Toyota bZ4X gets more range and more power as part of 2025 updates
The Toyota bZ4X gets an array of updates aimed at giving the electric SUV more showroom appeal
The Toyota bZ4X - the brand’s first and, for now at least, biggest electric car - has been given a major update, with range, power and technology all taking a step forward.
External changes are tricky to spot, amounting to a nip and tuck to the front end with sleeker headlights and a new bumper designed to improve aerodynamics, while inside a fresh 14-inch infotainment screen replaces the previous 12.3-inch system.
In a move that addresses a bZ4X weakness, maximum range jumps to an official figure of over 350 miles, compared with 318 on the current car, while the options of 218bhp all-wheel drive and 204bhp front drive are replaced by a trio of outputs – 165bhp, 221bhp and a new 338bhp all-wheel-drive range-topper.
Although maximum charging speed remains at 150kW, which is around the level of most rivals, if short of the 200kW of Kia and Hyundai, actual charging time at high-speed public charging should be reduced thanks to new standard-fit battery pre-conditioning software that prepares the battery for higher charging power. The system is either activated manually, or kicks in automatically if the in-car navigation is set and has taken account of a charging stop on-route.
The pre-conditioning is in response to advancing customer expectations. “The market is moving fast and demands are changing,” said bZ4X chief engineer Masaya Uchiyama. “At first the feedback was we need more range, but when you get to 400km [249 miles], customers said the range is fine but we need faster charging, and the pre-conditioning is especially good in colder temperatures.”
Uchiyama said doubling the maximum towing capacity of the bZ4X is in response to European customer demand, with the new 338bhp all-wheel-drive car now at 1,500kg to appeal to those wanting to tow trailers for small boats or other “recreational” items.
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