Toyota bZ4X quick review: Driving global giant’s first Aussie BEV

Within days of Toyota Australia providing us with this brief drive of the bZ4X, the new boss of its global parent had signalled a vast reshaping of its battery electric vehicle efforts.

Experiencing Toyota’s first ground-up BEV helped us understand why.

A mid-sized five-door five seat SUV, the bZ4X (bZ = beyond Zero, 4 = RAV4 size, X = SUV) left us feeling if not underwhelmed, then definitely not whelmed.

This is the vehicle with which the global automotive giant is taking on the most competitive BEV segment in the world today, including the Tesla Model Y, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Polestar 2. That’s a tough field.

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Yet, as presented in top-spec UK guise, the dual motor bZ4X Vision AWD lacks the range and the recharging speed to go toe-to-toe with them.

And based on Toyota Australia’s proclamations it’s likely to be just as expensive when it gets here late in 2023.

So yeah, we get why Toyota’s new global CEO Koji Sato says the company’s whole BEV effort needs to be “drastically” revamped and why a new generation BEV architecture will debut in 2026.

But the bZ4X is still important in the way a new vehicle from Toyota is always important in Australia.

Remember, this is the company that traditionally claims more than 20 per cent of new vehicle sales annually and routinely doubles the results of whichever brand finishes number two.

So it has a massive fan base, many of whom will really pay attention to BEVs for the first time when the bZ4X launches.

Furthermore, this is not just a toe in the water exercise from Toyota Australia as it will launch at least two more BEVs in Australia by the end of 2026. It will also continue to expand its hybrid line-up with the objective of at least half its sales being electrified in some form by 2025 – just two years from now.

So, back to the bZ4X and our brief three-lap drive of Toyota’s short test track in Melbourne.

The bZ4X is based on Toyota’s e-TNGA architecture for BEVs. Adapted from an ICE platform, it has a commendably flat floor under which resides an e-motor on each axle (in AWD guise) and a 71.4kWH (gross) lithium-ion battery pack.

Inside the cabin four adults will fit comfortably, but there’s some ergonomic oddities as well. The driving position is clearly set up for yoke steering, which is yet to be confirmed for Australia (although the sister Lexus RZ 450e will definitely get it). Using an orthodox round steering wheel the deep-set instrument panel can be obscured by the rim of the wheel, depending on your seating position.

There is also no glovebox, the boot is not particularly big and there is no spare tyre. Speaking of spec, Toyota wasn’t giving anything away on local equipment levels or even how many models will be in the range.

Further diluting the experience, it was quietly made clear the bZ4X that goes on-sale will be updated from what we drove. In what way and how much was again opaque.

Still, the fundamentals will be carry-over so at least that’s something to start with.

On Toyota’s short, flat, smooth test track – a couple of wiggles, a straight, a sweeper and a hairpin – the bZ4X proved utterly inoffensive.

By BEV standards it’s slow in a straight line with a 6.9-second 0-100km/h time, but that’s offset by typical e-motor launch alacrity. It’s also quiet of course, although we did note some wind noise.

In the corners there’s a sense of ride comfort taking precedence over body control and handling, but it’s nothing that Toyota’s local engineering group couldn’t address if the update doesn’t do it first.

Of course, we also hope the update improves the short range and mediocre recharging rate of the bZ4X.

The good news is whatever is presented to Australians when the bZ4X launches in late 2023 it’s just the start of Toyota’s BEV journey. Not only more vehicles, but surely more compelling ones, are on the way.

Toyota bZ4X AWD specifications

Price: $70,000-plus (estimated)

Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, hatchback, AWD

Range: 416km (WLTP)

Battery capacity: 71.4kWh

Battery warranty: TBA

Energy consumption: 16.2kWh/100km (WLTP)

Motors: Front 80kW, Rear 80kW + 337Nm combined

AC charging: 11kW

DC charging: 150kW

0-100km/h: 6.9