After revealing its plan to launch 30 battery EV models by 2030, Toyota has launched its first ever battery electric vehicle–the bZ4X–at the New York International Auto Show. The bZ4X, a mid-size SUV, is the company’s first offering from Toyota’s ‘beyond ZERO’ series. The SUV is offered in two variants: the XLE and the Limited; and both are available with two drivetrain options.

The new electric SUV is built on the company’s first BEV-dedicated platform (developed with Subaru), which is based on the e-TNGA philosophy.

Design

Dimensionally, compared to Toyota’s RAV4, the new electric SUV is 94mm longer and 5mm wider and its height has been lowered by 51mm. The SUV stands on 18- to 20-inch alloy wheels, depending on the variant. 

The bZ4X’s design is based on a Hi-Tech and Emotion theme. The EV features a unique hammerhead hood with black-painted accents that run down to the top of its headlamps. The SUV’s rear gets a trapezoidal themed bumper. For lighting, the SUV gets bi-LED or multi-LED projector low-and-high beam headlamps (with DRLs) at the front, and on the rear is a combination of LED rear and stop light.

Inside, the cabin gets SofTex®-trimmed seats and a soft-touch fabric dashboard, which feature as standard six-way adjustable and heated front seats, leather trimmed tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, 7-inch LCD instrument cluster, and dial-type shift knob. 

For infotainment, the EV comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen display (compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) that is connected to six speakers. The top variant gets a nine-speaker JBL® premium audio unit including a subwoofer and amplifier.

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Battery

The bZ4X comes in two lithium-ion battery options: a 71.4 kWh and a 72.8 kWh, depending upon the vehicle’s drivetrain. The all-wheel drive model, powered by a bigger battery, generates 266 hp of power and a torque of 337 Nm and the front-wheel drive model generates a power of 201 hp and a torque of 214 Nm. 

As per the company, the EV comes with a 6.6 kW on-board charger that allows the EV to fully charge in 9 hours via a Level 2 charger. And via a 90 kW DC charger, it takes 40 minutes to charge from 0-80%. Furthermore, the EV is compatible with DC fast chargers up to 150 kW.

According to the EPA, the bZ4X provides an approximate range of 336 km to 405 km on a full charge, depending on the drivetrain.

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Specifications

Features

The premium EV comes with a plethora of convenience features such as a panoramic sunroof with power sunshade, dual-zone automatic climate control system with dust and pollen filter and rear-seat vents, heated steering wheel, height-adjustable, foot-activated power liftgate with jam protection, rain-sensing wipers, and USB ports (four type-Cs and one type-A).

The bZ4X comes with the Toyota Safety Sense technology, which features a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist, Lane Tracing Assist (LTA), Automatic High Beams (AHB), Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), and Road Sign Assist (RSA). Other safety features include eight airbags, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), ABS with EBD and BA, blind-spot monitor, downhill-assist control, anti-theft system with engine immobilizer, among others.

Toyota bZ4X pricing details

The bZ4X was launched in the US at a starting price of $42,000 (for the XLE FWD model) that goes up to $48780 (for the Limited AWD model) excluding the delivery, processing, and handling fee of $1215.

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