It’s certainly not the first to market, but the BZ4X electric SUV from Toyota is shaping up to be an exciting new EV player.
While the BZ4X’s price point is unknown at this stage, there’s no doubt it’ll be a strong competitor for other EV stars such as the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, along with the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2.
Exact timing is yet to be announced but you can expect the BZ4X to arrive in Australia in the latter half of 2022.
You can clearly distinguish the skateboard-like platform that the BZ4X sits on.
Technical specifications and drivetrain
Toyota has finally released some technical information on its first electric vehicle, with the important bits being that the BZ4X will be available in both front- and all-wheel drive, and will offer up to 160kW of power in all-wheel-drive form.
The BZ4X – which derives its name from ‘beyond zero’ – has been developed in partnership with Subaru and shares a new e-TNGA electric-vehicle platform.
Powering the BZ4X will be a 150kW front electric motor for the front-wheel-drive model or two 80kW electric motors located front and rear for a total of 160kW in the all-wheel drive version.
Acceleration claims for 0-100km/h are 8.4 seconds for the front-drive BZ4X and 7.7 seconds for the slightly punchier AWD.
Plenty of room inside the cabin with a large central touchscreen for navigation and infotainment.
Subaru’s all-wheel-drive technology, called X-Mode, takes on a new form in the BZ4X, and grip control also features to aid traction in all situations, even light off-roading.
With battery cells housed under the floor in a common skateboard design, the BZ4X boasts a low centre-of-gravity as well as greater rigidity in its body structure.
An optional roof solar panel can generate the equivalent of 1800km of driving distance per year.
The BZ4X will be compatible with fast chargers across the globe, specifically 150kW fast chargers that are capable of boosting range to 80 percent in a not-so-speedy 30 minutes.
Interior room to move
The yoke steering wheel won’t be to everyone’s taste but it’s certainly futuristic.
Toyota is promising a comfortable interior in the BZ4X, offering an extra-wide cabin environment.
The Japanese brand will offer a yoke-shaped steering wheel in the BZ4X, which looks a lot like the one used in upcoming Tesla models such as the Cybertruck.
While this steering wheel seems more like something out of a Gulfstream jet than a passenger vehicle, the yoke wheel appears to be the way of the future, at least right now.
It’s a steer-by-wire system, meaning that there is no physical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels.
The BZ4X will have two drivetrains available: front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
Turning lock-to-lock is capped at 150 degrees, which means you won’t need to change hand position when negotiating a parking spot or doing a U-turn, for example.
The new yoke wheel will block out road vibrations but will transmit necessary road information to give a more natural steering feel, says Toyota.
The yoke steering wheel will originally be just for the Chinese market, however Toyota has stated that other markets will receive the technology from 2022 onwards.
How safe is the BZ4X?
Top safety systems are used to manage heat of the onboard batteries.
Along with Toyota Safety Sense, the BZ4X has several battery-management technologies to prevent overheating or fire.
The batteries are produced in a contamination-free environment and are fitted with several monitors to alert the driver if there is abnormal overheating occurring.
New high-resistant coolant can prevent fire from a short circuit, even if there is a leakage of the battery’s liquid coolant.
The Toyota BZ4X is scheduled for launch in all markets from mid-2022.
