2024 (73) Toyota Bz4x 150kW Pure 71.4kWh 5dr Auto [11kW]

Want a more interesting kind of Toyota bZ4X EV? Try this more SUV-like Touring version. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

The bZ4X Touring is a more interesting, outdoorsy kind of mid-sized Toyota EV crossover. Though this estate's design owes much to Subaru, it's delivered with typically Toyota attention to detail.

Background

Things are not always what they seem. Take the car were looking at here, Toyota's bZ4X Touring. On the face of things, it's just an estate version of the Japanese maker's rather unloved bZ4X mid-sized EV crossover. That's one way of looking at it. The other is to acknowledge that this is Toyota's version of a quite different car, the Subaru Trailseeker. If you've been following Toyota's rather tentative steps into the EV market, you'll know that the brand is rather keen on joint ventures. With Stellantis to create its electric vans. With Suzuki to create its Urban Cruiser small EV. And with Subaru to create the bZ4X. Subaru decided it needed to create an SUV-style estate version of the Solterra, it's bZ4X clone. The Trailseeker was the result. And Toyota has used the Trailseeker design to create this bZ4X Touring.

Engines and Tech Spec

In its top dual motor form, the bZ4X Touring is the most powerful EV Toyota has ever made, offering 376bhp, AWD and 297 miles of range. Traction is further augmented by Toyota Subaru co-developed X-MODE system, which will help in slippery conditions. The dual motor version has 'X-MODE' branded 'Snow/Dirt' or 'Deep Snow/Mud' drive settings that give this EV an unusual level of capability on the slippery stuff. There's also a single motor 221bhp version which has an improved range figure of 366 miles. Both variants use a slightly updated 74.7kWh version of the largest battery pack fitted to the ordinary bZ4X. But here (in the dual motor model) it can facilitate a much higher braked towing capacity of 1,500kg (double that of the standard SUV). The single motor Touring tows just 750kg. Whether you order your bZ4X Touring with front or four-wheel drive, you'd expect selectable brake regen settings, which can be operated by steering wheel paddleshifters and which include a 'Regeneration Boost' feature, which slows your off-throttle progress by up to 0.15g, in the process harvesting more energy to recharge the battery as you drive. This Toyota needs that, given that its mileage range figures are still hardly class-leading, but in terms of refinement and ride quality, it remains up with the class leaders. There's 500mm of wading depth and up to 216mm of ground clearance with the dual motor Excel. The approach angle is up to 17.3-degrees, while the departure angle is up to 21.1-degrees.

Design and Build

If you quite liked the standard Toyota bZ4X but decided it wasn't quite big enough for your family, then this bZ4X Touring might be your car because it's quite a lot larger; there's 140mm more length and 20mm more height than the ordinary model. Even if you didn't know that this design was based on a Subaru estate, you might guess that from the raised ride height, the accentuated wheel arch cladding and the chunky roof rails, able to carry up to 70kg. Slim C-shaped daytime running lights define the front end and there's a full-width LED rear light bar. As with the Solterra, Subaru has deferred to Toyota when it comes to interior design, so inside, this Touring is a lot more recognisable as a bZ4X. Which means it benefits from the hatch model's recent mid-term update which bought a larger 14-inch central infotainment screen and a redesigned centre console. There's a compact instrument pack with a little 7-inch screen. Plus the cabin gets a compact power-saving air conditioning system, recycled upholstery materials and a 64-colour ambient lighting system. It's a bit different in the rear though, where this Touring offers an airy feel from its bigger windows - and noticeably more headroom. As you'd expect from the extended 4.83-metre body length, there's more luggage space too, the 669-litre boot 117-litres larger than the hatch. It's 1,718-litres with the rear bench folded.

Market and Model

From launch, on-the-road prices are £45,995 for the Design grade model and £51,695 for the Excel. The Design has front-wheel drive and is fitted as standard with a 14.3-inch Toyota Smart Connect+ multimedia system, a wireless smartphone charger, heated front seats, a power back door and Panoramic View Monitor. Plus puddle lights and a windscreen de-icer. The Excel features all-wheel drive and a more powerful 22kW on-board charger. Building on the Design specification, it is equipped with 20-inch alloy wheels, Skyview panoramic roof, synthetic leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and a digital rear-view mirror. A JBL premium audio system is available as an option for the Excel grade. As for drive assist technology across the line-up, well there are all the usual Toyota Safety Sense features, including a Pre-Collision System, Emergency Steering Assist, Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert and Lane Trace Assist. There's also a 'Blind Spot Monitor', which will alert you if you're just about to pull out dangerously in front of another vehicle. The same camera is used for a 'Safe Exit Assist' system that'll warn occupants about to open the doors in the face of oncoming vehicles pedestrians or cyclists. Top Excel spec gets you an extended Toyota Safety Sense package with Front Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Change Assist, plus Advanced Parking Assist and Downhill Assist Control.

Cost of Ownership

As we told you in our 'Driving Experience' section - up to 348 miles is possible in the single motor bZ4X Touring, though that figure will obviously take a big dip if you specify the dual motor variant and/or start to exercise this estate's 1,500kg towing capacity. There's a menu in the instrument cluster that shows the battery's state of health and informs you what percentage of the battery's original capacity remains. All good, but the DC public charging speed isn't particularly class-competitive - rated at 150kW, which will get you a 10-80% fill in about 30 minutes. At least that 150kW speed can be achieved even in very cold conditions. A 22kW AC on-board charger is available. But that's no use if all you've got is a single-phase 7.4kW garage wallbox, which will need 12 hours 45 minutes for a full charge. The brand says that the battery will hold 90% of its range for the first ten years of its life, aided by water cooling for the cells (something Toyota has never done before), with active thermal management of the battery further aiding durability and range. That range is optimised courtesy of an on-board solar charging system that aims to minimise the effect of cold weather on usability. Plus, as with all Toyotas, the bZ4X Touring is covered by a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which owners can extend at no cost through the 'Toyota Relax' programme simply by having their vehicle serviced at an authorised Toyota centre, gaining an extra year and 10,000 miles of cover up to a limit of the vehicle reaching 10 years and/or 100,000 miles.

Summary

Toyota describes this bZ4X Touring as an 'authentic SUV' - and it is, thanks largely to its shared Subaru parentage. You might not get particularly far off road in it, but its greater towing capacity and beefier roof rails will certainly appeal to camping and caravan folk looking to make the EV switch. But why not just buy a Subaru Trailseeker, which is essentially the same thing? That's a fair question, the answer to which is that this Toyota has a longer warranty and would be easier to service via a much larger dealer network. Whether you choose one of these or not, there's no doubt that Toyota EVs are getting more adventurous - this one more than most.