2023 Toyota bZ4X First Drive Review | Toyota's first real EV https://youtu.be/N-63iNI85D8
And what's the deal with that name? Read on
Last summer, a whopping 40% of would-be electric vehicle buyers said they had heard of Toyota’s EV. Of that, 21% said they considered buying it. Funny thing was, the 2023 Toyota bZ4X wouldn’t be revealed for months, and we’re just reviewing it now. In other words, all those people were keen on a car that didn’t exist … which is more than those who had heard of the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf, cars that actually existed for years.
Well, the bZ4X exists now. Unlike the second-generation Prius that popularized hybrids, there is very little revolutionary about Toyota’s first from-scratch EV. You won’t see any bladder-busting range numbers, wait-saving charge times or neck-snapping 0-60 sprints. This sucker is aimed straight at the average new car buyer rather than EV enthusiasts. You know, like the people who thought it was already on sale. To that end, it isn’t shaped like a Prius-like slug, nor a car from “Back to the Future Part II.”
Nope, it basically looks like a RAV4, which isn’t such a bad idea considering Toyota moved 407,000 of those last year. Though it’s 3.7 inches longer with a 6.3-inch-longer wheelbase, and 2 inches lower in overall height, there is no denying the resemblance. To create some differentiation, Toyota added the prominent, metallic gray fender flares (yes, they’re obligatory) and erased the grille, creating a smooth, unadorned front end that also serves as the primary visual difference between the bz4X and the 2023 Subaru Solterra.
Ah yes, the Patagonia-adorned elephant in the room. This would be the second set of twins spawned by the Toyabaru alliance after the 86 and BRZ. However, whereas those cars are more-so the work of Subaru, the BZ4X and Solterra are by-and-large a Toyota joint. According to chief engineer Daisuke Ido, Subaru really only focused on the all-wheel-drive functionality and off-road capability of the twins, going so far as to share the Solterra’s X-Mode off-road drive modes with the bz4x. The Toyota doesn’t have quite as much ground clearance, but at 8.1 inches is only 0.2 closer to the ground than the Solterra. It’s also still higher than the compact SUV norm and basically a Power Wagon compared to the car-like Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.
The Solterra is only available with all-wheel drive, though, because Subaru. Toyota, on the other hand, offers a front-wheel-drive version as standard, which is where the b4ZX starts to really differentiate itself from the recent crop of new EVs. First, most of those come standard with a single rear motor and therefore rear-wheel drive. Second, their all-wheel-drive versions effectively add a front motor to the existing one at the back. Toyota does something completely different: The FWD model has one 150-kilowatt motor, while the AWD one has an 80-kW motor on each axle. The result is comparable power outputs of 201 horsepower with FWD an
And what's the deal with that name? Read on
Last summer, a whopping 40% of would-be electric vehicle buyers said they had heard of Toyota’s EV. Of that, 21% said they considered buying it. Funny thing was, the 2023 Toyota bZ4X wouldn’t be revealed for months, and we’re just reviewing it now. In other words, all those people were keen on a car that didn’t exist … which is more than those who had heard of the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf, cars that actually existed for years.
Well, the bZ4X exists now. Unlike the second-generation Prius that popularized hybrids, there is very little revolutionary about Toyota’s first from-scratch EV. You won’t see any bladder-busting range numbers, wait-saving charge times or neck-snapping 0-60 sprints. This sucker is aimed straight at the average new car buyer rather than EV enthusiasts. You know, like the people who thought it was already on sale. To that end, it isn’t shaped like a Prius-like slug, nor a car from “Back to the Future Part II.”
Nope, it basically looks like a RAV4, which isn’t such a bad idea considering Toyota moved 407,000 of those last year. Though it’s 3.7 inches longer with a 6.3-inch-longer wheelbase, and 2 inches lower in overall height, there is no denying the resemblance. To create some differentiation, Toyota added the prominent, metallic gray fender flares (yes, they’re obligatory) and erased the grille, creating a smooth, unadorned front end that also serves as the primary visual difference between the bz4X and the 2023 Subaru Solterra.
Ah yes, the Patagonia-adorned elephant in the room. This would be the second set of twins spawned by the Toyabaru alliance after the 86 and BRZ. However, whereas those cars are more-so the work of Subaru, the BZ4X and Solterra are by-and-large a Toyota joint. According to chief engineer Daisuke Ido, Subaru really only focused on the all-wheel-drive functionality and off-road capability of the twins, going so far as to share the Solterra’s X-Mode off-road drive modes with the bz4x. The Toyota doesn’t have quite as much ground clearance, but at 8.1 inches is only 0.2 closer to the ground than the Solterra. It’s also still higher than the compact SUV norm and basically a Power Wagon compared to the car-like Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.
The Solterra is only available with all-wheel drive, though, because Subaru. Toyota, on the other hand, offers a front-wheel-drive version as standard, which is where the b4ZX starts to really differentiate itself from the recent crop of new EVs. First, most of those come standard with a single rear motor and therefore rear-wheel drive. Second, their all-wheel-drive versions effectively add a front motor to the existing one at the back. Toyota does something completely different: The FWD model has one 150-kilowatt motor, while the AWD one has an 80-kW motor on each axle. The result is comparable power outputs of 201 horsepower with FWD an
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