I drove new Lexus RZ – it has a game-changing steering wheel and sleek design…but is it any good?

THERE’S only one place to start with this review, and that’s: LOOK AT THAT STEERING WHEEL!!!

Mind blown.

Lexus has designed a butterfly-shaped half-wheel that you never turn more than 150 degrees (less than half a full turn).

So you’ll never need to cross your arms or take your hands off it.

But is it any good? Yes. It’s brilliant.

It’s called One Motion Grip – OMG – and it’s a total game changer, unlike Tesla’s stab at something similar.

The “yoke” has no physical connection to the front wheels.

Instead it’s a digital “steer-by-wire” system that dictates how much steering input you need to give based on what speed you’re going.

You feel like you’re in a driving sim game but you get to grips with it very quickly.

Sadly, OMG will not be available on the electric Lexus RZ until 2025, so we’ll have to make do with a boring old round steering wheel until then.

The RZ is Lexus’s first ground-up electric car and sits between the mid-size NX and bigger RX hybrids.

It is based on the same platform as the Toyota bZ4X and the Subaru Solterra but is posher and more expensive than both.

It shares the same 71kWh battery as its budget buddies but only comes as all-wheel drive with a more potent 310hp.

It is capable of covering 252 to 272 miles, depending on the spec and size of wheels.

Starting at £62k for the Premium Pack trim, it rises to £66k for the mid-spec Premium Plus Pack, and up to £72k for top Takumi trim with a racy two-tone paint job.

Other optional party tricks include a dimmable panoramic roof that switches from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button, and infra-red “radiant” lap heaters which make you feel like you’ve a cosy blanket over your legs, while using a tenth less energy than a conventional car vent heater.

The RZ is no rocketship but the chunky and spacious low-slung SUV hustles along fast enough, with what the Lexus people like to call a “sporty temperament”.

There are four drive modes on offer including a new ultra-eco “range” option.

It’s undeniably luxurious, comfy, quiet and roomy, yet sleek, but the Lexus RZ is not alone with these desirable qualities . . .  and some alternatives offer them for less.

To sum up, the first thoroughbred EV from Lexus does dial in the premium charm factor but it’s the OMG butterfly steering wheel that gives it the USP over its rivals.

Just a shame we have to wait another two years for it.

SUPPLIED

The One Motion Grip – OMG – is a total game changer, unlike Tesla’s stab at something similar[/caption]