► New Lexus BEV concept revealed in Tokyo
► The LF-ZL is just a concept for now
► Previews a future flagship
Lexus has revealed two concepts at this year’s Tokyo mobility show; a low-slug saloon concept called the LF-ZC, and this the LF-ZL. Unlike the LF-ZC, Lexus hasn’t revealed any firm production plans for the LF-ZL, but it does point to a future luxury electric flagship for Toyota’s premium brand.
LF-ZL?
Lexus LF-ZL is short for ‘Lexus Future Zero-emission Luxury,’ as this concept is more focused on passenger comfort than the more dynamic LF-ZC. The LF-ZL is more of a crossover or SUV too, and is designed to fit into a more connected future.
As you’d expect, the LF-ZL focuses on personalised customer interaction and wants to make the entire driving experience pleasant rather than particularly quick.
It looks like a Lexus
Just like the LF-ZC, the LF-ZL showcases an evolved, more extreme of Lexus’ existing design language. Featuring the brand’s love it or loathe it spindle shape flanked by a suitably pointy light signature, the LF-ZL is a crossover laden with Lexus’ usual combination of dynamic folds and creases.
Because this car is about the passenger experience as well as the drivers’ you’ll find doors that open forward and backward. There are no B-pillars either, making ingress and egress that bit easier.
The rear of the car features horizontal and vertical lighting, but interestingly there’s no rear window; the LF-ZL relies on sensors – and presumably a rear camera – for a view out the back.
What about the interior?
The LF-ZL benefits from the extra cabin space that an EV powertrain brings – and it’s amplified by a huge, swooping greenhouse. There’s ample legroom for rear passengers, and a glass roof ensures the cabin is as light and airy as possible.
Like the LF-ZC concept, the LF-ZL will also use Lexus in-house Arene OS – though here it’s supercharged for a further leap into the future. Lexus imagines a system that’s able to monitor and respond to the drivers’ needs whilst also interacting with other services using V2X technology.
What’s more, an augmented reality feature called ‘Interactive Reality in Motion’ would enable the driver to quickly find out about landmarks and other POIs simply by pointing. Presumably, you’d be using the car’s autonomous technology when sightseeing, though.
AI tech is included in Arene too. It’ll use an advanced voice assistant to give information and suggest alternative routes and activities.
Anything else?
Sustainability is already a key aspect of vehicle production, and the Lexus LF-ZL aims to make things even more eco-friendly. The future flagship aims to present an ‘innately sustainable, guilt-free luxury lifestyle that empowers customers to live in tune with their needs and desires while at the same time contributing positively to the environment and society at large.’
With that in mind, Lexus’ interior designers have chosen bamboo to demonstrate the LF-ZL’s sustainable credentials. Thanks to fast growth, a strong ability to absorb carbon dioxide and its decorative options, bamboo is the flagship material in the LF-ZL’s interior – and could well take the place of chrome or wood in future EVs.