BrandsLexus TZ — First Three-Row Electric SUV With 300-Mile Range
AI-generated concept illustration of the 2027 Lexus TZ three-row electric SUV — not an official Lexus image. | Rev N Rise
Lexus just revealed its most important new car in years. The all-new TZ is the brand's first three-row, all-electric SUV — a six-seat luxury family hauler with 300 miles of range, standard AWD on every trim and a cabin trimmed in forged bamboo sourced from Shikoku Island, Japan. It goes on sale at the end of 2026. And it is unlike anything else in the segment.
Lexus has been selling luxury cars for 37 years. In that time it has built sedans, coupes, SUVs and hybrids — but it has never built a fully electric three-row SUV. The TZ changes that. It enters one of the fastest-growing and most contested segments in the entire automotive market, going up against the Hyundai IONIQ 9, the Volvo EX90 and the Rivian R1S — three cars that have each redefined what a premium family EV can be.
What separates the TZ from its rivals is not raw performance or charging speed — it is philosophy. Lexus has built the TZ around a concept called the Driving Lounge: a cabin that prioritises quietness, comfort and the quality of time spent inside the car, above all else. In a segment where every rival is fighting over horsepower figures and 0-60 times, the TZ offers something different. It offers peace.
The TZ is available with two lithium-ion battery options — a 76.96kWh pack and a larger 95.82kWh pack. The larger battery delivers Lexus's quoted maximum range of 300 miles on a single charge. The smaller battery's range hasn't been officially confirmed, but based on the shared Toyota Highlander Electric platform, expect approximately 260 miles.
Every TZ — regardless of trim or battery choice — comes with Lexus's evolved DIRECT4 all-wheel-drive system as standard. DIRECT4 controls torque distribution independently between the front and rear axles, adjusting in real time to driving conditions to maximise both traction and efficiency. An available Dynamic Rear Steering system reduces body sway and improves handling precision — particularly useful for a car of this size and weight. DC fast charging is supported at 150kW, enabling a 10-to-80 percent charge in approximately 35 minutes.
| Model Year | 2027 Lexus TZ |
| Type | Three-row all-electric luxury SUV |
| Seating | 6 — three rows, second-row captain's chairs |
| Platform | TNGA — shared with Toyota Highlander Electric |
| Battery Options | 76.96 kWh / 95.82 kWh |
| Max Range (large battery) | 300 miles |
| Drivetrain | DIRECT4 AWD — standard on all trims |
| Optional | Dynamic Rear Steering |
| DC Fast Charging | 150 kW |
| 10–80% Charge Time | ~35 minutes |
| Roof | Panoramic — spans all three rows |
| Interior Detail | Forged bamboo — sourced from Shikoku Island, Japan |
| Hidden Switches | Responsive Hidden Switch — illuminates on approach |
| Infotainment | Latest Lexus Interface — 5G connectivity |
| Safety | Lexus Safety System+ 4.0 — standard |
| Connectivity | Wireless Apple CarPlay + Android Auto |
| Quietness | Quietest interior of any Lexus SUV |
| US On Sale | End of 2026 |
| Europe On Sale | 2027 |
| US Price (est.) | ~$70,000–$90,000 |
The TZ's interior is the most deliberate statement Lexus has made about what a luxury EV should feel like. The Driving Lounge concept — Lexus's name for the cabin philosophy — starts from the premise that a great luxury electric car should feel like a premium hospitality space in motion. Quietness is not a nice-to-have. It is the product.
To achieve it, Lexus engineers used sound-absorbing materials throughout the body structure, vibration frequency offsetting design elements and a modified suspension system tuned specifically for minimising road and wind noise transmission. The result, according to Lexus, is the quietest interior of any SUV the brand has ever built. Given that Lexus has been one of the automotive industry's benchmarks for cabin refinement for 37 years, that is a meaningful claim.
The cabin layout is equally considered. A long wheelbase combined with a flat battery floor creates generous space across all three rows. The second row features individual captain's chairs — a deliberate choice over a bench for the luxury audience. The third row offers sufficient headroom for taller adults, aided by the lower floor position that EV packaging makes possible. An expansive panoramic roof spans all three rows, with a power sunshade driven by a wire system specifically designed to preserve headroom while blocking sunlight.
The detail that sets the TZ apart from every rival in this segment — more than the range, more than the AWD, more than the panoramic roof — is the interior material choice. The TZ's door panels are trimmed in forged bamboo sourced from Shikoku Island in Japan, crafted using a Lexus-first film layering technique. In daylight, the panels appear as natural bamboo. When the vehicle's ambient lighting system activates at night, they shift to surface-illuminated colour patterns — a transformation that is genuinely unlike anything available in a luxury SUV at any price.
This is not a marketing decision. Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing natural materials on earth — significantly more sustainable than the leathers and wood veneers that luxury cars have used for decades. Lexus calls this approach sustainable craftsmanship, pairing it with recycled aluminium accents throughout the cabin. The TZ makes the case that sustainability and luxury are not opposites — they are the same thing, done correctly.
The TZ debuts Lexus's Responsive Hidden Switch technology on both the instrument panel and the steering wheel. The panel presents a clean, seamless upholstered surface — no visible buttons, no cluttered switchgear. As the driver or passenger's hand passes above the surface, a series of switch icons illuminate. The switches provide physical touch-feedback when operated. It sounds like a gimmick. Based on Edmunds hands-on experience with the car in North America this week, it is not — it is intuitive and satisfying in a way that touchscreens are not.
The latest-generation Lexus Interface infotainment system debuts in the TZ, running on faster processors with AT&T 5G connectivity. New features include customisable home screen widgets, an improved Hey Lexus voice assistant, full-screen navigation on the digital gauge cluster and dedicated EV functions including EV Routing and EV Range Map. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. Entertainment options include SiriusXM with 360L and integrated Spotify streaming.
Every TZ ships with Lexus Safety System+ 4.0 as standard — the brand's most comprehensive active safety suite. It includes Lane Change Assist, Front Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Risk Avoidance Emergency Steer Assist and a full suite of highway driving assistance features. The TZ does not offer a fully hands-free highway driving mode — a gap relative to some rivals — but the LSS+ 4.0 suite covers everything a family buyer needs in daily use.
Lexus has not officially confirmed US pricing for the TZ, with grade and price information expected later in 2026. Edmunds estimates a starting price of approximately $70,000, rising to $90,000 for top-spec models. The TZ goes on sale in the US at the end of 2026 as a 2027 model. European market availability follows in 2027.
The TZ positions itself above the two-row Lexus RZ in the brand's EV lineup and slots directly against the Hyundai IONIQ 9, Volvo EX90 and Rivian R1S. At $70,000 to $90,000, it is priced competitively within that group — and uniquely, it offers AWD as standard on every trim rather than as a premium upgrade.
"The TZ redefines the Battery Electric Vehicle three-row SUV by balancing lounge-like comfort with Lexus' signature driving enjoyment."
— Lexus USA, Official Press Release, May 6 2026The Lexus TZ is a genuinely different kind of electric family SUV. Not the most powerful. Not the fastest charging. But potentially the most refined — a car built around the idea that luxury is about how you feel inside it, not what it does in a straight line. Forged bamboo from Shikoku Island. Hidden switches that appear when you reach for them. The quietest Lexus SUV ever built. Three rows. 300 miles. AWD on every trim. If the Driving Lounge concept lands the way Lexus intends it to, the IONIQ 9 and EX90 have a serious new rival arriving at the end of 2026.