Toyota is having a second go to establish the bZ4X; range is better, equipment is improved, full pricing slashed. And there’s a new upsize option.

LONGER range, new styling, more equipment and an additional variant – and carryover models being $16,000 cheaper than they were went first introduced.

Those are the headline changes occurring with Toyota’s offer in the electric quarter.

The market leader’s intention to remain a player in a sector that has been running almost on empty for the past 18 months has been made clear today, with announcement that it will step up its push with bZ4X, a product that has so far done little.

Incoming around March are three derivatives; in addition to updates of the front-drive Pure and all-wheel-drive Motion variants that kicked off here in 2024 is a new choice, the Touring (above).

That latter is effectively a Motion in technical format but done slightly bigger; an extension of the SUV body style adds 140mm to the length and 20mm to height, which increase load compartment capacity by more than a third.

The models, which all announced internationally almost a year ago, also answer the bZ4X’s critics, with a bigger battery and efficiency improvements that are designed to give markedly more range, and reduced energy consumption, as well as tidying up the styling inside and out.

Moreover, in conformance with international trend, prices have trimmed massively.

Having released here in May of 2024 for $72,990 and $82,990 respectively, the front-drive Pure and all-wheel-drive Motion are now $56,990 and $66,990.

Those full RRPs are slightly lower than the stickers the original cars were dropped to as an emergency effort to shift moribund stock during the EV buy-in slump of the last two years.

The Touring carries a $3000 premium over the Motion.

Powering the updated bZ4X in all forms is a larger 74.7kWh battery pack, combined with more efficient electric motors and inverters for driving range ratings based on Europe’s WLTP test regime of 591km with front-drive, and 517km with AWD.

The original models were credited with ranges of 535km and 485km; they drew from a 71.4kWh battery and made 150kW in front-drive and 160kW in dual motor.

Now the front-wheel-drive model pairs the battery with a single 167kW/269Nm electric motor. The dual motors developing 255kW/438Nm.

Zero to 100kmh times have sharpened but perhaps more pertinent to the user profile is that the AWD is now rated to tow 1500kg, up from 750kg.

DC fast charging remains limited to 150kW, for a 10 to 80 percent top-up in a claimed 30 minutes, but the battery's thermal control software has been updated to recharge faster in colder climates. The AC charging has improved from 11kW to 22kW, for a claimed 10 to 100 percent fill in 3.5 hours on a 32-amp, three-phase power supply, according to Toyota.

The cars also bring exterior styling revisions, mainly to the nose, which has the make’s latest Hammerhead profile. Down the sides and around the back, the bZ4X is basically the same as before.

Toyota says but small detail tweaks to the rear spoiler and the underbody aero package bring the drag coefficient down to 0.27Cd – compared to 0.29 previously.

Inside, a larger 14-inch touchscreen has been added across the range, joining a revised centre console housing dual wireless phone chargers. The front drive also now has some features, including some active driver safety ingredients, that previously restricted to the AWD.

Given the challenging nature of the EV sector, Toyota New Zealand has unsurprisingly kept volume predictions to itself, but from comment issued today seems to think the Tiuring will have good chance of establishing an interest base.

It suggests the type’s design has New Zealand lifestyles in mind and “marks a new chapter for families, adventure-seekers and business owners alike who want the benefits of a fully electric vehicle without sacrificing space or capability.”

The Touring’s increased dimensions result in a significant increase in load compartment capacity, adding an extra 148 litres to the boot space for a total of 600 litres. TNZ says this "means families can pack more for weekends away, while the flexible 40:60 split rear seat makes it easy to adapt for larger loads.”

TNZ chief executive Tatsuya Ishikawa, who prior to arriving in New Zealand worked on the development of the bZ4X, says the upgrade is a substantial leap.

“We are delighted to now offer the bZ4X with a much-extended range and increased motor power. We have been fortunate to have a pre-production unit here to undertake local testing and our product team have seen a vast improvement in range.”

TNZ has not identified which variant was used for its internal evaluation drives but said runs achieved more than 100km additional range when compared with the previous generation.

The bZ4X was a co-development with Subaru, producing the lookalike Solterra. The latter has also undergone the same changes as the bZ4X, and the Touring is also in production as the Subaru Trailseeker.

Subaru NZ has not indicated if it intends to keep Solterra in the mix.

TNZ, meanwhile, remains mum on whether it will enhance its electric car presence with another model, the C-HR Plus, recently saying it will not comment on future product. That car is signed off for Australia, for mid-2027 arrival.