The Toyota bZ4X – the Japanese company’s first all-electric car and the first in a line of zero-emission models from the new bZ (“beyond Zero”) sub-brand – is now available in the UK priced from £. bookable 41,950.
The first deliveries of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Ariya, Mercedes EQA, Skoda Enyaq iV and the rival Volkswagen ID.4 will begin in 2022. The bZ4X will be unveiled at the Auto Shanghai Motor Show 2021 and sits on the newly developed ‘e-TNGA’ ‘mechanical platform shared with sister cars Subaru Solterra and Lexus RZ.
The platform uses the batteries as an integral part of the chassis and promises the usual electric car advantages of a low center of gravity, a good front-rear weight balance and strong rigidity. In addition, the bZ4X is offered in higher-quality models with all-wheel drive via a dual-motor setup.
In December 2021, Toyota unveiled a number of new electric concept cars that previewed upcoming models, including several additions to the bZ range, both above and below the bZ4X in terms of size and likely price.
Toyota bZ4X prices, trim levels and specifications
The bZ4X will be available in four equipment variants from market launch: Pure, Motion, Vision and Premiere Edition. The Pure is only available with front-wheel drive, the Motion and Vision offer either front-wheel or all-wheel drive and the Top Premiere Edition is only equipped with all-wheel drive. The price is as follows:
| Cutting length | price |
|---|---|
| Pure FWD | € 41,950 |
| Movement forward | £ 45,750 |
| Movement AWD | £ 48,350 |
| Vision FWD | £ 47,650 |
| Vision AWD | £ 50,250 |
| Premiere Edition AWD | £ 51,550 |
The standard kit of the Pure includes 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch dashboard display, a 7-inch digital driver display, a reversing camera and air conditioning. Options include roof rails and a tow package. The Motion adds a rear spoiler, rear screen, power tailgate, parking sensors, heated front seats, ambient lighting, and wireless phone charging. Options include a fixed panoramic roof and 20-inch alloy wheels.
The vision kit list includes 20-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors with automatic braking, remote-controlled parking aid, synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, an electrically powered tailgate with kick sensor and a heated steering wheel. Options include the panoramic roof and the trailer hitch.
The limited Premiere Edition offers everything that the Vision offers plus a premium sound system with nine speakers and the panoramic roof. Unlike the other three trim levels, it can only be ordered through Toyota’s website.
Range, batteries and charging
Both versions of the bZ4X, available from launch, feature a 71.4 kWh battery, which allows the front-wheel drive car to return more than 280 miles of range in industry tests. Meanwhile, according to Toyota, the all-wheel drive model will be able to travel over 255 miles on a single charge.
Fast charging with up to 150 kW will be possible, so that at public charging points that are fast enough, 80% of the battery capacity can be reached in around 30 minutes. Towards the end of 2022, Toyota will provide an 11 kW on-board charger in the bZ4X for faster charging at the wallbox overnight at home or on the premises with a three-phase power supply.
According to the manufacturer, the batteries should retain 90% of their original capacity even after 10 years or 150,000 miles of driving. It is not yet known whether smaller or larger battery variants will be offered in due course.
Engines, power, power and all-wheel drive
Like many electric SUVs, the bZ4X will be available both in a cheaper form with two-wheel drive and as a range topper with all-wheel drive. The single-engine version with front-wheel drive has an output of 201 hp and a maximum torque of 265 Nm, resulting in a time from 0 to 100 km / h of 8.4 seconds and a top speed of 160 km / h.
The all-wheel drive version has two motors, one of which drives the front and rear axles. The peak power increases here to 215 hp and the torque increases to 336 Nm, which shortens the time from 0 to 100 km / h to 7.7 seconds. Toyota says the four-wheel drive bZ4X will also get a variety of off-road driving modes suitable for “snow or mud,” “deep snow or mud,” and “tough off-road driving”.
Interior and technology
The concept version of the bZ4X, unveiled in April 2021, featured a yoke-style steering wheel – an element of “steer-by-wire” technology that eliminates the need for a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and front axle and reduces the need to move Your hands around the wheel. Toyota, however, says this system is now slated for launch in Europe “at a later date” and the production version has a conventional circular wheel.
Elsewhere, Toyota says that the bZ4X has been designed with a “living room” feel to it, using soft, woven decorative textures, satin detailing, and a sleek, low-set instrument panel to create a greater sense of openness Driver’s seat. The philosophy of “hands on the steering wheel, eyes on the road” sees the driver’s seven-inch instrument and infotainment display directly in the line of his eyes, just above the steering wheel line. There is a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen in the center of the dashboard. A panoramic sliding roof is available as an option, and a solar panel roof is also available in some European markets.
Practicality is enhanced by a long wheelbase and short overhangs to maximize interior space, with Toyota claiming passengers enjoy as much legroom as they would in a luxury sedan like the Lexus LS. The trunk volume is up to 452 liters and in terms of safety, the bZ4X will offer the latest iteration of the third generation of the now familiar “Toyota Safety Sense” suite of driver assistance and collision avoidance technology.
Toyota bZ hubs
Toyota has also announced that it will sell its line of all-electric vehicles, starting with the bZ4X, through a number of dealer “hubs” that offer specific advice to customers on moving to zero-emission driving. Toyota’s European Product and Marketing Director Andrea Carlucci told DrivingElectric that these bZ hubs are likely to be “store-in-store” facilities – effectively a dedicated area of the showroom at specific locations. However, it is expected that not all Toyota dealers will offer this more specialized service.
Regardless of where the customer orders their bZ4X, the zero-emission SUV will be available as part of an all-inclusive leasing solution that combines maintenance, insurance, connected services and a home wallbox, as well as a single card that provides access to multiple public charges also networks.
