The Lexus LF-ZL large electric SUV design is meant to be the brand’s most important car. The ideal car from the Tokyo auto show is about the same size as a Lincoln Navigator. Specifications like back doors that slide are likely to be made elsewhere. At the Tokyo Motor Show in 2023, Lexus will show off two electric cars for the first time. The smaller, more elegant LF-ZC, which will go into production in 2026, got the most attention. But the more significant, fancier LF-ZL SUV hints at the brand’s high-end flagship, which will finally be powered by electricity only. The production SUV we think is hiding under the LF-ZL is very clear, even though it was officially shown as a concept for the future and not an official confirmation of a production model. It’s unlikely that many of the more futuristic parts of the plan will ever be built, but the basic ideas seem doable as long as people still want to buy expensive SUVs after they become electric. The strange details are a lot of fun. The LF-ZL’s sliding rear doors open and roll back with a theatricality that is very different from the slides that are more common on minivans. This makes it easier to get to the back of the car. Also, when the doors roll back, they slide outward, removing any obstructions from the B-pillars. Lexus designers wouldn’t say that something similar wouldn’t be made, but in our experience, odd door systems are one of the things that are most often missed when a concept car turns into a real car. On the other hand, the ZL’s claims of reclining back seats and a cabin with bamboo details seem a lot more likely. Due to its size, the ZL would be the most critical Lexus car if it were made. Lexus says that it is 208.7 inches long, which is a lot less than a Lincoln Navigator. But since there is no need for engine space, it can be put a little ahead of the cab to make the most of the room inside. At 66.9 inches, it’s the same height as the current BMW X6, but any production car is expected to have height-adjustable air springs. On the other hand, the concept’s floor was shallow to show off the benefits of the tiny battery cells that Toyota will soon use. These cells will also give the car the most room vertically and horizontally. The ZL also shows what the future Toyota-Lexus Arene operating system could do with features like Interactive Reality in Motion, an augmented reality system that adds information about exciting things in the area when a person points them out. The ZL has a steering wheel with a yoke shape, and if it were made, it would use the same steer-by-wire technology as the ZC. Since the ZC is supposed to go 620 miles on a single charge, and if Lexus can make the LF-ZL work well and have a good range, it could be the company’s flagship electric vehicle.
