Toyota BZ4X Review
Today we’re talking about Toyota’s first all electric venture down under the BZ4X.
Now, even though it has felt like they have been trying to resist going full EV,
Toyota’s been teasing us with the release of this electric for a while now, so my expectations are that with all the build up, they deliver something pretty mind-blowing.
Let’s see if they have the BZ4X a modern SUV design with a touch of Toyota’s new hammerhead front theme.
BZ4X Exterior Design
Forget the toothy grille, this is a shark that’s decided to go vegan.
The front boasts a sleek, continuous bonnet line that extends to the corners, giving it a poised but traditionally grill less EV look.
From the side, you’ll notice a heap of cladding similar to what they did with the Rav4. There are 20 inch alloys across both trims.
The rear is clean and uncluttered, and features those rear LEDs that run all the way across.
Overall, the design is modern and aerodynamic.
It definitely looks better than a Prius to me, and from the rear almost takes on styling elements from the MG4.
Under The Bonnet
Now, I do want to tell you there’s actually a lot going on under the bonnet.
There isn’t the conventional EV storage space that we see from other models, but instead a huge motor and a bunch of hoses and possibly a radiator up here it just seems like a lot and a tad unpolished.
I mean, not seeing it in other EV models doesn’t mean that something can’t go wrong there too.
But this is just really in-your-face. You know, I thought electric was meant to simplify the drivetrain.
So why is there so much going on under here? I can’t help but wonder if, you know, perhaps being so complicated, there’s more of a potential for things to go wrong down the track.
The bz4x comes with a front mounted axle combining the motor and inverter for a smooth ride, churning out up to 150kW of power and 266 Newton meters of torque.
It’s respectable on paper, so it’s interesting that on this trim, they’ve opted for a large single 150 kilowatt motor to power the front wheels, while on the higher, slightly faster trim, they went with two motors at 80kW each, giving you a combined output of 160kW.
The battery is a hefty 71.4kW hours, offering a WLTP range of up to 436km for this front wheel drive model.
BZ4X Charging Time
Charging on a standard seven kilowatt home charger will take about 9.5 hours to get full.
A DC fast charger can get you from 10 to 80% in 30 minutes, and the fastest charge speed available on this architecture is 150kW, so they give you an emergency charging cable, the one that plugs into your standard wall socket, but they also give you a type two to type two charging cable, which not every company does.
The BZ4X delivers a smooth and quiet ride Typical of an EV.
The regenerative braking is there, but you have to turn it on every time you start your drive.
When it’s on, there’s only one setting and it’s pretty mild. It definitely won’t allow for one pedal driving.
Top Speed Of BZ4X
For this front wheel drive entry trim, you will get from 0 to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds, and the all wheel drive model only slightly improves that to 6.9 seconds. 7.5 seconds isn’t really considered fast in the EV world, but this actually does feel surprisingly quick with that instant EV torque.
And the top speed you can get to is just 160km/h. The top trim, all wheel drive model adds off road capability, something I’m particularly interested in trying out.
BZ4X Interior View
Inside it’s spacious and comfortable. The standout is the big 12.3-inch touchscreen and wireless connectivity for all your gadgets.
That looks good, but other than that, it’s still the very basic Toyota interior. The steering column is so long.
There are plenty of storage cubbies around.
The rear is actually quite spacious and comfortable. We’ve got great headroom and legroom, we’ve got flat floor.
We’ve got two USB-C ports back here. You get your own air vents, we’ve got an armrest with cup holders and device storage.
Boot space is generous at 421 liter.
Safety Feature
Now safety is top notch and it’s equipped with Toyota Safety Sense, which has great features like two speed active cruise control with curve speed reduction, lane departure alert with steering assist, and lane change assist.
Now, this model only has a reversing camera, which is only accessible if you have the car in reverse, which is why you’re hearing the beeping in most other cars.
The other thing is, I’d really like to see a surround view camera in this trim as well, not just a reversing camera.
BZ4X Pricing
Pricing for BZ4X starts at $71,160 for the front wheel drive model, and the all wheel drive version comes in at $80,417.
I mean, we understand that EVs typically cost more, but that’s why we would expect more from EVs in terms of features to help lesser the pain.
The Toyota BZ4X is a solid entry into the electric SUV market. It’s reliable, practical and has enough range for most needs.
But compared with current EVs on the market and given its price, it doesn’t really wow me in any way.
It’s Toyota doing what Toyota do best, and that is to blend Toyota reliability with a full electric vehicle, which therefore equates to not much innovation.