Toyota bZ4X review

The Toyota bZ4X is the Toyota's first modern fully electric car – which might surprise you, given that the Japanese manufacturer has been a trailblazer for electrification for years, in the form of its hybrid cars.

When it first arrived in 2021, it lagged behind rivals, such as the Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y, for range and charging speed. It’s since had a comprehensive facelift, based on customer feedback, that introduces more powerful motors, longer ranges between charges, suspension tweaks and a new infotainment touchscreen.

Toyota bZ4X video review

But do those updates make the new bZ4X even more of a match for rival electric SUVs? We got behind the wheel of the latest version to find out.

While there was only a single 71.4kWh battery option on the older bZ4X, the latest version is available with a choice of two batteries: a slightly larger 73.1kWh unit and a smaller 57.7kWh battery. 

There are still two drivetrains to choose from: front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, but the latter is only available with the larger battery. 

The combination of front-wheel-drive and the 73.1kWh battery is likely to be quick enough for most. Its official sprint time of 7.4secs is faster than the Kia EV6 RWD (7.7 seconds). 

However, anyone wanting to go even faster will want the four-wheel drive version. With an additional 117bhp electric motor on the rear axle, the 0-62mph sprint is cut to 5.1secs – faster than the Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-wheel drive, but still not as quick as the Model Y AWD.

The 57.7kWh battery version is the slowest option, with an official 0-62mph sprint time of 8.6secs. It also has a shorter range, so it’s aimed at buyers who don’t plan on driving long distances often.

No matter which version you go for, the smooth power delivery encourages you to drive the bZ4X in a relaxed manner, which suits its personality down to the ground. 

The suspension is noticeably softer than on the Model Y, giving the bZ4X a more supple ride. Indeed, comfort is roughly on a par with the EV6. The suspension feels slightly more controlled than these rivals over undulating terrain. 

Fortunately, that hasn't come at the expense of handling: the bZ4X goes round corners pretty well without suffering from too much lean. Overall rigidity has been increased on the latest version, with the delay between you turning the steering wheel and the car reacting sped up by 30%, while retaining the natural steering weight. 

Paired with Toyota’s Active Cornering Control (a system that brakes the inside wheels to remove understeer), the bZ4X is fairly keen to turn into corners. We’d stop short of calling it fun to drive and it's not as agile as the lower-riding EV6, but it does have the edge over the VW ID 4.

Slowing down is easy, thanks to the natural weighting of the brake pedal and brake regeneration that can be increased or decreased by new paddles attached to the steering wheel. 

Refinement is decent, with less road and suspension noise than in a Tesla Model Y, although the EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 are even quieter electric cars.

What about the bZ4X's range between charges? Well, the front-wheel drive version with the 73.1kWh (usable capacity is 69kWh) will officially cover up to 352 miles. That’s not as far as an EV6 RWD (361 miles) or Model Y Long Range RWD (387 miles). 

The AWD bZ4X has a slightly shorter range of 291 miles, and this dips to 275 miles for the 57.7kWh (useable 54kWh) front-wheel drive model.

The bZ4X’s maximum charging rate is fairly low at 150kW, but a battery pre-conditioning system helps to keep the 10-80% charging time 28 minutes in all temperatures. In comparison, the Model Y can charge up to 250kW, while the EV6 can take a 350kW charge and only takes 18 minutes to go from 10 to 80%. 

The AWD model, like the closely related Subaru Solterra, benefits from Subaru's X-Mode terrain control system, which allows it to overcome deep snow, mud and other obstacles. Plus it has a wading depth of 500mm.

When we tested the bZ4X on a challenging off-road course, the four-wheel-drive system's ability to find grip in the muckiest of situations was truly impressive. The two-motor drivetrain senses slip and meters out power to each wheel as needed.

Ground clearance over particularly severe obstacles is more of a limitation when things get really rough, but we can confidently say that you’ll have enough off-road ability to negotiate even the muddiest of car parks.

It's also worth noting that the bZ4X's towing capacity has been doubled from 750kg to 1500kg. 

"Given that it’s a heavy electric SUV, the bZ4X AWD is impressive off-road. You probably wouldn’t ever need to take it on a trail like the one we used but it’s good to know you can." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The Toyota bZ4X has a relatively low roofline for an SUV, but the interior still feels open and airy thanks to the tall side windows.

You sit high up in the car, which not only gives you a good view out to the front and sides, but also makes you feel like you're driving a proper SUV. The height of the driving position is more akin to the VW ID 4 than the lower-riding Kia EV6.  

Rear visibility is slightly restricted due to the chunky rear pillars but all models get a reversing camera as standard to help out with parking. All three trim levels also come with low-speed automatic front and rear braking, and front and rear parking sensors are included on mid-rung Design and top-level Excel trim.

Ignoring how far you like to sit from the road, the bZ4X has a sound driving position. The seat is comfortable, offers much more side support than in the Tesla Model Y and adjusts electrically in all three trim levels. The seat, steering wheel and pedals line up neatly with one another.

Quality is a mixed bag. There are some upmarket materials on show, including soft-touch plastic on the insides of the doors, fabric inserts on the dashboard and black trim across large swathes of the centre console, but overall the EV6 feels a bit more upmarket inside.

The redesigned dashboard and centre console on the latest version is a definite improvement on the old one, especially when it comes to usability. However, some drivers may find that the top of the steering wheel blocks their view of the dash, so it's worth checking this out for yourself before you buy to ensure you can get a good driving position and be able to read the dash. 

The digital instrument panel hasn’t changed much, but Toyota has added more information when you’re charging, including the amount of time it’ll take to charge to 80% and a battery health check indicator. 

While we’re on the topic of screens, the infotainment touchscreen has been increased in size from 12.3in to 14in across the range. For the most part, the system is the same, with the same sharp graphics, but the same slightly sluggish response to your inputs. One great new addition is EV-specific features on the sat-nav, allowing the car to find appropriate public EV chargers along your route and pre-condition the battery for faster charging. 

When it comes to the centre console between front seat occupants, the drive selector and physical controls have been moved back and a pair of wireless phone charging pads have been put in their old position. 

Every bZ4X gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring as well as wireless charging for two phones.

"Physical shortcuts buttons for the air-conditioning system and proper buttons on the steering wheel are a welcome addition to the Toyota bZ4X." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The Toyota bZ4X is a similar size to the Toyota RAV4, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there's plenty of space in the front. That's the case even if you tick the box for the optional panoramic sunroof.

There's plenty of storage, including a large cubby under the centre armrest, a lidded tray for your phone behind the gear selector, an open tray under the "floating" centre console and door bins capable of holding two large bottles of drink. Unusually, the bZ4X doesn't have a glovebox.

Rear leg room is frankly ridiculous – and in a good way. Due to the bZ4X’s long wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels), you’ll have loads of knee room, even if you're tall and are sitting behind someone similarly lofty. Mind you, the same can be said of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

Head room isn't so great, and if you're more than six feet tall, you might find that your head hits the ceiling when you try to relax back in your seat and use the head rest.

The bZ4X's flat floor and broad interior does however mean it's not too much of a squeeze for three adults sitting in the back. You can adjust the angle of the seatbacks – a handy feature that's also offered in the EV6 and Skoda Enyaq.

With the rear seats in place, the bZ4X has 452 litres of boot space, which was big enough for us to fit in eight carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf. For comparison, the EV6's 490-litre boot took seven cases and the Enyaq (585 litres) swallowed nine.

In short, some rivals have a bigger boot, but there's still plenty of room for a family holiday. You get a small underfloor storage area for the charging cables, which is a handy way of making sure they don’t steal any boot space. If you need to lug around a bigger load, you can fold down the 60/40 split rear seat backs.

"Unlike some electric cars, the Toyota bZ4X doesn’t have any extra storage space under its bonnet, which is a shame." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

As a cash purchase, the Toyota bZ4X costs the same as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but less than the Audi Q4 e-tron, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y. Prices for the AWD bZ4X also undercut AWD versions of the latter two aforementioned rivals.

Resale values are expected to be slightly lower than for those rivals, with the exception of the Mustang Mach-E, which is predicted to depreciate more quickly. 

As an electric car the bZ4X attracts a very low BIK tax rate so – like rival electric SUVs – it's cheap to run as a company car. 

The bZ4X’s maximum charging speed of 150kW is faster than what some versions of the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID 4 can manage, but a lot slower than the EV6 and Model Y, which can both accept more than 200kW. In ideal conditions from a fast enough CCS charging point, a 10-80% charge in the more powerful bZ4X will take 28 minutes. A full 0-100% charge from a 7kW home EV charger will take just under 13 hours.

Three trims are available: Icon, Design and Excel. All versions come with a pre-conditioning system for the interior and an EV heat pump to improve range in colder conditions – something that's an option on most competitors, including the EV6.

Entry-level Icon trim can only be had with the smaller battery, and its kit includes heated front seats, two wireless phone chargers, ambient lighting, a powered tailgate and a blind spot monitor.

If you want the larger battery, you'll need to opt for Design or Excel trim. Design trim adds a panoramic parking monitor, puddle lights that project images on the ground and a windscreen de-icer.

Stepping up to top-spec Excel adds the option of all-wheel drive, though you can also have it with front-wheel drive. It comes with 20in alloy wheels, heated, ventilated and power adjustable front seats, heated rear seats, a digital rear-view mirror and synthetic leather upholstery on the seats. It also comes with a 22kW charger for faster AC charging.

You get plenty of safety tech whichever trim you go for, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assistance, with blind-spot monitoring. All that tech helped the bZ4X to score the full five stars when it was tested for safety by the experts at Euro NCAP in 2022.

We don’t have any reliability data for the bZ4X but Toyota finished in an excellent fourth place out of 30 brands in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey. Plus, you can extend the warranty up to 10 years if you service your car at an official centre.

You also get an extended care programme that guarantees the battery will operate to 70% of its original capacity after up to 10 years of ownership, subject to the owner taking their car to an authorised dealer for an annual EV health check.

"I think Toyota’s 10-year warranty is class-leading and a really attractive bonus on top of the brand’s great reliability record." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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