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.

Still, you could argue that Toyota timed the launch of the bZ4X pretty well. It came on the scene as the electric SUV class was growing fast, with the arrival of now-familiar new models ranging from the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Kia EV6 to the Tesla Model Y and VW ID 4.

That's a double-edge sword, of course, because it means the bZ4X needs to excel if it's to match the success of, say, the Toyota Prius. It also faces competition from the very similar Subaru Solterra – although that car is limited to four-wheel drive, while bZ4X buyers get the option of front-wheel drive too.

So is the Toyota bZ4X good enough to compete with the best electric SUVs out there and should you consider buying one? Read on to find out...

There are two versions of the Toyota bZ4X to go for, and we think the single-motor, front-wheel drive version will likely be quick enough for most. In our tests, it sprinted from 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds – slightly quicker than a Kia EV6 Air.

The all-wheel-drive (AWD) version is faster but not by as much as you might expect, largely because it’s heavier. The official 0-62mph time is 6.9 seconds, which is quick compared with a petrol or diesel family SUV but nothing like the neck-snapping acceleration of a Kia EV6 AWD or Tesla Model Y Long Range.

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.

Fortunately, that hasn't come at the expense of handling: the bZ4X goes round corners pretty well without suffering from too much lean. We’d stop short ofcalling the bZ4X 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.

That’s especially true when it comes to the natural weighting of the steering and the feel of the brake pedal. That makes it really easy to judge how much pressure to apply to slow down smoothly, which it does a better job of than the ID 4.

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

What about the bZ4X's range between charges? Well, all versions have the same 64kWh (usable capacity) battery, and the more efficient front-wheel-drive version can officially do up to 318 miles (depending on the trim).

In our tests, efficiency was slightly behind the EV6 RWD and the Ford Mustang Mach-E Standard Range RWD, suggesting a real-world range of around 250 miles (depending on the temperature and how you drive). The four-wheel-drive (AWD) bZ4X can officially manage up to 286 miles on a charge, but when we ran one as a long-term test car, we saw not much more than 200 miles.

The AWD model, like the closely related Subaru Solterra, benefits from a 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 managed to find grip in the muckiest of situations is 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.

"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. You get front and rear parking sensors if you go for mid-rung Motion trim or above.

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 but entry-level Pure models (which miss out on adjustable lumbar support). The seat, steering wheel and pedals line up neatly with one another.

The only complaint you might have is that the steering wheel blocks your view of the digital driver's display behind it, which will depend on your height and driving position. We'd advise sitting in a bZ4X to check it suits you before you order one.

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 glossy black across large swathes of the centre console. Less impressive are the low-rent door pulls. On balance, the Kia EV6 feels a bit more upmarket inside.

Entry-level Pure models have an 8in infotainment touchscreen, with all other trim levels getting a larger 12.3in screen. We've only tried the larger screen, and despite sometimes being a little slow to respond to prods, it's reasonably easy to use.

Every bZ4X gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring and a built-in sat-nav app. Wireless phone-charging is standard on all versions except entry-level Pure models.

"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.

Mind you, the bZ4X's flat floor and broad interior 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 many rival electric SUVs, including the Kia 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

The Toyota bZ4X costs slightly more as a cash purchase than the Hyundai Ioniq 5 but less than the Audi Q4 e-tron, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Kia EV6 and the Tesla Model Y.

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 the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID 4 can manage but a lot slower than the Kia EV6 and Tesla 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 bZ4X will take around 30 minutes. A full 0-100% charge from a 7kW home wall box will take just under 13 hours.

The entry-level bZ4X – in Pure trim – is fairly well equipped, with 18in alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, and a pre-conditioning system for the interior. You also get an EV heat pump to improve range in colder conditions – something that's an option on most competitors, including the EV6. 

We’d suggest stepping up to mid-spec Motion trim, which adds some visual enhancements including a rear spoiler plus some genuinely useful kit. That includes rain-sensing wipers, an eight-way electrically adjustable and heated driver’s seat, rear privacy glass and a powered tailgate.

Venturing further up the range pushes the price into the territory of better premium-brand cars, including the Audi Q4 e-tron 50 quattro so it’s not something we’d recommend.

You get plenty of safety tech whichever trim you go for, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assistance, with blind-spot monitoring fitted from Motion trim. 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 fifth place out of 31 brands in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey.

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.

"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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