Kerb Appeal
Toyota bZ4X
The all-new bZ4X, the first model in a new series of bZ – beyond Zero – battery electric vehicles (BEVs) leads the way for Toyota's electric generation.
Kerbside the Toyota bZ4X certainly demands attention with its powerful build and dynamic SUV design, with a panoramic roof adding to the exterior style setting it apart from the competition. The bZ4X combines the sleek, advanced aerodynamics of a Battery Electric Vehicle with those of a SUV.
Faithful in its design and technology to its concept predecessor, revealed earlier this year, the production-ready bZ4X is the first model to be developed by Toyota entirely as a BEV.
Driving Comfort & Handling
In town
The Toyota bZ4X comes with all the refinement and you need to get the best out of urban driving. The ride comfort — even with its 20-inch alloy wheels - is smooth and quiet, making it a market leader for comfort.
The windscreen is quite low, giving excellent visibility out the front, and the slim windscreen pillars also enhance that feeling.
Rear visibility is reduced by the bZ4X’s C-pillars, but there’s a standard-fit reversing camera and parking sensors and an optional ‘bird’s eye view’ 360-degree camera system, so low-speed manoeuvring is pretty easy.
There is a ‘one-pedal’ regenerative braking system, which is quite subtle, slowing the car initially, then leaving to the driver to brake and stop. The brakes are smooth and not at all grabby.
Motorway driving
On the motorway wind and tyre noise are minimal on all but the roughest of surfaces, and given the bZ4X’s decent one-charge range, long journeys should prove pretty relaxing.
It’s a very stable and sure-footed car, with no hint of being deflected by crosswinds or upset by passing HGVs. Then again, weighing 2.5 tonnes will do that for you.
Country roads
The comfort level might leave you pleasantly surprised as the bZ4X is well behaved on tight twisting country roads.
The steering is precise, fast, and accurate, with the bZ4X shaking off its kerb weight to remain a dream to handle on a typical country road.
To add to this the bZ4X electric SUV has been set up to be enjoyed if taken off-road. Co-developed with help from off-road experts Subaru it can hold its own on dusty tracks, steep climbs and sharp descents, as well handle wet muddy conditions.
Inside Front Seat Space
Inside the high centre console ‘wraps’ you in, as Toyota have shunned the very open and airy cabin as found in many SUV’s giving bZ4X a unique look and feel.
The front seats are very comfortable and supportive, the steering wheel is quite small and sits low towards the driver’s lap, the digital instrument screen is mounted up high.
The wheel is well positioned feeling extremely comfortable to use, the high-set instruments are also clear and positioned so that they’re just where your eyeline naturally falls.
In general, the layout in the front is well thought out, with good-sized door bins, a large deep covered bin, and cup holders in the central armrest,. There’s another covered area for phones, while there are USB slots placed around the cabin - another useful thing. There is a relatively private storage area beneath the centre console.
Rear seats
Rear seat space is excellent, with plenty of leg and headroom. The central seat is just as comfortable as the outer ones and coupled with the wide body it’s a good fit for three adults.
Again, there’s an armrest with cup holders and space for your phone when the central seat isn’t in use. The door bins are a good size too, so rear seat passengers won’t feel cramped on longer trips.
There’s so much space in the back that it’s still no trouble to fit a child seat, even the larger ones, with easy to locate ISOFIX points.
Boot space
The bZ4X comes with 452 litres which should be big enough for most, but it’s one of the smallest in this class.
Fold the seats down and there’s a gap between the main boot area and the seats, so care is needed loading longer items as they are liable to snag. There’s no load lip though, so getting things in and out is quite trouble free.
Infotainment
The bZ4X’s interior looks distinctive and high-tech with an interesting design and some quirky features, like the driver display above the wheel.
There’s also an excellent infotainment system with a 12.3-inch screen using the latest software, similar to that used on the new Lexus ranges. Clear graphics make the navigation map and other displays look especially crisp.
There's also an easy to use ‘Points of Interest’ display, which can direct you to the nearest charging points or a restaurant, amongst other thing. Some menu options take a bit of getting used to, but nothing too complicated that a bit of practice will not solve. Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto connections are all standard and there is also new voice control setup with a range of instructions that include controlling opening and closing of windows or adjusting the cabin temperature.
Below the main screen, there are a number of physical buttons to control heating and ventilation, thus removing them from the touchscreen as well as taking care of functions like switching the brake energy recuperation up and down, activating the X-Mode off-road system, changing the parking camera view, and activating the electric handbrake.
Safety and security
In safety terms, Toyota has introduced its third-generation active safety system on the bZ4X, with its combination of a forward-facing camera and radar blind spot monitors which can detect other cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.
The active steering helps you to stay in lane, and a clever function where if you have to swerve suddenly then the bZ4X will automatically adjust the car’s braking system to keep you steady. The same system can help prevent you from accidentally turning across a junction into oncoming traffic, and there’s a surround-view parking camera system too.
With this system - ‘Beyond Zero’ that is what the bZ name stands for, Toyota is about moving towards zero fatal accidents, as well as zero emissions. With the bZ4X scoring top marks in Euro NCAP safety tests - 88% and 87% in adult and child occupant protection respectively are impressive, and the 91% rating for safety assist it certainly has made great strides in achieving its goal.
Electric range & charging
The bZ4X comes with a choice of two powertrains, but just the one battery. It’s a 71.4kWh battery pack, which can be charged at speeds of up to 150kW from a sufficiently fast DC public charger, allowing you to charge it to 80% capacity in around 28 minutes. For home charging, early cars have a 6.6kW on-board charger, but that’s upgraded to 11kW for 2023. Unfortunately, early bZ4X customers won’t be able to upgrade to the faster charging setup.
Most bZ4Xs will come with front-wheel drive and a single 204hp motor. That’s enough for a 7.3-second 0-60mph time. Fully charge the battery, and Toyota estimates that you’ll get up to 317 miles out of it before needing to charge again.
Our four-wheel drive test car uses twin electric motors one front and one rear, for a combined 218hp, 337Nm of torque, and a 0-60mph time of 6.7 seconds - we managed 6.5 seconds. That means it is rapid, but in a much more controlled manner than many other electric vehicles. The top speed is limited to 100mph.
That four-wheel drive system does drain the battery quite a bit faster, though, with an official 286-mile range.
Reliability
Toyota’s reliability record is excellent and the bZ4X is no exception, with further reassurance from an excellent warranty. It has three years of cover, but this is followed by an additional 12 months and 10,000 miles if you get an annual approved service. This continues up to 10 years after the car was first registered.
Toyota is also guaranteeing that the bZ4X’s battery will retain at least 70 per cent of its original performance after 10 years, or 620,000 miles whichever comes first. You do have to regularly visit a Toyota dealer for a battery health check to keep that warranty, but it’s well worth the inconvenience.
Conclusion
On test the Toyota bZ4X was a pleasure to drive, well-mannered to drive in town where the many safety features came into play making driving so much easier. On the motorway, it remained smooth and relaxing to drive leaving the driver feeling ready for the job in hand on arrival at their destination no matter what distance they had travelled. On the country roads again it handled like a dream, taking sharp corners as if on rails and smoothing out the many potholes to give a great ride.
The Toyota bZ4X is a leader in looking after its passengers delivering them safely at their destination feeling relaxed and ready.
Discover the future of electric motoring in the All-new Toyota bZ4X SUV BEV by visiting Toyota Motors