Lexus Electric 3-Row Seat SUV May Be Called TZ

Lexus is working on a mid-size electric SUV with a third row of seats, and recent trademark activity may point to the vehicle being called the TZ.

A user on the Lexus RX Owners Forum discovered that Toyota filed a trademark for TZ with the European Union Intellectual Property Office in July.

Among the trademarks were the names "Lexus TZ 450e" and "Lexus TZ 550e."

Lexus has already launched its first dedicated EV in the form of the 2023 RZ crossover, similar in pricing and positioning to the five-seat RX crossover.

Similarly, the TZ may be positioned alongside the new 2024 Lexus TX, a gasoline-powered midsize SUV with third-row seating.

Lexus has not stated when it plans to launch the three-row electric SUV, but we can already see what it will look like.

Toyota shocked the automotive world in late 2021 when it announced plans to launch 30 electric vehicles by 2030.

In late 2021, Lexus previewed a number of vehicles by unveiling several thinly veiled concept versions, one of which was a three-row SUV named the Lexus Electric SUV Concept.

The trademark filing may also indicate Lexus' naming strategy for its next EV: in addition to the three-row SUV, Lexus is known to be working on an IS-like sports sedan, which may end up as the IZ; a supercar inspired by the LFA is also planned, possibly the LFZ.

Under new Toyota president Koji Sato, Lexus is at the center of Toyota's EV push. The plan is for zero-emission vehicles, including hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, to account for 100% of Lexus sales in the US, Europe, and China by 2030 and the rest of the world by 2035.