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Well, the days of elaborate fanfare surrounding EV launches appear to be behind us. Or at the very least, big launches are on hiatus. We say that because Lexus, which has gotten quite comfortable in its cowboy boots, has gone decidedly small with its announcement officially introducing the new TZ SUV. This re-badged (badge-engineered, some might say) Highlander will be the luxury subsidiary’s first electric three-row.
And while Lexus may not be enthusiastic enough about the TZ to break out the champagne and fireworks, it’s nonetheless a pretty big deal. It will both give Lexus its own three-row electric family car and serve as an expansion to the brand’s showroom. Lexus doesn’t need to jettison something else to make room for the TZ the way Toyota did with the Highlander and the TX, which is offered with both hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, was just introduced a couple years back. Like the Toyota Grand Highlander it’s based on, the TX won’t be going anywhere soon.
Lexus only offered preliminary specs on the 2027 TZ (and zero pricing information), but generally speaking, it’s just a premium-shifted take on the same formula as Highlander. The standard battery is just under 77 kilowatt-hours; the larger on checks in at just under 96 kWh. That’s available on the Select trim and up. Lexus says the larger battery is good for at least 300 miles.
That lines up nicely with the 320-mile EPA rating of the Highlander XLE and Limited models. Toyota’s base Highlander is rated at 270 miles when you add all-wheel drive, which will be standard on the TZ. We expect the Lexus won’t be far off that range figure. The TZ will also have variable front/rear torque distribution setup that can send 100% of available power to the rear axle.
That sounds like fancy performance car stuff, but remember two things: First, this is an EV. That means there’s no mechanical connection between the front and rear drive units. The fancy “Direct4” all-wheel-drive system exists almost entirely in software that controls the torque output of each drive unit independently. That leads to the second thing: The word “available” is doing heavy lifting there. When the computer pulls torque from one (or both) of the drive units, the total “available” power is reduced. What’s 100% of 50%? Hint: The answer is in the question. And you thought you’d never use grade-school math.
Lexus will also offer an optional rear-axle steering package to improve maneuverability in tighter spaces and increase stability at cruise. To our knowledge, Toyota has no plans to offer that on the Highlander.
While the announcement was otherwise light on technical data, Lexus did TZ tease some of the EV’s interior features. The front passenger and second-row chairs are available with both heat and ventilation along with power-adjustable ottomans. Lexus also touted the TZ’s “forged bamboo” interior surfaces treatments.
The TZ will go on sale later this year, Lexus says. We can expect full trim details and pricing later this year.
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Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
