In-depth reviews

Toyota bZ4X review

The Toyota bZ4X is a capable, all-electric family car that impresses across the board, although some will find it expensive to buy

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

Price
£46,110 to £54,950
  • Good to drive
  • Comfortable
  • Much-improved infotainment system
  • Sub-300 miles range
  • Expensive to buy
  • Raised rear floor
Find your Toyota bZ4X
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Advertisement

The Toyota bZ4X is the Japanese manufacturer's first all-electric car, and can hang with the best electric family SUVs out there. Its ride delivers effortless levels of comfort, while keen drivers will appreciate the bZ4X’s dynamic prowess and its ability to deliver a surprising amount of fun on the road.

It’s not the cheapest family EV available, and nor does it offer the same range as the class leaders, but the bZ4X is well equipped and has a premium feel to its cabin, with enough practical touches and on-board tech to compete with close rivals. A smart and sophisticated exterior look adds to its appeal, while Toyota’s reassuring warranty package – which could potentially last up to 10 years – might just be the icing on the cake that wins customers over.

About the Toyota bZ4X

A quick rewind back to the nineties finds Toyota leading the way in hybrid technology with the launch of its Prius, firstly as a saloon in the Japanese domestic market and later in the UK as a hatchback model from around mid-2000. It was the first mass-produced car to use a hybrid powertrain, with a focus on delivering improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions compared with its pure-petrol and diesel rivals. 

Nowadays you’ll notice almost every model in Toyota range features hybrid technology, from the Yaris supermini to the Highlander seven-seater SUV. But for a brand that’s embraced electrification with such gusto, it was a little surprising that Toyota left it until 2022 to deliver its first all-electric car, the snappily named bZ4X.

Toyota has promised there will eventually be an entire family of electric bZ (beyond Zero) models in its showrooms, with the number in the name indicating the size of the car. So, with the 4 being a mid-size SUV (as the X represents), it leaves the door open for a variety of EVs, though the bZ4X is still just a party of one for now.

The bZ4X enters the all-electric family SUV market at a busy time, with a host of high-quality alternatives for buyers to choose from. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 are fantastic options, with the former offering a more relaxed, practical character and the latter a focused, sportier drive and sleeker looks. Our 2022 Car of the Year, the Nissan Ariya, which we’d recommend for its all-round ability, will also be on most buyers’ shortlists, along with the Skoda Enyaq iV, Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Every bZ4X is powered by a 75kWh battery, 71kWh of which is usable, and allows for a maximum range of 271 miles if you get the 201bhp front-wheel drive model. However, that figure shrinks to 255 miles if you get the 215bhp all-wheel drive version, which features two electric motors, one on each axle. For context, all of the bZ4X’s rivals we list above boast official ranges of well over 300 miles. 

There are also three core trim levels to choose from: Pure, Motion and Vision, with a Premiere Edition also available for a brief time when the bZ4X first arrived. Standard kit is decent, with every model featuring a seven-inch digital instrument panel, heat pump, 18-inch alloy wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, plus a host of safety systems. But the sweet spot is arguably the Motion specification, which includes niceties such as privacy glass, a panoramic glass roof, heated front seats and a bigger 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, opposed to the base model’s eight-inch display. Prices currently start from over £46,000, rising to beyond £54,000 for the top-spec model.

Frequently Asked Questions
The Toyota bZ4X is well equipped, practical enough for family life, easy to drive and features a much better infotainment system than many of Toyota’s previous efforts, but its range isn’t great.

For an alternative review of the Toyota bZ4X, visit our sister site drivingelectric.com...

Have you considered?

New Nio ET5 Touring review: quirky EV estate shows promise
Nio ET5 Touring - front tracking
Road tests
8 Dec 2023

New Nio ET5 Touring review: quirky EV estate shows promise

Alfa Romeo Tonale review
Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce - front tracking
In-depth reviews
27 Nov 2023

Alfa Romeo Tonale review

BMW iX review
BMW iX - front tracking
In-depth reviews
27 Nov 2023

BMW iX review

More on bZ4X

The best 0% finance car deals 2023
Best 0 per cent car finance deals
Best cars & vans
1 Sep 2023

The best 0% finance car deals 2023

Tempted by a 0% APR deal? Here are our best 0% finance deals starting from only £35…
New Toyota bZ4X FWD 2023 review
Toyota bZ4X FWD - front tracking
Road tests
21 Dec 2022

New Toyota bZ4X FWD 2023 review

The bZ4X is as good to drive with a single motor as it is with a dual setup, but this model still has some fundamental flaws
Toyota bZ4X vs Volkswagen ID.4 vs Hyundai Ioniq 5: 2022 group test review
Toyota bZ4X vs Volkswagen ID.4 vs Hyundai Ioniq 5: all three cars tracking
Car group tests
23 Jul 2022

Toyota bZ4X vs Volkswagen ID.4 vs Hyundai Ioniq 5: 2022 group test review

Does Toyota’s all-new bZ4X electric SUV crack the family-friendly formula? We compare it to Hyundai and VW rivals
New Toyota bZ4X 2022 review
Toyota bZ4X 2022
Road tests
8 Jun 2022

New Toyota bZ4X 2022 review

We’ve waited a while for Toyota’s first full EV, the bZ4X, but it’s been worth it
New Toyota bz4x electric SUV gets official 317-mile range
Toyota bZ4x - front
News
4 Apr 2022

New Toyota bz4x electric SUV gets official 317-mile range

Two versions of Toyota’s electric SUV will it UK roads this June
New Toyota bZ4X GR Sport Concept unveiled at Tokyo Auto Salon
Toyota bZ4X GR Sport Concept 2022 Tokyo
News
14 Jan 2022

New Toyota bZ4X GR Sport Concept unveiled at Tokyo Auto Salon

Toyota has dressed the bZ4X EV in its racy GR Sport trim – and we expect this concept will soon morph into a production model
Toyota to offer specialized electric car ‘hubs’ for bZ4X sales
Toyota bz4x
News
2 Dec 2021

Toyota to offer specialized electric car ‘hubs’ for bZ4X sales

Dealers will deliver series of specialized EV retail points to sell Toyota’s first bespoke EV, the bZ4X SUV