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Toyota bZ4X and eTNGA

In a nutshell, what does the Toyota bZ4X have to offer? The bZ4X is the first model on Toyota’s specially developed battery-electric platform: eTNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture). Like so many other all-electric cars, the battery is fully integrated into the chassis, under the floor of the car. This creates a nice low center of gravity, a stiff body, increased safety and good handling characteristics.

Drive

Powering a Toyota bZ4X as standard is an electric motor with 150 kW/204 hp and 265 Nm of torque, good for a 0-100 sprint of 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 160 km/h. This version has front-wheel drive.

There is also a Toyota bZ4X with all-wheel drive. That has a system output 160 kW/218 hp with 336 Nm of torque, resulting in acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds. Top speed remains the same at 160 km/h.

hefty lithium-ion battery

In all cases, a Toyota bZ4X has a lithium-ion battery with a gross capacity of 71.4 kWh of which about 64 kWh is usable (net). On paper, the crossover has a WLTP range of up to 512 kilometers. This range applies to the front-wheel-drive bZ4X. Do you achieve that in practice? No, because WLTP is still a theoretical value. With a temperature of about 23 degrees, our on-board computer indicated a range of about 395 kilometers. The average electricity consumption came to 14.3 kWh. In theory, we could then travel over 410 kilometers on a full charge of electricity. Everything depends heavily on your right foot, what systems are enabled in the car, driving speed, weather conditions, etc. So take that 512-kilometer range with a grain of salt.

TOYOTA BZ4X (2023), better after all the updates? – WARRANTY | LOADING | DRIVING – REVIEW – AutoRAI TV

Charging: what about it exactly?

What about charging? Perhaps it is time for some clarification first, because there has been some misunderstanding about the charging of this Toyota. Toyota chose to deploy early demos of the bZ4X at all dealers. Those first cars only had a 1-phase system to charge the car. If the customer was really eager for a bZ4X with 1-phase charging system – even after warnings from the dealer about residual value, for example – Toyota could already deliver a car. But that was not the intention, because customer cars should all have 3-phase, allowing you to charge much faster. So on the market you see here and there 1-phase occasions of the bZ4X. But that was not the choice of Toyota, purely of customers. Better to invest in a bZ4X with 3-phase system.

In the latter case, charging at an 11 kW charging point takes 6 hours and 45 minutes. Fast charging is also possible, up to 150 kW. In the latter case, charging from 10 to 80 percent takes only 30 minutes. The difference with a single-phase system is significant. Even with 6.6 kW, charging the battery still takes 11 hours and 20 minutes. So the gain with 3-phase is particularly large.

1,000,000 km warranty?

Another misunderstanding: the Toyota bZ4x is said to have a 1,000,000-kilometer battery warranty. It is different in the Netherlands only because Toyota’s importer in the Netherlands is a private organization and not a factory importer. In the Netherlands, therefore, the battery is guaranteed for 300,000 kilometers or 10 years, with Toyota promising that the battery will still have 70 percent of its capacity after that period. The car itself also has a 10-year warranty, up to 200,000 kilometers. So not a million, although 300,000 kilometers of battery warranty is also above average. Moreover, an individual drives an average of only 11,000 kilometers per year. For a cab driver, of course, it’s a different story.

Exceptionally spacious SUV

Why we call a cab driver? Simple: the Toyota bZ4X is extremely spacious. The wheelbase is particularly generous, giving you oceans of legroom in the rear. In addition, the luggage space is nice and spacious. The dashboard of this Toyota looks a bit crowded. The Japanese opted for many corners, edges and detached parts. Just the digital instrumentation in front of you seems to float. Extraordinary to see, but clean everything. That will be quite a challenge. Toyota’s 12.3-inch infotainment system looks slick, with nice graphics, navigation with dot-arrow system and, of course, support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Equipment Toyota bZ4X Active

Standard – as a bZ4X Active – the car already features 2-zone Climate Control, a heat pump, 18-inch alloy wheels, a rearview camera, Adaptive Cruise Control, Smart Entry, an 8-inch multimedia screen with Apple CarPlay & Wired Android Auto and Toyota Safety Sense 3, Toyota’s suite of assistance and safety systems. This includes Pre-Collision System, Lane Keeping System and Road Sign Assist. The bZ4X Active starts at 48,995 euros. This made the car about 4,000 euros cheaper. A pleasant windfall.

Toyota bZ4X Dynamic

The Toyota bZ4X Dynamic gets extras such as a 12.3-inch large multimedia display, 360-degree camera, power tailgate, parking assist system, front seat heater, steering wheel heater and rear Privacy Glass. This variant can be ordered from 52,995 euros.

Business versions are also available: the Business and the Business Plus. The bZ4X Business is based on the Active and has a tax value of 45,995 euros. The bZ4X Business Plus – based on the Dynamic – has a tax value of 49,995 euros.

Lease rates

Business drivers can lease the Toyota bZ4X from 569 euros excluding VAT through Operational Lease based on a 60-month term with 10,000 kilometers per year. Individuals can drive the Toyota bZ4X from 599 euros including VAT per month through Toyota Private Lease, based on a term of 72 months with 5,000 kilometers per month.

Solar Roof Panel

The options are quite limited. The car is also available with a Solar Roof Panel. With this, the bZ4X features a rooftop solar panel that can recharge up to 1,800 kilometers of range on an annual basis, purely from the sun.

Attention Toyota bZ4X

After all the updates and price reduction, is the Toyota bZ4X 2023 finally perfect? No, it didn’t. The seating position is not ideal, ideally the seat should be able to be placed a little lower. Moreover, the digital instrument cluster – like Peugeot i-Cockpit – is sometimes just out of focus. This depends on your physique. In order to see the display properly, you have to position the steering wheel a little lower or higher, while finally not wanting to make any concessions in that area. The interior looks – as mentioned earlier in this review – somewhat crowded. The high-gloss finish on the center console, in particular, provides distractions in bright sunlight or when driving under trees. You continuously see the reflection. The ease of operation is otherwise fine. All buttons are easy to find and all driving assistance systems can be found at the touch of a button, and deactivated on demand. Moreover, you can easily switch between adaptive cruise control, regular cruise control or a speed limiter with a push.

Also actually better?

In terms of driving, this Toyota bZ4X is a delightful car. It has fine handling, steers pleasantly and is also nice and quiet. The rear axle is quite firmly sprung, so be careful when driving over thresholds. But overall, the bZ4x is more interesting than ever. It is cheaper, more energy efficient thanks to several software updates and has good warranty terms. So he did get better.