Toyota now embraces electric vehicles, and a year later cuts the price of its bZ4X by almost 7,000 euros

The right vehicle, at the right time and in the right place. That is the motto that Toyoya follows in its electrification plan. And after more than 25 million hybrid vehicles sold since the launch of the first Toyota Prius back in 1997, the Japanese brand is clear that the time for electric vehicles has arrived. To that end, it has a short and medium-term plan, which we detail here: cheaper electric cars with more range.

And to put that plan into action during the transition to electric vehicles and reach those goals, at Toyota they have a clear path ahead, betting on multi-technology. On one hand, with its well-known self-charging hybrid cars. But also with more plug-in hybrid models, such as the new C-HR PHEV, without losing sight of hydrogen. And, of course, with 100% battery-electric models, such as the Toyota bZ4X, which is now the subject of a “relaunch”.

The right moment for the Toyota bZ4X

Toyota’s plans for its electric SUV, which reached the market a year ago, did not go entirely well, and the sales forecast estimated for 2023 fell well below expectations. For Toyota, it simply was not the right time… And now it seems that time has come. Of course, to give the bZ4X a “push”, Toyota has decided to change its commercial strategy and, since the scenario is now different, the list price has been cut by 6,650 euros.

There is now a Toyota bZ4X 4×2 available from 42,000 euros without purchase incentives, now more in line with some of its alternatives, such as the Volkswagen ID.4. And more affordable than an Nissan Ariya or the Subaru Solterra, which is basically the same car with a different face… and which recently also had to announce a discount of 6,000 euros off its list price. In other words: perhaps a year ago it was not the right time for the bZ4X, but what is clear is that its price was high. And since we’re on the subject of prices, let’s dig a little deeper into this and into how the Toyota bZ4X range looks.

There are two mechanical variants: a 4×2 with a front-mounted motor delivering 150 kW (204 CV) and 266 Nm of torque, and another with two 80 kW motors (one on each axle) and 4×4 traction that offers a system power only slightly higher, 160 kW (218 CV), with a maximum torque of 336 Nm. In both cases the battery is the same, with 71.4 kWh gross capacity (net: 64 kWh). The maximum charging power is 11 kW with alternating current, and up to 150 kW with direct current. The homologated range, according to the official Toyota catalogue, is between 436 and up to 503 km for the 200E 4×2, and between 411 and 415 km for the 220 AWD-iu 4×4, which are its official designations.

By the way, let’s remember that Toyota guarantees that the degradation of the bZ4X battery is less than 10% during the first 160,000 km or during 10 years. And that it does not exceed 30% after one million kilometres.

Equipment and price: from 275 euros a month with Toyota Easy plus

With such a small difference in pure performance, and with the same battery, I think the 200E 4×2 is the better buy, since the 4×4 version carries a surcharge of 3,000 euros for the same equipment. And both can be chosen in the two trims, Advance and Style Plus. The Advance already comes as standard with 18-inch wheels, the Toyota Smart Connect system with a 12.3-inch screen, cloth and synthetic leather upholstery, bi-LED front headlights and power tailgate. The step up to Style Plus costs an additional 4,000 euros, and you get, among other things, 20-inch wheels, two-tone bodywork, a panoramic sunroof, Multi-LED headlights with intelligent assistant, blind spot detection and safe exit assist.

These prices are compatible with the Plan Moves III. You know the drill: a purchase aid of 4,500 euros, plus another 2,500 euros if you hand in a car for scrapping. That brings the entry price of the Toyota bZ4X down to 35,000 euros, not counting the possible 3,000 euro income tax deduction. With Toyota Easy Plus an additional offer applies that takes off 2,500 euros, which leaves the final price at 29,500 euros, paying 48 monthly instalments of 275 euros, with a deposit of 15,000 euros and a final instalment of 19,300 euros. In this case four years of warranty and four years of free maintenance are included.

The cost-of-ownership comparison that Toyota makes, pitting a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid against the Toyota bZ4X, is curious, and may be of interest to those for whom the electric SUV’s range is sufficient and who are wondering whether it is really the time to make the leap to 100% electric mobility within Toyota’s own range. Matching the price with discounts in both cases, and considering an average annual mileage of 15,000 km, with current energy prices (petrol and electricity) and the homologated average consumption of both cars, the energy-only cost is about 133 euros a month for the RAV4, and 45 euros a month for the bZ4X, so the electric model would save about 90 euros a month. Exactly the difference in instalments, which with Toyota Easy Plus would be 187 euros for the RAV4, and 275 euros for the bZ4X.

The interior of the Toyota bZ4X: more saloon than SUV

With a driving position closer to a saloon than an SUV, the bZ4X’s interior immediately catches the eye with its layout, with the instrument screen above a steering wheel covered in buttons, which is slightly smaller than usual, but not as small as the ones used by Peugeot in its i-Cockpit. In the centre of the dashboard, and on a plane closer to the driver and lower than the instruments, sits the 12.3-inch multimedia system screen, easy to operate, although it doesn’t always feel “latest generation” when you interact with it.

The screen visually links with the floating centre console, where we find the transmission controller and buttons for some main functions. In between are the outlets of the climate control system and the independent controls for operating it, combining conventional and touch buttons. The overall feel is very “technological”, and the finishes, combining hard plastics with softer ones and upholstered areas, are correct.

The best thing about the Toyota bZ4X’s interior is its habitability. There is plenty of room for rear-seat passengers, who cannot adjust legroom because the bench is fixed, but can recline the backrest slightly to travel more comfortably. The boot, with a false floor, totals about 450 litres of capacity, which places the bZ4X in a middle zone among SUVs of its size… and somewhat behind the RAV4 Hybrid, which, as mentioned before, clearly exceeds 500 litres. By the way, I hadn’t mentioned it before: the bZ4X measures 4.69 metres long, 1.86 metres wide and 1.60 metres high.

Behind the wheel of Toyota’s electric SUV

It is increasingly hard to find characteristics that define the driving of an electric car to the point of setting it apart from rivals with similar technical specs. Motors that make no sound and deliver torque instantly, high weight and a very low centre of gravity that determine the dynamic behaviour… In the case of the bZ4X, Toyota has achieved good acoustic insulation, and also a suspension setup that provides good comfort over bumps without compromising agility, despite the 2.5 tonnes the car weighs… and tyres that on the 4×4 version are 235/50-20. I’d go for the 235/60-18 of the 4×2 first.

The steering is precise, and the brakes have a feel that requires little adaptation, and you’ll need to use them less than usual if you get the hang of using regenerative braking. Here it doesn’t work with paddles on the steering wheel, but with a specific mode activated by a button, which lets you control the level of regeneration -that is, of deceleration- from the accelerator pedal. You can therefore make the car regenerate as much as possible by lifting your right foot, and reduce the intensity of regeneration or control it by accelerating and lifting your foot slightly again, within a narrow margin.

In both versions the top speed is limited to 160 km/h; but the 4×4 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, compared with the 7.5 seconds needed by the 4×2. It is not a decisive figure to justify the extra cost of the 4×4, which has a specific driving mode for low-grip surfaces.

As for the homologated consumption figures, it’s more of the same, and a constant in electric cars: they are very optimistic. I can tell you now that, driving with an “efficiency” mindset and on a route mainly of motorway and wide, clear two-lane road, it’s best to plan trips of 250 km at most in the 4×4; and of, at most, 300 km for the 4×2; and even that is pushing it. We will check this more precisely when we have the chance to carry out a more in-depth test.

Toyota bZ4x – Image gallery