A while ago, Lexus announced an advanced system for indirect steering that would eliminate the physical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels. The company had intended to pioneer it on its RZ 450e electric SUV (shown below), but later decided to put some more polish on it. Now, according to Car&Driver, the Japanese premium automaker intends to start implementing the system across its entire vehicle range, electric and gas-powered. This also means that Lexus fans will have to get used to the new yoke-shaped steering wheel.
Back when the company presented its luxury take on the Toyota bZ4X SUV last spring, it went on sale with a traditional steering mechanism. The engineers found the drive-by-wire technology not ready for mass market adoption.
Media representatives were quick to criticize it, too: Car&Driver in particular called it ‘jerky’ and ‘unpredictable’ and said that the system was ‘too eager’ to react at lower accelerations where precision is more important than speed.
One of the main goals of the system was to eliminate the need for the driver to reposition their hands on the wheel when turning around moving slowly, so the company proposed replacing the wheel with a smaller yoke. As it turned out, it needed much fine-tuning to be viable: for one, the turn angle has been increased from 150 to 200 degrees for smoother and more precise cornering. The gear ratio selector is also being reworked right now, because the drive-by-wire mechanism has to work equally well at all speeds.
The publication reports that Lexus expects the feature to be ready for mass-market implementation in 2024. It may have been designed for EVs first, but traditional ICE cars may also receive it if the company decides so.