2024 (74) Toyota Bz4x 150kW Pure 71.4kWh 5dr Auto [11kW]

Toyota's first EV, the bZ4x mid-sized SUV, has been very usefully improved. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

The bZ4X mid-sized SUV was Toyota's first purpose-built EV. It got mixed reactions at its original 2022 launch, but still went on to become one of Europe's top three best-selling models in its segment. The Japanese maker's listened to feedback on this car and brought us this much improved version, with significant enhancements in almost every area. Since its engineering draws on over two decades of electrified automotive experience, you'd expect it to be a very complete product indeed. You shouldn't be disappointed.

Background

What kind of purpose-built EV might the world's biggest car maker bring us? Here's the answer - the bZ4X. Silly name perhaps, but this car has a very serious remit. At launch, it was Toyota's first all-new Battery Electric Vehicle. The less-than-catchy name references the size of car ('4' designates the brand's mid-sized models) - and the vehicle type (in this case 'X' for Crossover/SUV). We certainly waited long enough for this contender. Given that Toyota's been making electrified vehicles for over a quarter of a century and experimented with a full-electric concept version of the RAV4 as long ago as 1997, it was surprising that this bZ4X took so long to arrive. It didn't actually go on sale here until the end of 2022, the launch delayed by a detaching wheel hub scandal that the brand took months to fix. A Touring estate version was announced in Spring 2025.

Driving Experience

There are various powertrains available, all of which feature new eAxles that claim to provide greater power with higher efficiency. For the mainstream SUV body shape, things kick off with a new entry-level front-driven variant, which has a single motor with 165hp energised by a 57.7kWh battery offering a 275 mile range. This base version gets to 62mph in 8.6s en route to a top speed of just 87mph. Most though, will opt for a bZ4X with the bigger battery, now rated at 73.1kWh and available with either front or four-wheel drive. The front-driven version puts out 221bhp and offers a 352 mile range, with 62mph possible in 7.4s en route to 99mph. Choose to have the 73.1kWh battery in concert with weightier dual motor AWD and range falls to 314 miles, but because output rises to 338bhp, the 62mph sprint time lowers to 5.1s. It's worth pointing out that the alternative body shape, the bZ4X Touring estate version, uses a slightly different 74.4kWh battery pack. A front-driven Touring mates that to the usual 221bhp motor, but the dual motor AWD Touring model puts out more power than any Toyota EV has to date - 376bhp. With both body shapes, the dual motor versions use the four-wheel-drive system the brand developed with Subaru. That set-up is called X-MODE and is supposed to give the bZ4X what the brand calls 'class leading off roading driving capability'; which is presumably what Subaru felt they needed for their version of this car, the Solterra. The dual motor versions have '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 have been a few handling changes to this updated model, centred around tweaks to the front subframe and extra adhesive in the floor to increase chassis rigidity. In addition, the springs, dampers and bushings have all been retuned to make the ride feel more settled, especially for rear passengers. Plus measures have also been introduced to further reduce noise and vibration for an even more peaceful cabin environment. Whether you order your bZ4X with front or four-wheel drive, you'd expect selectable brake regen settings, which can now be operated by steering wheel paddleshifters and which still 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.

Design and Build

There are two bZ4X body shapes; most will want the standard SUV version, but you can also talk to your dealer about a Touring estate variant which adds 140mm in length, 20mm in height and a selection of rugged elements. Even the standard SUV body shape is quite striking, the front-end exchanging a conventional grille for what's called a 'hammerhead' look with beady LED headlamp 'eyes'. As before, under the skin sits Toyota's e-TNGA electric vehicle platform, shared with Subaru and used by that competing brand's rival Solterra model. Let's cover the visual changes made to the updated SUV body style. The main beam headlight has been moved from the lamp units to sit just beneath the leading edge of the bonnet; and the 'hammerhead' light signature is now linked by a centre light bar. The lower bumper has been made wider and the wheel arches are now painted in a glossy piano black finish, shrouding more aerodynamic 18 and 20-inch wheel designs. Talking of aero updates, the underbody's now smoother and on versions which don't have a high-mounted spoiler, the upper edge of the ducktail spoiler has been raised by 5mm and the rear garnish has been brought closer to the level of the rear window glass. The main updates to this improved bZ4X though, feature inside. If you happen to be familiar with the original bZ4X model's cabin, you'll immediately notice that with this revised model there's a new ultra-slim matt-finished instrument panel with a Lexus-like 14-inch central infotainment monitor (increased in size from 12.3-inches before). The compact instrument pack near the windscreen with its little 7-inch screen remains, though it's now been repositioned above the level of the steering wheel. Toyota has redesigned the centre console (it's now called a 'digital island') and it now features dual wireless 'phone chargers. Plus the cabin gets a more compact power-saving air conditioning system, new recycled upholstery materials and a new 64-colour ambient lighting system. In the back, as before it feels extremely spacious thanks to this design's particularly long wheelbase. Toyota says legroom here is comparable to the 900mm figure that featured in the old Lexus LS boardroom-level limo. The brand has improved the rear climate controls, repositioned the charging ports and taken out the central reinforcement in the panoramic roof for an even airier feel. The boot capacity remains at 452-litres in the SUV model with the three-person rear bench seat in place. The Touring version increases that figure to 600-litres.

Market and Model

The bZ4x has usually sold primarily in the £40,000-£50,000 bracket and this enhanced model doesn't deviate too greatly from that script, though obviously the Touring estate version (Toyota's version of the Subaru Trailseeker) will cost a little more than the SUV. All versions are well equipped. The entry point to the revised bZ4X range is base 'Icon' grade. New equipment features include two wireless smartphone chargers in the centre console, a 14-inch multimedia display, ambient cabin lighting and glossy piano black wheel arches. Other specification details include heat for the front seats and steering wheel, a powered tailgate and a Blind Spot Monitor. Mid-level 'Design' grade introduces the more powerful 73.1 kWh battery. This is also a front-wheel drive model, building on the 'Icon' specification with the addition of a Panoramic View Monitor, puddle lights and a windscreen de-icer. At the top of the range, 'Excel' grade can be specified with front or all-wheel drive. Both versions are equipped with 20-inch alloy wheels, heated, ventilated and power adjustable front seats, heated rear seats, a digital rear-view mirror and full synthetic leather seat upholstery. A 22kW on-board charger enables faster AC charging. 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.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the driving range figures for this car in our 'Driving Experience' section - up to 352 miles in the 73.1kWh front-driven version most will choose (69kWh of which is usable). Toyota talks about a 4.6 miles-per-kWh efficiency figure but in regular use, it's more realistic to expect around 3.8 miles-per-kWh. By using silicon-carbide inverters and polishing the teeth of the gearbox, the engineers have made the drivetrain of this updated model use less energy, despite a useful increase in power. And there's now 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 still isn't particularly class-competitive - still rated at 150kW, which will get you a 10-80% fill in about 30 minutes. Thanks to improvements to the charging system, the battery and the new preconditioning set-up, that 150kW speed can now be achieved even in very cold conditions. At least you'll now be able to charge quicker at home thanks to the availability of a new 22kW AC on-board charger (optional on mainstream models and standard further up the range). 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 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

There are lots of questions to ask when developing a full-EV. Does it make sense to have a big heavy battery that gives lots of range but costs more to buy and impedes agile handling? What about recycling? And carbon neutrality over the full production cycle? With this bZ4X, there's evidence that Toyota has carefully considered each of these issues. And produced a carefully considered result. Future automotive history may well show us that the Japanese brand was wise to wait a little before bringing us its first bespoke EV. The engineering here is certainly complete enough to make some other mid-sized full-electric crossover rivals feel a bit 'first generation'. In the future with Toyota, we'll see more extreme electric vehicles than this. But for the slowly evolving target market, right here, right now, we think this bZ4X will work just fine.