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Toyota bZ4X All Electric SUV Showcased, to make its European Debut on December 2, 2021
Toyota has unveiled what is going to be the path maker for the Japanese car giant for the future, the bZ4X fully electric SUV. Based on the bZ4X SUV concept shown in early 2021, the new Toyota bZ4X will make its official debut in Europe on December 2. There is a hidden significance in the name of this first all-electric SUV from Toyota – ‘bZ’ stands for ‘beyond zero’, while ‘4X’ stands for four-wheel drive electric vehicles. Toyota intends to bring as many as 15 new all-electric vehicles under its new ‘bZ’ range by 2025.
Exterior
The Toyota bZ4X is one radically designed SUV having a lot of cuts and creases in its overall design. The overall stance and silhouette of the bZ4X take a lot of inspiration from the Toyota RAV4. The major highlights of the exterior design of the Toyota bZ4X are black coloured wheel arch moulding, contrast coloured roof panel, black strip in place of a conventional grille for housing ADAS sensors, hammerhead-themed LED headlamps and sculpted air channels on the front bumper.
Interior
The overall cabin layout of the Toyota bZ4X has been designed in such a way as to establish a direct connection with the road, which is possible with highlights like a lower-positioned full TFT instrument console. The cabin looks properly futuristic with bits like a textured theme for the dashboard and a huge rectangular touchscreen placed in the middle of the wide centre console. However, the biggest highlight of the interior of the Toyota bZ4X is its unique-looking yoke-style steering, which though will be available only in select global markets. Derived from the concept model of the SUV, the steering has been designed in such a way to make driving easier and fun-filled at the same time.
Powertrain
At the time of its launch, the new Toyota bZ4X will be offered in two different variants – front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. The front-wheel drive (FWD) version will use a single motor setup, with maximum power and torque outputs rated at 204 bhp and 265 Nm respectively.
On the other hand, the four-wheel drive (4WD) version will make use of a four-wheel-drive system jointly developed with Subaru and uses a twin-motor setup with maximum power and torque outputs being 218 bhp and 336 Nm respectively. While the FWD variant has a claimed 0-100 kph time of 8.4 seconds, that taken by the 4WD version is 7.7 seconds.
A 71.4 kWh battery will be offered as standard in both variants, which promises a WLTP claimed range of 450 km. The battery is capable of being charged with outputs of up to 150 kW, and with this highest DC output, the battery can be charged 0-80 per cent in 30 minutes.
Chassis
The new Toyota bZ4X sits on the all-new e-TNGA battery electric vehicle architecture, which has been jointly developed with Subaru and is a platform purely designed for electric vehicles only. The other highlights of the core of this vehicle are the onboard solar charging system for optimal usability of battery even in colder temperatures and an innovative steer-by-wire system, which eliminates the need for a mechanical link between the steering wheel and front axle. The latter system was recently shown in the Lexus LF-Z concept as well.
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