In this test we see whether the Toyota bZ4X is a good choice if you are looking for an electric SUV.
Which reputable volume brand builds the best electric SUV?
When the brand that builds the world’s best hybrids finally comes with an electric car, expectations are high. However, after a difficult delivery, the Toyota bZ4X had some teething problems. The birth of the Volkswagen ID3, the founder of the ID4, did not go smoothly either. The maternity period has passed so sweetly for the German baby, but his Japanese challenger still has to prove himself.
Is Toyota finally going wild with the bZ4X?
How Toyota stands in the competition when it comes to the theme of electric driving becomes clear when you visit the Dutch website of the brand. At the top of the homepage, click on the ‘Electric driving’ tab, which will take you to the next page. You expect a bZ4X, but the first thing you see is a picture of a C-HR and a Corolla. That’s right, hybrids. Via the ‘All electric models’ tab, continue to the next page, with a full-width photo of the RAV4, connected to a wallbox. Indeed, a plug-in hybrid. Then we scroll through the page with all models, to finally end up at the bZ4X. It is of course fine that Toyota is betting on several horses in this transitional era and is also building top-class hybrids.
Why did Toyota wait so long with the first fully electric car?
The first fully electric car was a difficult delivery, which is quite special for a brand with more than 25 years of battery experience, but also with a reputation for building the world’s most reliable cars. Toyota certainly does not want to go down on that part in particular and that is why it is sailing a cautious course with the bZ4X. Whether this EV is as trouble-free as a Prius or Corolla, we will only know in five to ten years.
Volkswagen has been working on battery cars for some time and that resulted in an e-Up and e-Golf. However, the delivery of the ID3 was also a tough one there. It took a long time before it actually came to market and once it did, the software ghost reared its ugly head. There was a lot wrong in that area and that resulted in a wave of criticism. We are a few years later and the MEB platform is quite successful. There is also a lot of news to come.
What does bZ4X stand for?
In April 2021, the bZ4X made its world debut at the Shanghai Auto Show. The designation ‘bZ’ stands for Beyond Zero, the 4 for the model line and the X for crossover. Like Volkswagen, Toyota developed a new, modular basis for a range of electric cars: the E-TNGA platform. The plans are to launch seven fully electric models within the bZ line. The production version of the bZ4X was shown in October 2021 and it would then be on the market a year later. The first recall came as early as June 2022, when it turned out that the wheels could come off spontaneously, as with the sister model, the Subaru Solterra. In October, the Japanese will resume production.
Toyota’s bZ4X have been driving around for several months, so why only now a test in the Netherlands?
There are several reasons why we only now have a sample for a test. Initially, the bZ4X did not have a 3-phase charger and you cannot use that in our part of Europe. In addition, there were some loading problems. That started with a limitation to be able to fast charge a maximum of two times per day. In this way, Toyota tries to keep the battery healthy for longer. With a recent software update, that has been stretched to four times. Suppose you make a trip to Barcelona and you charge every 250 km, then you can drive almost 1,300 km in one day. That seems more than enough to us. Then spend the night at the AC pole and continue the next day. It becomes more problematic in winter, as there is no battery preheating. That is a capital blunder from Toyota. Also special: the bZ4X has to go to the dealer for an inspection every 15,000 km (or after a year).
Is the bZ4X a real Toyota?
In any case, we cannot call the bZ4X boring. This also applies to the interior, with an instrument panel placed above the steering wheel, just like Peugeot. Many different materials have been used and in some places there is that hard, shiny, black plastic. There is little EV information to be found on both the large and the small screen and during charging you cannot see how many kW this is done with. The on-board computer is also extremely brief and has no day, long time, and since charging consumption overview. We are of course particularly curious about the driving characteristics and consumption. In any case, it steers well, as we are used to from the latest generation of Toyota models. Boredom has also been thrown overboard in that area. Toyota promises a steer-by-wire version complete with yoke steering. It is noticeable that the suspension and damping are hard. This leads to uncomfortable driving behavior on poor road surfaces and when negotiating speed bumps. The engine is transverse in the front and drives the front wheels, so you sometimes feel drive responses and have a little wheelspin in tight corners when you give it a good throttle. With a normal to spirited driving style you will not be bothered by this and the bZ4X feels very stable. The engine is powerful enough and thanks to the lower weight it is even faster from 0-100 km / h than the Volkswagen. In all that, the chassis is nice and quiet and still dominates a positive feeling when it comes to driving. You switch on the recuperation at the touch of a button. It is not very strong, so that you have to brake yourself every now and then. The battery has a usable capacity of 64 kWh and after the first few long journeys the consumption manages to surprise with scores below 15 kWh/100 km and the final average remains well below 17.
Why a Volkswagen ID4 as a competitor and which version?
The ID4 is the bigger brother of the ID3 and, with the (slightly better selling) Skoda Enyaq and Audi Q4 e-tron, has two sister models that are on the same platform. In addition, there is the ID5, a coupé SUV. Unlike the bZ4X, Volkswagen offers two battery pack sizes: 52 kWh and 77 kWh. If you opt for the smallest, after deduction of a €2,950 subsidy, you can drive an ID.4 for just under 40 grand, with a 148 hp engine and only 50 kW ‘fast charging’. The version with the larger battery pack is available with 174 or 204 hp or as a four-wheel drive GTX with 299 hp. It is to be expected that there will be a minor refresh in the foreseeable future, such as the ID3 that recently underwent. The interior probably benefits in particular from this and the new, 286 hp and more efficient engine makes its entrance. That includes a slightly larger battery. We do it for this test with the 77 kWh version.
Is the ID4 a real Volkswagen?
Volkswagen unveiled the ID4 in late 2020, with sales and deliveries starting in early 2021. It is about the size of the Tiguan, but with its design completely different from the regular Volkswagen models. That certainly applies to the interior. Where you are surrounded by beautiful materials in a Golf, Passat or Tiguan and look at a mature dashboard, in the ID4 it is a bit poverty-stricken. Or should we speak of minimalism? That is certainly the case, but the elaboration could have been better, especially when it comes to the materials used. It speaks in its favor that everything feels solid and that you are sitting on a good seat.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl