NEXT STAGE: New in 2022
A new electric compact crossover based on the LF-Z Electrified concept shown this year, and likely to retain the name, will arrive at U.S. dealerships in the second half of 2022. In concept form, the LF-Z carried a 90-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack and had an anticipated range of about 370 miles under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure.
It also featured steer-by-wire technology and used two torque-split motors, which Lexus calls Direct4 technology, to sharpen performance and safety by sending different levels of power to each wheel as required. The two technologies allow the LF-Z to turn and accelerate far more sharply through corners or a slalom, effectively countering the physics that force vehicles equipped with mechanical-based systems outward through turns.
The brand also says the paired technologies allow the vehicle to perform exactly to the driver’s intention, regardless of road condition or weather.