexus’ engineers seem to have cracked steer-by-wire, too, with a fluid system that is easy to master after a few miles.”
EV Powered
“The RZ already felt like a great expression of what an electric Lexus should be and these updates enhance that. This upgraded model retains all the qualities of the early car, from its rock-solid quality and refinement to its space and easygoing driving nature. To that it adds better performance, better range and better charging. Buyers will most likely go for the more affordable and more efficient 350e, even if the extra poke of the two-motor versions is welcome.”
Stuff: 4/5
“While there’s no shortage of options when it comes to plush electric mid-size SUVs, Lexus is coming in strong with the updated RZ. As well as adding more range and improved handling, a mid-life facelift has injected a bit more performance. It also does steering a little differently, with a yoke-style wheel and steer-by-wire setup. If I was looking for thrills and had my heart set on a Lexus, I’d definitely head in the direction of the RZ 550e F Sport. For everyday use and more sensible driving, though, the lowlier RZ 350e feels perfectly adequate for average needs and gets the benefit of more range – up to 352 miles – which is decent. Brand devotees will love the mid-life improvements on offer here.”
Times Driving: 4/5
“Steering yokes have been a disaster in the past, but… Lexus has managed to engineer it rather well. I… was amazed at how effective it is in every scenario. In some ways, though, all of the steer-by-wire and yoke stuff is a distraction from the meat of the RZ. What you need to know is that the updated RZ is better in every regard to the version it replaces: it goes further, is quicker, plusher, quieter inside and has a better infotainment system. With the new RZ it appears that Lexus has… got an electric SUV that is a genuine contender in performance, dynamics, quality, range and charging capability.”
Learn more: What’s changed in the 2026 Lexus RZ?
what is your post code and can I have a test drive please
Good morning John,
Thank you for your query. The MY2026 Lexus RZ will be introduced in the first quarter of 2026, therefore it will only be available to test-drive around that time.
Kind regards,
Lexus UK
Hope Lexus service improves. I have a 2026 RZ350 on order but my recent experiences make me wish i had not.
I’m a retail customer and I would like to share my experiences of buying an RZ from Lexus from Lexus main dealers
I decided that I wish to wait for the new 2026 350 model which may not be available till March 2026.
Having sold my existing vehicle I realised I needed to buy something to bridge the six month gap. I visited Lexus Liverpool and put down a £500 deposit to order a new vehicle. Also I bought from them a UX 300 E for £21,000 for the interim period. A total of over £70,000 of orders. The UX was being advertised by your Derby branch. I Telephoned Derby to enquire about the vehicle and to see if I could have it delivered to your Liverpool branch which was nearer to me. I then arranged with Liverpool to purchase this vehicle from them. I purchased the UX from them and drove it towards my home as soon as I reached over 50 mph I realise there was a strong wind noise coming from the near side door area. I examine the car near side to see why this may be and was shocked to find that it had accident damage that had been very badly repaired. The passenger front door didn’t line up with the rest of the bodywork. There was masking tape on the paint work. There were the wrong bolts holding the door frames together which didn’t close up and had a gap under the heads more obviously the cables that went from the door into the body of the car near the hinge of the door were exposed and the cover plate plastic cover was hanging loose and had not been fitted Later I discovered that the car steering alignment was not correct. The first time I accelerated with any any speed the car pulled across into the outside lane luckily I was on a two lane dual carriageway so no problems. My wife was surprised and said what happened there? Had I’ve been driving on a single carriageway? I may well have ended up facing oncoming traffic. Next day I had a hospital appointment, I visited the hospital in the car and drove around the tarmac car park at every return there was a loud squealing from the front tires. I had been to the same car park several times in different cars previously and none of these did this. This further convinced me but the car had not been correctly repaired. When I attempted to road tax the vehicle it would not work online. I spoke to Derby who said it was a mobility vehicle and we would have to go to the post office. Derby told me that they have sold it to a gentleman and then purchased it back. I spoke to the mobility company and they told me that when they disposed of the car it had extensive damage to the front nearside wing and the front nearside door. I asked them who had repaired this and they said they did not know but confirmed it was not Lexus. I took the car back to Liverpool Lexus and the principal came out with me and inspected the car and agreed it was not well repaired. However in my opinion the car was dangerous and not roadworthy and it is a criminal offence to sell or advertise for sale a car that is not roadworthy Which Lexus have done. Liverpool agreed to take back the car and return my full payment however I returned the car on 11th September and did not receive the refund until the 22nd of September which presented me with issues buying a replacement Lexus.
I did then buy a used Lexus RZ from Newcastle Lexus. I paid them £264 to have it delivered to me. The car arrived at 1 pm on 11th September having been driven from Newcastle to Liverpool. It arrived with 18 miles of charge left. The driver was on his own so we kindly drove him to the nearest train station. I then drove to the nearest charging station. Charge now down to 11 miles range. Sadly the chargers were faulty so we had to drive another 3 miles to find a rapid charger. Charge then 8 miles. When I arranged delivery with the salesman I originally asked for it to be delivered before 2 pmbut then rang back and changed it to before 1 pm. The reason for this was that I was in Liverpool but had a hospital appointment for a CT scan on my shoulder at 3:15 pm in Manchester the journey would take me at least one hour and 10 minutes if I had been able to leave at 1 pm there would be no issue as it was we arrive for the hospital appointment at 4:20. My wife had to ring the hospital department who agreed to stay open and wait for us even though they finish the shift at 4 pm as she is a doctor. This was quite embarrassing. the scan was very important to me as my consultant had told me there was a Ltd window when he could operate. If it was necessary to change my complete shoulder joint.We were both very distressed and my wife was in tears. when I paid for transport. I believed that that cost would include fuel to deliver the vehicle. I did not think that the transport company would use the charge that Lexus had installed for me and if they had stopped to fast charge I might even paid the extra for that charge rather than get into this situation. The transport company had had the car from the previous evening. My previous two cars were Mercedes which were delivered in containers to my home at no extra cost clearly I was disappointed by Service from Lexus. Lexus Newcastle also did not set up the AV system for me. I tried to do it myself without success. I did download the Lexus app and this gave me the information I expected, but the car. Did not recognise me. I thought the problem may be a week for 4G signal so we drove to a beach where there was a 4G signal. I attempted to set up the AV unit and this took me over 15 minutes before I gave up and called Lexus Newcastle for help. at this point, the car died with no display or any electrical units working unfortunately we were parked in a very cold and windy spot. The front windows were open and we were getting very cold I am 80 years old and have serious health problems. My wife is in stage five kidney failure and suffers from anaemia so she feels the cold very badly. I called Newcastle again and they told me to call the AA breakdown we did we were told it would be an hour before they could come to us. We could not close the windows nor could we open the boot to get a jacket I was shaking with the cold. My wife needed to use the toilet but we couldn’t drive to one. I called Newcastle to see if they could help. They told me they could not interfere with the AA but would try. The AA arrived after 40 minutes and they jumpstarted the 12 V battery. I have since purchased a jumpstart unit at a cost of £93 in case it happened to us again. I later found out that it was necessary to have the vehicle in the ready state, but I had it in accessory state which I thought was appropriate. Newcastle confirmed they do not explain to customers this issue.
Newcastle sales manager told me he would send me a ‘surprise’ although would not tell me what it would be and I told him that we would be home on the 25th of September. Nothing had arrived by the 25th so I called him and he said he thought it was the 29th. I have checked the telephone recording of the conversation and it was a 25th. So Lexus could not even get that right.
This point we had lost all our faith in Lexus and decided to move back to Mercedes today. I have purchased a used Mercedes but I have suffered at a loss of £4000 when part exchanging my RZ. ( £3500 to £3100 )
I would appreciate your comments on my experience.
Julian goodman
Good morning Julian,
Thank you for taking the time to share your recent experience with us. We’re sorry to hear things have not gone smoothly.
If you would like to escalate your concerns and discuss in more detail, we’d recommend getting in touch with the Centre Principal at the Lexus Centre.
We trust that your new Lexus RZ will offer you miles of trouble free motoring and that we can restore your faith in the future.
We apologise again to both you and your wife for the inconvenience and disappointment caused.
Thank you.