New Toyota bZ4X electric SUV: prices, specs, pictures and on-sale date

The Toyota bZ4X – the Japanese company's first dedicated pure-electric car and the first in a range of zero-emissions models from its new bZ ('beyond Zero') sub-brand – is now available to reserve in the UK, priced from £41,950.

First deliveries of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Ariya, Mercedes EQA, Skoda Enyaq iV and Volkswagen ID.4 rival will commence in June 2022, but we've already had a chance to the drive the Toyota bZ4X in prototype form to get our first taste of the new zero-emissions family SUV.

Initially previewed at the 2021 Auto Shanghai motor show, the bZ4X sits on the 'e-TNGA' platform, shared with sister cars the Subaru Solterra and Lexus RZ. This uses the batteries as an integral part of the chassis, promising the usual electric-car benefits of a low centre of gravity, good weight balance and strong rigidity.

The bZ4X is offered with four-wheel-drive by means of a dual-motor setup on higher-spec models. Official range figures were confirmed in April 2022, at up to 317 miles for the cheaper front-drive version and up to 285 miles for the four-wheel-drive range-topper.

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Toyota bZ4X prices, trim levels and specifications

The standard bZ4X is available from launch in four trim levels: Pure, Motion, Vision and Premiere Edition. The Pure is available only with front-wheel drive, the Motion and Vision offer a choice of front or all-wheel drive and the range-topping Premiere Edition is all-wheel-drive only. Pricing is as follows:

Standard kit on the Pure includes 18-inch alloys, an eight-inch dashboard display, a seven-inch digital driver's display, a reversing camera and climate control. Options include roof rails and a towing pack. The Motion adds a rear spoiler, rear privacy glass, a powered bootlid, parking sensors, heated front seats, ambient lighting and wireless phone charging. Options include a fixed panoramic roof and 20-inch alloys.

The Vision kit list encompasses 20-inch alloys, rear parking sensors with automatic braking, remote parking assistance, synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, a powered bootlid with kick sensor and a heated steering wheel. Options include the panoramic roof and towing pack.

The limited-run Premiere Edition packs in everything you get on the Vision, plus a nine-speaker premium sound system and panoramic roof. Unlike the other trims, it can only be ordered through Toyota's website.

Toyota is offering what it calls 'Kinto One' leasing packages for the bZ4X. These bundle the cost of the car and three years' servicing into a one monthly charge. The mid-range bZ4X Motion is available on a Kinto One lease for £611 a month on a 36-month contract with a £3,662 initial payment.

The brand is also giving all bZ4X customers a free home wallbox charger (including standard installation), three years' AA breakdown assistance and six months' access to the Toyota’s network of public chargers.

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Range, batteries and charging

Both versions of the bZ4X available from launch feature a 71.4kWh battery, which allows the front-wheel-drive car to return a driving range of up to 317 miles in industry-standard testing. Meanwhile, the four-wheel-drive model will be able to cover up to 285 miles on a charge.

Rapid charging at up to 150kW will be possible, allowing for 80% capacity in around 30 minutes from a fast enough public charging point. Towards the end of 2022, Toyota will make an 11kW on-board charger available, for faster overnight wallbox charging at homes or premises with a three-phase electricity supply.

According to the manufacturer, the batteries are anticipated to retain 90% of their original capacity even after 10 years or 150,000 miles on the road. It's not yet known whether smaller or larger-battery variants of the bZ4X will also be offered in due course.

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Motors, power, performance and four-wheel drive

Like many electric SUVs, the bZ4X will be available in both cheaper two-wheel-drive form and as a four-wheel-drive range-topper. The single-motor, front-drive version has a power output of 201bhp and peak torque of 265Nm, which results in a 0-62mph time of 8.4 seconds and a top speed of 99mph.

The four-wheel-drive version has two motors, with one each driving the front and rear axles. Peak power here increases to 215bhp and torque goes up to 336Nm, taking the 0-62mph time down to 7.7 seconds. Toyota says the four-wheel-drive bZ4X will get various off-road driving modes, too, suited to "snow or mud", "deep snow or mud" and "tougher off-road driving".

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Interior and technology

The concept version of the bZ4X seen in April 2021 featured a 'yoke'-style steering wheel – an element of 'steer-by-wire' technology that does away with a mechanical link between the steering wheel and front axle, reducing the need to move your hands around the wheel. However, Toyota says this system is now planned for introduction in Europe "at a later date" and the production version has a conventional circular wheel.

Elsewhere, Toyota says it went for a "living-room" ambience when designing the bZ4X's interior, making use of soft, woven trim textures, details finished in satin and slim, low-set instrument panel to give a greater sense of openness from the driver's seat. A "hands on the wheel, eyes on the road" philosophy sees the driver's seven-inch instrument and infotainment display placed directly in their eyeline, just above the line of the steering wheel. While in the centre of the dashboard is a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen. A panoramic sunroof is offered as an option, as is a solar panel roof in some European markets.

Practicality is boosted by a long wheelbase and short overhangs to maximise the amount of interior space, with Toyota claiming passengers will enjoy as much legroom as in a luxury saloon like the Lexus LS. Boot capacity is up to 452 litres and on the safety front, the bZ4X is set to feature the latest third-generation iteration of the now-familiar 'Toyota Safety Sense' suite of driver-assistance and collision-avoidance tech.

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Toyota bZ hubs

Toyota has also announced that it'll sell its range of pure-electric vehicles, starting with the bZ4X, through a series of in-dealer ‘hubs’ that'll offer customers specialised advice about the switch to zero-emissions motoring. Toyota’s European product and marketing boss, Andrea Carlucci, told DrivingElectric that these bZ Hubs are likely to be ‘store-in-store’ facilities – in effect, a dedicated area of the showroom floor in certain locations. However, not all Toyota dealerships will be expected to offer this more specialised service.

Toyota bZ4X GR Sport Concept

At the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon motor show, Toyota revealed the above 'GR Sport Concept' version of the bZ4X. Few details accompanied its unveiling, apart from the fact that it was "designed to offer a higher level of both environmental performance and driving pleasure," with modifications including large-diameter tyres, sports seats and matte-black exterior body panels.

It's thought the concept could preview a production model, serving as a sportier version of the standard bZ4X. Toyota already offers GR Sport versions of its Yaris and Corolla hybrid hatchbacks, with some mild visual and suspension enhancements, but no additional power.