MOTORS: Is futuristic design and quirky name of new Toyota worth the price?
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In the car-naming business, Toyota have excelled themselves with their first all-electric car.
You’d think to mark such a major development, they’d come up with something really memorable, which I suppose they have but it’s not one which easily trips off the tongue.
In a typical Japanese move, explaining a contrived label, they outline the thinking behind the bZ4X.
It sounds like some sort of mathematical formula or a symbol from the periodic table but apparently it breaks down into “bZ” for Beyond Zero, their new sub-brand focused on how battery electric vehicles can do more than deliver zero emissions on the way to carbon neutrality.
The 4 refers to the size of the car – 4 for mid-size – and the X is the vehicle type, for compact crossover SUV.
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I suppose it makes perfect sense to an engineer in Toyota Towers but I’m pretty sure customers would rather have something with a more cuddly label.
We’ll have to get used to it because the bZ4X is just the first of a new range of bZ EVs which Toyota will be bringing to us as Europe moves away from petrol and diesel engines.
It may seem that Toyota are late in getting into the full-EV business, having set the scene in 1997 with their Prius hybrid and turning out various plug-in hybrid models since then. Amazingly, they have put more than 20 million electrified vehicles on the road in that time and expect to sell 5.5 million more a year worldwide by 2025 with a line-up of 70 models including 15 pure electric versions.
Then again, their full-scale onslaught on the EV market couldn’t have come at a better time when demand is soaring as we get more used to doing without the traditional tankful. But the market is a busy place and competition is fierce with waiting lists for some superb models from rivals like newcomers Genesis and BYD as well as Nissan, Kia, Ford, Skoda and the flagship Tesla.
Toyota worked alongside Subaru, using their four-wheel-drive experience, so there are similarities with their version, the Solterra.
So why should buyers go for Toyota’s offering? For a start, it’s not just an adaptation of an existing model – it’s brand new and the first to be built on a platform designed specifically for BEVs where the battery is integrated into the chassis, beneath the floor to improve vehicle strength, stability and driving dynamics.
It comes in both single-motor front and dual-motor all-wheel-drive like the test car which was the top-of-the-range Vision model with useful power and torque both on and off-road and in demanding weather conditions.
Toyota deal with customers’ potential concerns about battery life by guaranteeing it will retain at least 70 per cent of its capacity after 10 years or one million kilometres of driving.
Charging time on a 150 kW charger – if you can find one – is only half-an-hour up to 80 per cent and it should have a range of almost 300 miles.
Its looks are sharp and angular with a hammerhead-style front end which will be the theme for subsequent models and is as distinctive as the name.
The interior has an appropriately futuristic style if a wee bit heavy on plastic but build quality is robust and looks well able to stand up to years of use.
On the road, it is well balanced and power is instant and smooth and the regeneration system on braking and deceleration is gentle unless you use the regen boost button which slows the car but there’s no one-pedal option to bring it to a halt.
The boot is fairly compact but in the cabin, there’s lots of legroom, thanks to the extended wheelbase but with the low roof, the headroom is a bit restricted if your passengers are on the tall side.
From its quirky name to its futuristic design, this car is something different but to own one, you’ll have to dig deep.
Toyota bZ4X Vision AWD
PRICE: £54,410
MOTOR: 71.4kWh Lithium-ion battery dual motor
POWER: 215 bhp
TORQUE: 337 Nm
TOP SPEED: 100mph
0-62mph: 6.9 seconds
CHARGING TIME: 150 kW 30 mins to 80 per cent
RANGE: 286 miles
