Lexus Philippines has quietly pulled back the curtain on its upgraded EV lineup. The 2026 RZ is officially here, and it ditches the old RZ 300e and 450e for the renamed RZ 350e and RZ 500e. The bigger news is under the skin: a larger battery, more power, and a charging setup that finally catches up with the rest of the luxury EV crowd.
I’ve been watching this one since the RZ 600e F Sport flashed its LTO paperwork a week or two back, so this launch felt like the natural next chapter. Let’s break down what’s actually changed, what it costs, and whether it makes sense on our roads.
What’s new in the 2026 Lexus RZ
The RZ launched in 2023 as Lexus’s first fully electric model on the dedicated e-TNGA platform. This 2026 refresh keeps the handsome, angular exterior mostly intact but reworks the electric heart of the car. That’s where the real story lives.
- Bigger battery: the 74.69 kWh pack replaces the old 71.4 kWh unit
- More range: the RZ 500e now covers up to 460 km (WLTC), while the single-motor 350e is good for roughly 560 km in other markets
- More power: the 500e’s twin-motor all-wheel-drive system climbs to 380 PS and 537 Nm
- Faster charging: AC charging doubles from 11 kW to 22 kW, with up to 150 kW DC
The naming change is worth unpacking. The RZ 350e essentially takes over where the old RZ 300e left off, and the RZ 500e replaces the previous 450e. Along the way, Lexus threw in a digital rearview mirror, puddle lamps in the door handles, upgraded interior trim, a rear-seat reminder, and a refined panoramic roof.
Lexus RZ 350e and 500e specs at a glance
| Spec | RZ 350e | RZ 500e |
|---|---|---|
| Motors | Single electric motor | Dual electric motors (AWD) |
| Power | 224 PS | 380 PS combined |
| Torque | 268 Nm | 537 Nm |
| Battery | 74.69 kWh lithium-ion | |
| Range | ~560 km (WLTC, other markets) | 460 km (WLTC) |
| 0-100 km/h | 7.5 sec | sub-6 sec (est.) |
| AC charging | up to 22 kW (Type 2) | |
| DC charging | up to 150 kW (CCS2), 10-80% in ~30 min | |
| Length x Width x Height | 4,805 x 1,895 x 1,635 mm | |
| Wheelbase | 2,850 mm | |
| Cargo volume | 522 L (1,451 L seats folded) | |
| Curb weight | ~2,005 kg | |
One thing worth flagging: local outlets quote a 74.69 kWh pack, while the international spec sheet lists a 77 kWh nominal unit with 72 kWh usable. Lexus Philippines says 74.69 kWh, so I’ll go with the local figure. Either way, it’s a meaningful step up from the old 71.4 kWh battery.
What others are saying
The international press has been kinder to this refresh than the original. Car and Driver notes the base RZ now reaches a 301-mile EPA range, a solid 34-mile jump over last year, and calls it a better EV overall. Edmunds titled its first drive “Finally Worth Considering” and highlighted the 300-mile barrier the car finally breaks.
Local coverage from AutoIndustriya and Zigwheels Philippines leaned into the hardware upgrade. The 22 kW AC charging was a recurring point of praise because the old 11 kW unit was genuinely slow for a premium EV, especially here where home wallboxes are still catching on.
Reviews still aren’t glowing about everything, though. The cabin is lovely and quiet, Edmunds says, and it drives like a proper Lexus. But practicality-minded critics note the RZ still isn’t the class benchmark on efficiency or fast-charging curve, and the 500e’s 460 km WLTC range trails some Tesla and Chinese rivals that cost less.
Price in PHP, USD, and INR
The 2026 Lexus RZ is priced as follows in the Philippines. At the current rates, that’s roughly 61.5 PHP/USD and 95.5 INR/USD, so these conversions are close to today’s mid-market figures.
| Variant | PHP | USD (est.) | INR (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RZ 350e Core | P4,438,000 | ~$72,200 | ~Rs 68.9 lakh |
| RZ 500e Luxury | P5,428,000 | ~$88,300 | ~Rs 84.3 lakh |
The RZ 600e F Sport Performance also showed up in the country, but Lexus Philippines confirmed it’s not for retail sale here. It’s a display piece alongside the LFA and GS F at the Lexus Manila Gallery. I covered what that 426-PS flagship can do in my earlier RZ piece if you want the full picture.
Is the Lexus RZ right for the Philippines?
This is where things get interesting for a Filipino buyer, because a luxury EV has to earn its P4.4-million-plus price tag on our specific roads. Let’s go through the big four concerns.
City driving
This is where the RZ shines. The instant torque of an EV makes stop-and-go EDSA traffic effortless, and the 22 kW AC charging means a home wallbox or a Level 2 commercial charger can top up the 74.69 kWh pack overnight. If your daily grind is Makati to BGC and back, the 350e’s ~560 km range is overkill, which is exactly what you want for peace of mind. The 11.2-meter turning circle is a touch wide for tight mall parking, but the cameras and sensors take the edge off.
Long-distance travel
The RZ 500e’s 460 km WLTC figure translates to maybe 350-380 km of realistic mixed highway driving. That easily covers the Manila-to-Baguio run with no charging stop, and with the 150 kW DC charging you can recover 10-80% in about half an hour at a CCS2 station along NLEX or SCTEX. The 350e gets even further on a charge. For a family road trip to Batangas or La Union, range anxiety really isn’t a concern here.
Flooded streets
This is the honest caveat. Ground clearance isn’t officially published for the PH RZ, so I won’t invent a number. What I can say is the RZ doesn’t exactly sit tall, and its flat EV floor keeps the battery low. Like any EV, it has no engine air intake to hydrolock, so shallow flood water you’d worry about in a gas car is less scary. But deep, fast-moving floodwater is a no-go regardless of powertrain. Treat the RZ like any crossover: check the water depth before wading, and don’t push it.
High temperatures
The RZ has a heat pump as standard, which is genuinely useful in a country where it’s 36 degrees with humidity to match for half the year. A heat pump cuts the AC’s energy draw, which protects your real-world range in our climate. The battery chemistry also has proper thermal management, which matters when you’re sitting in EDSA traffic at noon. Expect the range to dip a bit versus the WLTC sticker, but the RZ handles heat better than older EVs.
The premium EV competition
At P4.438M up, the RZ sits in a serious segment. I’ve covered the Porsche Cayenne Electric‘s DOE listing and the BMW iX3 50 xDrive, both of which are circling the same premium-EV customer. Below that, you’ve got the Lexus ES 350e as the brand’s more affordable electric entry, and plenty of Chinese rivals undercutting on price. What the RZ sells on is the Lexus badge, build quality, and dealer network, which a lot of buyers still value over raw spec sheets.
Bottom line
The 2026 Lexus RZ 350e and 500e are a genuine improvement over the models they replace. The bigger battery, the doubled AC charging, and the 150 kW DC support fix the two biggest complaints about the original RZ. It’s still a pricey luxury EV, and it won’t beat a Tesla or BYD on cost per kilometer, but that’s never been the point of a Lexus.
If you want the full battery-and-thermal picture behind why this matters, I dug into how much energy these systems actually draw in my look at AI and battery tech. And if the 600e’s 426 PS tempts you, remember it’s not on sale here. For now, the 350e and 500e are the practical ways to go electric in a Lexus.