Lexus Shows RZ Outdoor Concept

Electric vehicles are generally associated with urban environments.  This includes our home of Lexus of Henderson and the greater Las Vegas area, which can benefit from reduced exhaust emissions and where chargers spring up with every new office building.  But given some thought, there are reasons EVs can be at home off-road as well.  They have full torque available at any rpm, they don’t pollute the area you’ve come to admire, they are quiet enough not to scare off wildlife you would like to see, and off-road distances usually aren’t that long.  Lexus sees the potential and has demonstrated it with their RZ Outdoor Concept.

Rugged Exterior with Lexus Flair

The first thing one notices about the Outdoor Concept is the two-tone exterior.  The color is a matte version of the classic Lexus sandy beige with chip-resistant satin black on the lower body,  On the hood, roof, down the middle of the rear, and across the entire front is a gloss black, so perhaps this is more of a tri-tone exterior.  

Beneath matte-black fender flares, the car rides 20mm higher on 18-inch 8-spoke black-finish wheels wrapped in 265/60 R18 BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. Abundant  additional lighting is evident with round KC lamps on the corner of each nose, a low-profile but likely very potent LED strip above the windshield, and another LED strip within a beefy lower bumper guard.  The concept was displayed with an Oris bike carrier in the rear with built-in tail light repeaters. Underneath are front and rear skid plates.

An Exterior Exercise Only

Mechanically, the Outdoor concept is unchanged from its RZ450e origin model, with front and rear motors directing 308 horsepower and 321 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels. 

While the 71.4 kWh battery under the floor normally produces an EPA-estimated 220 miles of range, that distance would drop with the higher resistance all-terrain tires.  

The Outdoor Concept is an exterior exercise only, as the interior was not accessible.  There is no mention of bi-directional charging to power camp lights and other camping devices, but that would certainly be something to consider on a production model.  As to the possibility of production, Lexus’s lips are sealed, but like all production-based concepts, it is there to gauge public reaction.

The more mainstream RZ450e will be trickling into the Lexus of Henderson inventory soon.  All the Lexus traits of smooth, quiet and comfortable operation and advanced technology are exemplified in Lexus’ first battery electric vehicle.  Then again,  if you are not ready to go full electric, Lexus offers the most comprehensive lineup of electrified crossovers, sedans, coupes, and even convertibles in the luxury car industry.