Compare the2026 Kia EV6VS 2026 Lexus RZ

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the EV6 and RZ have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EV6 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The RZ’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia EV6 achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Lexus RZ has not been tested.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the EV6 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the RZ Premium/Luxury/F Sport offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the EV6 and the RZ have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia EV6 is safer than the Lexus RZ:

	EV6	RZ
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	122	153
Neck Injury Risk	19.2%	31.7%
Neck Stress	191 lbs.	262 lbs.
Neck Compression	20 lbs.	29 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	202/276 lbs.	502/679 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia EV6 is safer than the Lexus RZ:

	EV6	RZ
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	82	106
Hip Force	367 lbs.	422 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Hip Force	731 lbs.	974 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the EV6, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 2.3% less likely to roll over than the RZ, which received a four-star rating.

Warranty

The EV6 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The RZ’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV6 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the RZ. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the RZ ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the EV6’s warranty.

Engine

The EV6 has more powerful engines than the RZ:

	Torque
EV6 Light Standard Range electric motor	258 lbs.-ft.
EV6 Long Range electric motor	258 lbs.-ft.
EV6 Long Range electric motors	446 lbs.-ft.
RZ 350e electric motor	198 lbs.-ft.
RZ 450e electric motors	321 lbs.-ft.
RZ 550e F Sport electric motors	396 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the EV6 Long Range electric motors is faster than the RZ 450e electric motors:

	EV6	RZ
Zero to 60 MPH	4.4 sec	4.7 sec
Quarter Mile	13.1 sec	13.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	103.4 MPH	98.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The EV6 can travel longer on a full charge than the RZ on a full charge:

			Miles
EV6
	RWD	Long Range Electric Motor	319 miles
	AWD	19" Wheels Electric Motors	295 miles
		20" Wheels Electric Motors	270 miles
RZ
	FWD	w/18" Wheels Electric Motor	301 miles
		w/20" Wheels Electric Motor	284 miles
	AWD	450e w/18" Wheels Electric Motors	264 miles
		450e w/20" Wheels Electric Motors	257 miles

Brakes and Stopping

The EV6 stops much shorter than the RZ:

	EV6	RZ
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	158 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the EV6 GT-Line e-AWD’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RZ (255/45R20 vs. 235/60R18).

The EV6’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RZ’s standard 60 series front tires. The EV6 GT-Line e-AWD’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the RZ’s optional 50 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EV6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the RZ.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EV6’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the RZ (114.2 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

The EV6 Wind e-AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the RZ 450e Premium pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The EV6 is 4.4 inches shorter than the RZ, making the EV6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The EV6 has .4 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the RZ.

The front step up height for the EV6 is 1.4 inches lower than the RZ (16.6” vs. 18”). The EV6’s rear step up height is 1.3 inches lower than the RZ’s (16.8” vs. 18.1”).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the EV6 easier. The EV6’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.6 inches, while the RZ’s liftover is 29.8 inches.

The EV6’s cargo area is larger than the RZ’s in almost every dimension:

	EV6	RZ
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	37.6”/75.6”	37.5”/73.5”
Max Width	46.3”	59”
Min Width	40.7”	39.5”
Height	28.6”	30.5”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the EV6’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The RZ doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The EV6 offers up to a 2300 lbs. towing capacity. The RZ has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The EV6 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The RZ uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the EV6 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Lexus doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the RZ.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the EV6 and the RZ have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the EV6 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The RZ prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Kia EV6 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the RZ Premium/Luxury/F Sport.

Recommendations

The EV6 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The RZ has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the EV6 as the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The RZ has never been chosen.

The Kia EV6 outsold the Lexus RZ by over two to one during 2025.

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