Toyota NZ welcomes first BEV
Toyota’s first battery electric vehicle (BEV) to go on sale in New Zealand – the bZ4X – has officially arrived at its stores on these shores.
But what’s in a name? Well, the b is for beyond, Z for zero as in impact, the 4 indicates its size and X is for off-roading capability. It’s wholly original and the marque’s first model to be developed entirely as a BEV.
In a move to emphasise its importance in Toyota’s line-up, the bZ4X’s chief engineer, Masaya Uchiyama, travelled here in March to launch it on the local market.
Neeraj Lala, Toyota NZ’s chief executive, describes the BEV’s launch as “a momentous occasion as it marks the next phase of Toyota’s transition to decarbonising its portfolio and producing the right vehicles for customers”.
He adds: “Two things stand out about this car. It is very easy to drive. The focus has been on simplicity and making it familiar to Toyota drivers, which is important. We want our customers to be able to get in the bZ4X, and have the same familiarity our customers know and love.
“Secondly, it’s an enormously capable car. It is packed with new technology including the latest iteration of Safety Sense and integrated battery technology.”
The BEV arrives hard on the heels of Toyota NZ’s best year for new-vehicle sales and after it reached an electrified tipping point in 2023 by selling more efficient and low carbon-emitting hybrids than fossil-free powertrains.
“Our ambition is to transition all our products into low-emitting models,” says Lala. “Over the past five years, we’ve seen a significant reduction in carbon emissions from the vehicles we sell. That shift is happening, with or without market interventions or subsidies.”
Uchiyama says the focus of the task was to design a refined electric Toyota that would put driver and passenger comfort and safety at its core.
The bZ4X is available in New Zealand in two variants – the front-wheel drive (FWD) Pure, which starts at $72,990, and the all-wheel drive (AWD) Motion that’s priced from $82,990.
Both have the same battery set-up – a thin high-capacity 71.4kWh pack placed flat under the floor to achieve a low centre of gravity and excellent weight distribution.
Uchiyama says the bZ4X Motion was tested on the same off-roading course as the next-generation Land Cruiser Prado, which he also worked on. He says the bZ4X acquitted itself exceptionally well on the course.
The AWD Motion is more rugged than it appears. It “easily” deals with dry, dusty trails involving steep climbs and descents, and performs “equally well” on a course claggy with wet, viscous mud.
Toyota has introduced its latest iteration of Safety Sense on the bZ4X, which boasts a five-star ANCAP rating.
The pre-collision system includes vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle detection, intersection collision-avoidance support and emergency-steering Assist. A multi-directional crash-response body structure protects passengers, batteries and other vehicles in a collision.
The Motion comes with additional parking assistance including panoramic view monitor, blind-spot monitor with safe-exit assist, an advanced parking system and a driver-monitor camera. This variant’s extra exterior features include a panoramic roof and power shade, and a larger split rear spoiler.
The bZ4X is the first Toyota to adopt the eAxle technology integrating the transaxle, motor generator and inverter with 150kW of power available for the FWD and 160kW for AWD – 80kW front, 80kW rear. It is compatible with 150kW DC fast-chargers and capable of a 10-80 per cent charge in about 30 minutes.
On a full charge, the NEDC testing standard’s estimated driving range depends on the powertrain and grade – the Pure is rated at 535km and the Motion at 485km.
Toyota NZ is offering BEV battery capacity warranty coverage for eight years or 160,000km. It protects against abnormal loss of capacity, providing for a minimum of 70 per cent of original BEV battery capacity.
The Pure rides on 18-inch alloys with a silver and black metallic full resin cover to aid aerodynamics, with the Motion’s wheels increasing in size to 20-inch black and machined finished alloys with resin accents.
The Pure features a fabric and synthetic leather accented interior trim with power adjustment for the driver’s seat and manual adjustment for the front passenger seat with front-seat heaters, stepping up to synthetic leather in the Motion with driver’s seat memory, steering-wheel heater and front-seat ventilation.
The audio features the latest audio system with a 12.3-inch high-resolution touchscreen with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via USB or wireless. The Pure includes a six-speaker system, with the Motion adopting a premium nine-speaker JBL including a sub-woofer.
Colour options include frosted white, silver rush, precious metal, ebony, emotional red and dynamic blue. The AWD Motion is available in two-tone with an ebony roof.
