- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
Perm Magnet, LI
- Engine Power
NA
- Fuel
29h 45m chg, 535km range
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Red'n Gear
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2022)
2024 Toyota bZ4X FWD review
It's taken Toyota 14 years to join the electric vehicle party with the bZ4X mid-size crossover. Has Australia's biggest brand leapfrogged the Tesla Model Y, Kia EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E and others or is it too little too late? Glenn Butler finds out.
- Typical Toyota: better than average in almost every measure
- Spacious and generally practical interior
- Energy efficiency is good
- Battery is small and 436km range is on the low side
- No glovebox, no foot room under front seats, and cloth trim for nearly $70K
- Missing important safety systems that are only offered on the top model
This article includes reporting by Alex Misoyannis, first published in Drive's launch review of the Toyota bZ4X.
2024 Toyota bZ4X FWD
Toyota, ever practical but seldom innovative, has finally joined the pure electric vehicle party.
Say hello to the Toyota bZ4X. It's hard to believe it has been 14 years since Mitsubishi introduced Australians to pure electric vehicles with the iMiev tiny hatchback. But then, Toyota has never strived to be first. Instead, Toyota focuses on doing it more effectively and more affordably than the early birds.
Let's see if it has done that here.
How much is a Toyota bZ4X?
This is the Toyota bZ4X FWD, which, at $66,000 plus on-roads, is the cheaper of the two bZ4X variants that went on sale in Australia in March 2024. The other one is the bZ4X AWD, which carries a $74,900 price before on-roads. By the way, drive-away prices will add around five grand to those figures.
If you're wondering at the emotive name, Toyota says BZ stands for Beyond Zero (as in emissions), the 4 is the vehicle's size in Toyota's hierarchy, and the X means crossover. Feel better now?
But what exactly is it? A medium SUV, a large SUV, a hatchback, or something in between? Labelling cars is getting harder and harder, so let's look to the facts for guidance.
It's longer and wider than a Toyota RAV4, although it has a slightly lower roof height. It will be interesting to see how that impacts interior head room since the battery of electric vehicles typically sits in the floor structure, meaning occupants sit a little higher.
That's on top of the bZ4X's impressive 212mm (AWD variant) of ground clearance, which is 20mm more than the RAV4, and combines with blackened wheel arches to give it a more rugged, off-roady look.
But the Toyota bZ4X is not an off-roader, especially not in front-drive guise like we have here. So, let's call it a more expensive, EV-powered, urban-focused SUV alternative.
Key details | 2024 Toyota bZ4X FWD |
Price | $66,000 plus on-road costs |
Drive-away price | $71,622 (Melbourne) |
Rivals | Subaru Solterra | Tesla Model Y | Kia EV6 |
How big is a Toyota bZ4X?
The Toyota bZ4X looks compact from the outside, but the tape measure reveals the lie. The bZ4X is actually 90mm longer than the Toyota RAV4, and sits on a 160mm longer wheelbase. It's pretty much the same width (1860mm v 1855mm) and slightly less tall (1650mm v 1685mm).
So, really, it's ideally sized for duties as an urban family EV. But do those dimensions pay off on the inside?
Get a great deal today
Interested in this car? Provide your details and we'll connect you to a member of the Drive team.
Starting at the electrically opening boot and working our way forward, we've got a 452-litre cargo space (including under-floor storage), which is not equal to the RAV4's 542L but is still decent. There are four tie-down points, plus a retractable and removable cargo blind, but no shopping hooks and no 12V charger.
The boot floor has a false bottom, which hides the charging cables, and a tyre repair kit (there's no spare tyre of any kind). If they weren't there you could liberate a little more space by lowering the floor, but that's unrealistic because how would you charge away from home?
The back seat folds 60/40 to accommodate bigger loads, which is at the expense of back seat occupants.
Entry to the back seat is easy enough through a tall and wide door aperture, delivering you into a predominantly fabric-lined interior with leather-look highlights. Back seat occupants get air vents and two USB-C ports, plus if there's no third occupant, they can fold down the armrest for somewhere to park coffee cups and phones.
There are good-sized bottle holders in the doors, too, and seatback pockets, but not much else.
As for occupant room, the bZ4X is actually quite spacious. Loads of leg room and head room for my 172cm frame, although the floor is high enough to compromise thigh support and there's no room under the front seats for feet. The driver's seat can be raised to liberate some foot room, but not the passenger's.
For some reason, Toyota has given the bZ4X a small transmission-tunnel-style hump in the middle. It's subtle, won't impact taller middle-seat occupants too much, and could be seen as a feature allowing younger kids to get their feet on the floor.
Lastly, the seatback reclines slightly to add that little extra touch of comfort.
Moving up to the driver's position and the conventional gives way to unusual, particularly the steering column and driver's instrument cluster arrangement. Toyota has placed the instrument cluster further forward and higher up so it is viewed above the steering wheel.
I'm not a fan of this set-up, pioneered in contemporary Peugeots, because it forces me to place the wheel much lower than I'd like. Toyota's execution works better than Peugeot's but is still not perfect.
The unconventional continues with the bZ4X's weird transmission selector. Toyota had a real opportunity to go with buttons here for drive, reverse and neutral, but chose to do this warped dial instead, lifted from the Lexus RZ. I guess Toyota's keen to prevent any recurrences of unintended acceleration.
Lastly, storage. We've got the typical under-armrest bin with a false floor for hiding valuables... like the car's manual. There are two central cupholders for front seat occupants, a slot for keys or phones, and a lidded cubby with a USB-A point ideally suited for phones. This lidded cubby is where the more expensive bZ4X AWD variant hides the wireless phone charging mat.
The front door pockets have scallops for two water bottles each, and then there's the glovebox … not. Toyota didn't bother with one in the bZ4X, using the space behind the dash for a radiant heater to warm the cabin instead.
2024 Toyota bZ4X | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 452L seats up |
Length | 4690mm |
Width | 1860mm |
Height | 1650mm |
Wheelbase | 2850mm |
Does the Toyota bZ4X have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The bZ4X's 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen runs the same software as newer Toyota models, including the Corolla Cross and updated RAV4. The system works well, but the screen's size is not utilised effectively; the icons and touchpoints are in many cases too small and fiddly to tap accurately when the car is on the move.
The software is also not the fastest or the most visually impressive, but again in typical Toyota style, it's functional.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is AM/FM/digital radio, Bluetooth media playback and satellite navigation. The system also has built-in voice functionality.
The 7.0-inch driver's instrument display is on the small side, but it places all the necessary information in the driver's line of sight.
As for remote connectivity, one year of Toyota Connected Services support is standard – including a smartphone app that allows for remote unlocking/locking, vehicle tracking, and pre-heating of the cabin. Once the free period runs out, it's another $10–$12.50 a month to maintain it, or $120–$150 a year.
Is the Toyota bZ4X a safe car?
The Toyota bZ4X earned a five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) based on testing conducted by its European counterpart, EuroNCAP, in 2022.
The bZ4X earned 88 per cent for adult and child occupant protection, 79 per cent for vulnerable road user protection (pedestrians and cyclists), and 93 per cent for safety assist technology.
2024 Toyota bZ4X | |
ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2022) |
Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Toyota bZ4X have?
The Toyota bZ4X range is available with all the latest advanced safety technologies expected in this category, plus seven airbags – including one between the front seats to prevent occupants’ heads clashing in a severe side-impact crash.
Blind-spot monitoring (with rear cross-traffic alert) and a safe exit warning are not on the more affordable FWD variant but are standard on the more expensive AWD.
This is a disappointing decision by Toyota's product planning department. Drive believes car companies should not use lifesaving safety features to force customers to spend more. Especially not when these same features are standard on a $30,000 Toyota Corolla.
That said, we found no issues with any of the active safety systems and driver assist technologies fitted to the test car.
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) | Yes | Includes day/night pedestrian, daytime cyclist, junction, motorcycle awareness |
Adaptive Cruise Control | Yes | Includes traffic jam assist |
Blind Spot Alert | No | (fitted to the more expensive AWD variant only) |
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert | No | (fitted to the more expensive AWD variant only) |
Lane Assistance | Yes | Lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist |
Road Sign Recognition | Yes | Includes speed limit assist |
Driver Attention Warning | Yes | Includes driver-facing camera |
Cameras & Sensors | Yes | Front and rear sensors, rear camera on all models |
How much does the Toyota bZ4X cost to run?
A five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty covers the Toyota bZ4X for the vehicle and eight years or 160,000km for the high-voltage battery.
Scheduled servicing costs $180 each for the first five services – at 12-month or 15,000km intervals – amounting to $900 over five years/75,000km.
This is cheaper than a Kia EV6 RWD ($1382) and Hyundai Ioniq 5 ($1730) but more expensive than a Ford Mustang Mach-E Select ($780 over five years/75,000km), Subaru Solterra (which is free for the first five years), and a Tesla Model Y (which has no routine service schedule, aside from a few maintenance items every few years, including cabin filters and tyre rotations).
The bZ4X FWD costs $2093 per year to insure comprehensively with one of Australia's biggest automotive insurance agencies, according to an online quote we received for a 35-year-old male with a clean driving record garaging the car in Chatswood, NSW.
This is competitive with our Kia EV6 quote ($2135) and Tesla Model Y RWD quote ($2345).
These figures are provided for comparison purposes only. Your quote may differ based on your circumstances and driving history.
At a glance | 2024 Toyota bZ4X |
Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
Battery warranty | Eight years, 160,000km |
Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
Servicing costs | $540 (3 years) $900 (5 years) |
What is the range of a Toyota bZ4X?
Toyota claims the bZ4X consumes 16.9kWh per 100 kilometres based on European WLTP testing standards, which yields a driving range of 436km.
During my time with the car, I consistently averaged mid-16s over 500km of mostly freeway commuter driving (which in typical Melbourne style included a solid 30–45min of traffic-jam crawling each day. This suggests that Toyota's 436km driving range claim is achievable.
My colleague Alex Misoyannis experienced much higher consumption during Toyota's Canberra-based launch program, which suggests that he's either a leadfoot or the drive program was more energy-intensive. I've driven with Alex, and I suspect the latter. It's also worth noting that his consumption rating was achieved in the slightly heavier and more powerful bZ4X AWD.
So, while he wrote that the AWD's "energy consumption looks to be high for the class", and rated the bZ4X a 6.5 for energy efficiency, I found the FWD variant to be among the more frugal and have scored it eight out of 10.
To put that consumption in context, Alex wrote that a Tesla Model Y RWD is capable of 14 to 16kWh/100km without much effort – and 18 to 19kWh/100km when pushed – while we have found rivals from Korean brands Hyundai and Kia to consume closer to 17 or 18kWh/100km in regular driving.
Toyota claims the bZ4X can accept up to 150kW from a DC fast charger, for a 10 to 80 per cent recharge in 30 minutes – which is equal to a Mustang Mach-E, slightly slower than a Model Y RWD (about 25 minutes), and a lot slower than an Ioniq 5 or EV6 (which can do 10–80 per cent in about 20 minutes, at up to 240kW).
AC home charging at up to 11kW is claimed for a zero to 100 per cent recharge in seven hours.
Energy efficiency | 2024 Toyota bZ4X FWD |
Energy cons. (claimed) | 16.9kWh/100km |
Energy cons. (on test) | 16.6kWh/100km |
Battery size | 71.4kWh |
Driving range claim (WLTP) | 436km |
Charge time (11kW) | 7h (claimed 0–100%) |
Charge time (50kW) | 1h (estimated 10–80%) |
Charge time (150kW) | 30min (claimed 10–80%) |
What is the Toyota bZ4X like to drive?
This bZ4X has a 150kW electric motor driving the front wheels – which is a strange decision because most other car companies are returning to rear-drive with their electric cars because it has inherent dynamic advantages.
Historically, Toyota hasn't given much credence to driving dynamics beyond a basic level of competence. That all changed with the arrival of the Toyota 86 and rebirth of the Toyota Supra, which we were told would infuse Toyota's new-age dynamism into all Toyotas and usher in a new era of driver involvement.
Still, it's a decent powertrain with strong accelerative performance when you need it. Toyota claims 0–100km/h in 7.5 seconds, which is half a second faster than a hybrid RAV4.
There are two basic driving modes that really only change the off-throttle braking effect and the vehicle's energy recuperation. Toyota has stopped short of making it a true one-pedal driving system that can bring the car to a complete halt. The reason given by bZ4X Chief Engineer Masaya Uchiyama to Drive's Alex Misoyannis at the Australian launch was "we want the driver to decide if they want to stop or not. We want the driver to have that responsibility".
As for ride quality and driving dynamics, the bZ4X meets buyer expectations at this price without excelling in any way. The ride handles poorer roads and speed bumps without crash and bash, but there is more tyre roar than we'd like.
The steering is also on the heavy side. More assistance would make the car feel easier to drive.
Key details | 2024 Toyota bZ4X FWD |
Engine | Single electric motor |
Power | 150kW |
Torque | 266Nm |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
Transmission | Single-speed |
Power to weight ratio | 76.5kW/t |
Weight (kerb) | 1960kg |
Spare tyre type | Tyre repair kit |
Payload | 505kg |
Tow rating | 750kg braked 750kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 11.2m |
Can a Toyota bZ4X tow?
Both variants of the Toyota bZ4X can tow up to 750kg, either braked or unbraked.
Toyota claims a payload of 505kg for the front-wheel-drive bZ4X, or 495kg for the AWD, which must cover the weight of all passengers, accessories and cargo fitted to the vehicle. It should be sufficient to cover the bZ4X’s five seats and boot for most buyers.
Should I buy a Toyota bZ4X?
Against its rivals, the bZ4X is Toyota catching up to the EV crowd. We're talking the Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, and Ford Mustang Mach-E – although that last one has its own challenges.
Let's not forget there's a Subaru rival called the Solterra – which in fact is a twin under the skin with the bZ4X. There are differences, but we're talking equipment and not mechanical. And we're not here to talk about the Subaru Solterra.
The Toyota bZ4X is good value without being the best value, good energy efficiency without being the best, and good practicality without being the most spacious. It's also a decent car to drive without being the most invigorating EV out there.
There are a couple of safety omissions on this entry-level bZ4X, namely blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and safe exit alert. Toyota provides that on the more expensive AWD variant, but it's disappointing to see safety held back only for those who can afford it.
In summary, the Toyota bZ4X is good enough for people who prize the Toyota badge and all that it promises. Given that Toyota is Australia's most popular brand – by some margin – that's probably enough for a lot of people.
In short, Toyota has delivered 'the Toyota of EVs'. The Toyota bZ4X is a solid offering that meets or (just) exceeds expectations in almost every regard.
How do I buy a Toyota bZ4X? The next steps.
The front-wheel-drive bZ4X is the better value variant, but if you value the extra safety and luxury features of the AWD model, it is also worth a look.
Toyota says it expects to sell 1500 examples of the bZ4X in its first 12 months, and has not mentioned any supply issues. If the bZ4X proves to be more popular than expected, the Japanese car maker says it can procure more vehicles to meet demand.
To contact a Toyota dealer for the most accurate estimates on stock levels and delivery times, click here to find your nearest showroom. You can also find new and used Toyotas for sale at Drive.
We would also recommend test-driving a Tesla Model Y – either the RWD or Long Range – as it is among our top picks in this category, priced in line with the bZ4X, and the best-selling electric car in Australia.
It is also worth considering the Kia EV6 – a previous Drive Car of the Year award winner – as well as a Hyundai Ioniq 5.
If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.