2023 Toyota bZ4X

2 0 2 3 T O Y O T A b Z 4 X L I M I T E D A W D ~ B Y J O E L O R I O

Safe at First

Highs: Taut yet compliant suspension, airy interior, solid roster of features. Lows: Modest power, so-so range, federal tax credit expiring soon.

Toyota has a deep roster of hybrids, but with EVs it has mostly been content to watch from the stands (except for the RAV4 EV sold in California in 1997 and again in 2011). Now, Toyota steps up to the plate with a nationally available EV, the bZ4X, and it’ s a largely cautious effort that doesn ’t swing for the fences.

Although the name seems like a bad pull from the Scrabble letter bag, Toyota says bZ stands for “beyond Zero ” emissions, while X indicates SUV. The 4 denotes the size, which is slightly longer and lower than a RAV4. The bZ4X was co-developed with the Subaru Solterra, which is almost identical inside and out.

One major difference: Subaru went exclusively dual-motor, allwheel drive, while Toyota also offers a single-motor, front-wheeldrive variant. That base car has 201 horsepower (exactly matching Volkswagen ’ s ID.4). The dual-motor ’ s 214 horsepower, though, trails far behind the similarly priced dual-motor ID.4 (295 horsepower) and Hyundai Ioniq 5 (320 horses) in power and acceleration. We expect the single-motor variant to hit 60 mph about a half-second behind the 6.3-second effort made by the Limited AWD model we tested.

In a drive around suburban San Diego, the two felt equally spry, particularly in their initial response pulling away from a stop or accelerating onto the freeway. The chassis is taut but compliant, and a button on the console boosts regenerative braking though not to the level of one-pedal driving. The all-wheel-drive version includes hill-descent control plus X-Mode programming (borrowed from Subaru) with two off-road modes and a brake-based system to manage torque across either axle when one wheel loses grip.

EPA range is toward the lower end of the competitive set. With a 63.4-kWh battery, the front-drive model has estimates of 242/252 miles (XLE/Limited). The dualmotor version ’ s 65.6-kWh pack delivers 222/228 miles. At 75 mph, however, that range drops to a mere 160 miles. With a Level 2 supply, the 6.6-kW onboard charger replenishes the battery in nine hours. A DC fast-charger adds 80 percent charge in an hour. Buyers get a year of free charging at EVgo locations and can add a ChargePoint Level 2 home charging station for $699.

The roomy interior features a fixed glass roof and a high center console with open stowage underneath but no glovebox. An optional radiant heating element in the lower dash of Limited models warms frontseat riders ’ legs. The digital instrumentation display is positioned above the steering wheel rather than behind it, and drivers who adjust the wheel higher may partially obscure it. The 12.3-inch center touchscreen has sharp graphics and wireless phone mirroring, but plus/minus buttons for volume and onscreen audio tuning are negatives.

At $43,215 to start, and nearly $10,000 pricier for the model we tested, the bZ4X lands in the thick of the mainstream market. But without a headlining long-range or flashy high-performance model, it’ s more utility player than league MVP—in other words, a Toyota.

t h e n u m b e rs

Vehicle Type: front- and mid-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon

Base/As Tested ... $49,995/$52,050

Motors: 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC Combined Power ..................... 214 hp Combined Torque .............. 248 lb-ft Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 65.6 kWh Transmissions: direct-drives

Dimensions

• Wheelbase ............................. 112.2 in • L/W/H ................ 184.6/73.2/65.0 in • Curb Weight .......................... 4514 lb

t e s t R E S U L T S

60 mph ...................................... 6.3 sec 1/4-Mile ............... 14.9 sec @ 92 mph 100 mph ................................... 18.5 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ... 6.4 sec Top Speed (gov ltd) ........... 104 mph Braking, 70–0 mph .................. 174 ft

Roadholding,

300-ft Skidpad ....................... 0.82 g

C/D Fuel Economy

• Observed ............................ 76 MPGe • 75-mph Hwy Driving ..... 86 MPGe • Hwy Range ............................. 160 mi

EPA Fuel Economy (mfr’s est)

• Comb/City/Hwy ... 112/92/102 MPGe • Range ...................................... 222 mi