Toyota bZ4X concept SUV unveiled
The Toyota bZ4X concept is an all-electric mid-size SUV co-developed with Subaru. It is underpinned by a new e-TNGA platform developed specifically for EVs and has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup. The bZ4X crossover will be the first of the planned seven new EVs scheduled to arrive by 2025, and is previewed by the bZ4X concept which borrows styling inspiration from Toyota's very own RAV4 SUV.
Toyota bZ4X exterior
The bZ4X concept looks quite similar to a Toyota RAV4, but it has a longer wheelbase and a more angular styling. It gets a distinctive face with slim LED headlights and DRLs, a wide bumper design and a narrow black strip that houses sensors for all the autonomous driving tech. This new front is part of Toyota's “hammerhead” look, that will make its way to other Toyota cars. Black wheel arch trim is present on the sides and the roof gets a contrasting color. The back follows the trend and incorporates a full-width LED light bar with side hugging tail lights.
Toyota bZ4X interior
The interior of the bZ4X looks comparatively tame and less futuristic compared to its exterior. That is, if you ignore the yoke style steering wheel, which is meant to improve visibility. The digital gauge cluster is set back far apart from the steering wheel, again for better visibility and below it Toyota has placed forward facing cameras for driver assistance features. The Toyota bZ4X also gets an advanced steer-by-wire system. A large touchscreen extends up out of the center console, which has a rotary shifter placed in the middle and storage underneath with two USB-C ports. Overall, the cabin appears to be in a nearly production-ready form and Toyota says the bZ4X will have the same space as a D-segment sedan. It will also come equipped with a solar recharging system that along with a regenerating system, will add to the SUV's range.
Toyota's future plans
Toyota hasn't revealed any details about the battery that will be housed in the bZ4X yet, but expect it to be a large one, as the bZ4X's arch rivals, the Tesla Model Y and the Ford Mustang Mach-E offer a range of upto 520km. So they will likely chase this number.
Toyota plans to introduce 15 new electric vehicles to the market, of which seven will use the bZ prefix, that stands for Beyond Zero. All these will be based on the e-TNGA platform that is developed specifically for EVs. It supports single-motor front or rear-wheel-drive setups or a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive layout. Out of the 15 planned, seven will be made available to the public by 2025. These will be developed in-collaboration with partners BYD, Daihatsu, Subaru and Suzuki. The production version of the Toyota bZ4X will launch later this year with deliveries beginning in the middle of 2022.
