The Toyota bZ4X is the brand’s first battery-electric model, which sounds odd given Toyota’s hybrid expertise and the two generations of hydrogen cars it’s already released. The bZ4X is an SUV similar in size to the RAV4, but 85mm lower and with a 160mm longer wheelbase. Its 71.4 kWh battery gives it a theoretical average autonomy of 450 km. Toyota does not specify it, but you probably get that figure with the front-wheel drive variant, which has an electric motor of 204 hp and 265 Nm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 160 km/h.
Off-road mode
There is also a four-wheel drive version, which has 218 hp and 336 Nm and sprints from 0-100 km/h in 7.7 seconds. The four-wheel drive was developed together with Subaru (a nearly identical Subaru Solterra is coming soon) and uses two electric motors of 80 kW (109 hp) each, one per axle. There are several riding modes called XMode. You have a snow and mud mode, a deep snow/mud mode (below 20 km/h) and even an off-road mode with Grip Control (below 10 km/h).
90% after 240,000 km
The Toyota bZ4X is on a new platform, e-TNGA, which is aimed at electric models and therefore the entire electric ‘bZ’ range (beyond Zero) will be underpinned by the manufacturer. The architecture distinguishes itself, among other things, with a long wheelbase to make room for the battery. In this case, the lithium-ion package is more than 70 kWh in size, thus providing a comfortable autonomy. Toyota estimates that the battery still has 90% of its capacity after 240,000 km.
80% in 30 minutes
The on-board DC fast charger has a power of 150 kW. This allows 80% of the battery to be charged in 30 minutes. An 11 kW internal AC charger will arrive shortly after launch (late 2022). But there is also a little extra in the form of solar panels on the roof for free refueling on the way or when the car is stationary. Toyota promises up to 1,800 km of extra autonomy per year thanks to the sun, about 35 km per week if you live in a sunny area, so (which is increasingly the case with us after this summer).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UolII1L4y-k
Tesla steering wheel
The Toyota bZ4X is the brand’s first car with electronic steering, or ‘steer-by-wire’. The One Motion Grip option replaces the traditional steering wheel with one that resembles an airplane stick, such as on the Tesla Model S. The electronic system adjusts the wheel angle according to the driver’s intentions. A movement of only 150° is enough to turn the steering wheel completely. However, this equipment is not coming directly to Europe. Aircraft enthusiasts will therefore have to wait a little longer.
New infotainment
Despite the crazy steering wheel, the rest of the interior is quite traditional, with a large central screen. Indispensable nowadays, for the (renewed and hopefully improved) multimedia system that also gets over-the-air updates (OTA) to keep the software of the car fresh. The driver also sees a 7-inch digital counter screen. Toyota promises good legroom thanks to the long wheelbase. The trunk has a volume of 452 liters with the seats upright. In terms of safety, the Toyota bZ4X is equipped with the third generation Toyota Safety Sense, which has a wide range of active assistants.
The Toyota bZ4X will be presented in Europe on December 2 and will be launched on the market in the course of 2022.
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