New Car Review | Toyota bZ4x Sport

The Toyota bZ4X is an all-electric SUV with up to 500km range.

Toyota haven’t exactly been the biggest proponents of electric vehicles over the last number of years. Instead, their focus has been on non-plug in hybrids such as the now famous Prius. So we have all been eagerly awaiting their big entry to the battery electric market.

Toyota has been designing cars with sharper and cleaner lines of late. The front end of the bZ4X features a very small grille, but it’s placed lower down toward the ground. You are left with an imposing nose that sits high and breaks cleanly over the bonnet. There are some interesting design features such as the black plastic insert on the bonnet where it meets the windscreen. The front wheel arches are decked out in a large plastic trim that actually wraps around to the front just underneath the headlights.

You would be forgiven for mistaking the rear of the bZ4X for the updated RAV4. A light bar runs across the back in a very clean line that separates the rear bodywork and window. The split spoiler at the back helps extend the roof line and give some character to the rear.

Our test car was the ‘Sport’ version, the middle of the three trim levels available. This is likely to be the biggest seller so a good test car to get. It was appointed nicely. Not quite luxurious, definitely not cheap, just comfortable. In short, it’s exactly what you want from a Toyota.

There is good space inside the bZ4X. The boot is a very respectable 452 litres, and there is some storage underneath the floor also to stow away things like your charging cables. Although the boot is a decent size, the best thing about it is the practicality. It has a flat floor and sits quite high, so it is very easy to get large and heavy parcels in and out. It’s also a good size opening, making it easier to load up bigger objects such as buggies, or even just let the dogs jump in. Legroom for rear passengers is impressive, with good head height also.

The Toyota is available as either a Front Wheel Drive or All Wheel Drive. There is next to no difference in performance levels, but the AWD will give you more traction in tricky conditions. But then again, we rarely encounter these conditions in Ireland.

Our test car was the FWD version with a 150kW motor, so a fraction over 200hp. This translates to a 0-100km/h time of 7.5 seconds. As with all EVs, it’s the application of this power that makes them so attractive. Acceleration is seamless and quiet. Those that are used to driving something like a 2.0 litre Diesel will find it very responsive and fast.

Range is quite decent in the Toyota bZ4X, although stops short of being impressive. It is equipped with a 71.4kWh battery, 64kWh of which is usable. This shows a WLTP range of up to 516km, which is theoretically possible in the right conditions. However, something like 330km to 350km is a more accurate real world figure.

There are three trim levels for the Toyota bZ4X. The ‘Advance’ is the entry level and costs from €47,750. Numbers will likely be low as customers opt for the more nicely appointed ‘Sport’ which costs €51,750. Those that want to splash out on the Premier Edition will pay €54,950. These prices are inclusive of the SEAI grant.

For us, the sweet spot will be the Sport. It has all the features that you want including heated seats, heated steering wheel. FWD will be perfectly adequate for the vast majority of mileage covered by those that will buy this.

The bZ4X scored very well in the Euro NCAP tests. It achieved scores of 88% for Adult Occupant, 87% for Child Occupant, 79% for Vulnerable Road Users, and 91% for its Safety Assist features. This is an impressive score overall, backing up its full 5-star rating.

For more information go to www.toyota.ie