What is it?

The Toyota bZ4X is the latest addition to join the ever-growing and overcrowded world of electric SUVs.

The acronym stands for ‘Beyond Zero Four (referring to its vehicle size) X (Crossover). That may not sound like a snappy name, but this is an important car for the firm, as it's their first take into the global BEV market.

What’s new?

Underneath its skin, the car shares all of its underpinnings with Subaru’s Solterra which is also a new electric SUV.

The car sits on the e-TNGA platform, which is co-developed with Toyota and Subaru for electric models.

The body, interior and even nameplate are all new, as well as a choice of front and four-wheel-drive versions on offer.

What’s under the bonnet?

There is one battery pack available and that is a 71.4kWh unit that also features an electric motor that produces a total of 207bhp and 266Nm of torque. The car can do 0-60mph in 7.3 seconds and it all runs out of electric puff at 99mph.

The claimed electric range from Toyota is over 300 miles, but realistically our test car has been getting around 270 miles, which isn’t too bad, but not the best. However, DC rapid charging is compatible allowing a time of half an hour to take the car from 10 to 80 per cent charged. Slower AC charging from a wall box will take around nine and a half hours to fully top up the car.

What’s it like to drive?

In terms of how it drives, the bZ4X does nothing exciting; instead, it just gets on with being a car.

It weighs nearly two tonnes and it feels heavy around the bends. The steering, although acceptable enough, lacks a lot of feel and doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence at higher speeds. Alongside that, wind and road noise are fairly intrusive into the cabin on the motorway which doesn’t make the car particularly refined.

Visibility out the back isn’t great either as there are some rather thick C-Pillars and it’s even worse when it’s raining as there’s no rear windscreen wiper.

But, economy has been good with our test car achieving an impressive 5.3 miles per kilowatt and on the move the suspension is fairly soft making it a comfortable car to travel in, just don’t expect a lot of thrills when you are behind the wheel. Furthermore, the bZ4X is a car that isn’t putting on a front and pretending to be something that it’s not, which is a breath of fresh air in this segment.

How does it look?

Giving Toyota some credit, the bZ4X does stand out in a good or bad way depending on how you look at it. Its large plastic wheel arches make the car look aggressive and at the front, the grille is smoothed off to make it more aerodynamic. Also, its LED headlights make the car look modern and give it that Toyota identity. In a bright colour, you will certainly turn a lot of heads, although our test car’s Dark blue paint scheme does make it a little bit more stealth-looking.

What’s it like inside?

When you step inside, there is a mixture of piano black trim alongside a cloth texture on the dashboard. It certainly has a futuristic design to it, and more than that, the instrument binnacle that houses the speedometer and driver information has a look that gives off a vibe from the aeronautical industry and something you’d find on a jet fighter. However, depending on your steering wheel position, it can obstruct your view of the dials, which is a poor design.

Also, cabin materials used throughout aren’t the best with a lot of hard and scratchy plastics all over. Another odd encounter is that there is no glove compartment. Instead, you have a large cut-out located under the centre console which does put all of your valuables on show for everyone to see.

However, negatives pushed to one side, interior space itself is very good with large cupholders in the door bins and behind the gear selector as well as rear passengers will have no trouble at all getting comfortable. There is loads of head, leg and knee room as well as a 452 litre boot which is decent enough as the shape and design is very usable. It’s just a shame that rivals like the Skoda Enyaq offer as much as 585 litres of space.

What’s the spec like?

There are three models of bZ4X to choose from and no matter what trim level you go for, they’re all generously equipped whether that is a Pure, Motion or Vision.

Motion and Vision models can be chosen with four-wheel-drive, while the basic model is only available with two-wheel-drive.

We’re driving the basic Pure model that is priced at £42,860, which features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic headlights and wipers as well as 18-inch alloy wheels.

The top-of-the-line Vision comes in at £48,810 and adds an electric tailgate, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and 20-inch alloy wheels.

Verdict

It may be new territory for Toyota producing BEVs, but thankfully their groundbreaking hybrid technology proves that electrified powertrains are still in the firm’s nature.

The bZ4X is let down by a cheap-feeling interior and bland driving experience which is a shame. But, its impressive efficiency, decent electric driving range and spacious interior mean that it still has a place in the market to be taken seriously. Also, its bold styling and generous equipment levels may do just the job of tempting people away from its European rivals.