Toyota bZ4X Motion Review

Toyota BZ4X

Toyota bZ4X Motion Review.

****
£49,510
For – handsome, high-quality, well equipped, formidable new competitor
Against – too expensive for a city car, range-challenged
Competition – Kia EV6, VW ID.4, Tesla Y, Nissan Ariya, Ford Mach-E, Mercedes EQB, Ioniq 5.

“The Toyota has a similar exciting performance, and like the rest, flatters to deceive in the range anxiety stakes”

Finally, it’s arrived. Toyota’s first battery electric vehicle (BEV) is with us and it’s impressive.

Not only has Toyota, allegedly, been asleep at the BEV switch, the bZ4X ran into difficulties when early models had problems with the wheels of all things. That set the launch date back by about 3 months, but better late than never.

The bZ4X is a big family-sized SUV, available with 2 or 4-wheel drive. I drove the Motion version with front-wheel drive. There are three trim levels, Pure, Motion and Vision. The more upmarket Vision has the same 71.4 kWh battery, but the all-wheel drive versions have a bit more power. 

The bZ4X lands right in the middle of a very impressive group of BEV challengers, including the Kia EV6, VW ID.4, Tesla Y, Nissan Ariya, Ford Mach-E, Mercedes EQB, Ioniq 5.  The Toyota has a similar exciting performance, and like the rest, flatters to deceive in the range anxiety stakes. This Motion version claims a battery capacity of 312 miles, but after 8 recharges from my home facility, averaged 243 miles. In the (legal of course) fast lane, I found it shed range at about 45% of the claim. In other words, if the range claim was 100 miles, it would only manage 55. Over the rolling country hills of the A272 it ate 48 miles from a 37-mile run. It didn’t like driving uphill. So far so normal.

The bZ4X looks big and handsome. The interior was sombre or understated depending on your taste, in sharp contrast to the unbridled exuberance/tasteless tat of the BYD ATTO3 I tested last month. The bZ4X handled well and the suspension smoothed the bumps with ease. There was, naturally, a big Tesla-like screen, mainly unfathomable for me in the week I had the car. A warm welcome back to my Suzuki Vitara which has no mysteries in its 4^th year. There’s loads of room in the back and a boot big enough for maybe two sets of golf clubs. Instead of a conventional shift lever, the bZ4X has a dial control: the outer section is depressed and turned to the left or right to select drive or reverse. The P setting is a one-touch button immediately behind the dial control.

Over-the air
Toyota will provide software revisions and upgrades over-the-air.

The entry point Pure grade is front-wheel drive only and includes 18-inch alloy wheels, Toyota Smart Connect multimedia system with eight-inch display, reversing camera, and smart entry. The Motion introduces stuff like a power rear door, parking sensors and heated front seats, and the driver’s seat with eight-way power adjustment. All-wheel drive, sun-roof and bigger wheels are options. Vision choices include Remote Controlled Parking Assist, synthetic leather seat upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, power back door with kick sensor and a heated steering wheel. 

Prices start at £45,700.

Toyota worked with compatriot Subaru to develop the bZ4X, with its all-wheel drive engineering expertise. I didn’t get to test this aspect. This new design will be a series of different bZ vehicles to be constructed on a new Toyota platform dedicated to BEVs. The battery lives beneath the vehicle floor. 

“The result is a strong and highly rigid framework and a low centre of gravity, defining factors in the car’s stable and rewarding dynamic performance. The modular design allows it to be easily adapted for use in a wide range of different vehicle types, spanning small to larger segments. Both front and all-wheel drive versions are available,” according to Toyota.

“Toyota’s multi-tech route to zero carbon is a “full line-up” manufacturer of vehicles that can help everyone reduce their carbon footprint in all parts of the world. This includes hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, fuel cell electric and battery electric vehicles – the latter range set to grow with the roll-out of new bZ models,” Toyota says.

What to buy? 
Lefty institutional investors pushing the globalist Environment, Social and Governance agenda have criticized Toyota for lagging in the electric car revolution. On the contrary, it was a rare example of corporations not falling for hysteria and relying on its expertise and knowledge of markets and consumers to predict demand. In my opinion, it will be the best prepared of all the major manufacturers to meet real EV demand when it materializes.

As for the choices in this segment of the market, they are all magnificent quality vehicles with the usual range of drawbacks. Currently, all these vehicles will let you down in the long-range fast lane and we await new technology to overcome this. Until this happens – and Toyota has the inside track on solid-state batteries – you will just be buying the most expensive town cars in the world. 

Toyota BZ4X

Toyota bZ4X Motion