Say what?! There is a new Toyota SUV on the way? Actually, no. There are seven new Beyond Zero full-electric vehicles on the way. The Toyota bZ4X EV is the first concept SUV we can expect from the new Toyota Beyond Zero brand. 

What is the Toyota bZ4X EV SUV? 

The Toyota bZ4X EV is a concept SUV that was used to introduce Toyota’s new Beyond Zero brand. According to CNET, the BZ in the name stands for Beyond Zero, and that makes sense. The 4X could mean that it’s a four-wheel-drive SUV. 

This SUV is part of Toyota’s mission to increase carbon neutrality and its goal to expand its global electrified vehicle portfolio. It includes hydrogen fuel cell electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles. 

There will be 70 new models by 2025, 15 of which will be full battery electric vehicles (BEV). Seven of them will be part of the new Beyond Zero brand. These plans include Toyota trucks that will have hybrid and BEV powertrains. 

What do we know about the bZ4X concept? 

The Toyota bZ4X concept is a battery-electric SUV that’s built on the Toyota e-TNGA platform. It was co-developed by Toyota and Subaru. It supports single-motor front and rear-wheel drive setups. It also supports dual-motor all-wheel-drive setups. 

While it’s just a concept, for now, it looks pretty darn close to being production-ready. It has a look that’s similar to the RAV4, only with sharper lines and a more futuristic look. For example, the wheel arches have contrasting arches. 

Plus, the bZ4X has a fascia that’s been sculpted to meet the aerodynamic and cooling needs of an electric vehicle, so it has smaller grille openings. We hope this rugged SUV will be as capable as it looks. 

It looks like it has a longer wheelbase and similar overall length to the Toyota RAV4, but with shorter overhangs. But this is based on looks alone. We will have to wait and learn more from Toyota closer to its launch date. 

According to Car and Driver, Toyota hasn’t mentioned anything about its range. But we do know it has a dual-motor and all-wheel-drive setup. The Ford Mustang Mach-E has a 305-mile range, and the Tesla Model Y offers up to 326 miles on its long-range model. The bZ4X will have to match these ranges to compete. 

Toyota bZ4X features 

The Toyota bZ4X electric SUV has a bulky steering column and a large touchscreen that emerges from the center console. You can also see a digital gauge cluster and a massive hub with physical buttons for the driver-assistance features. There are two USB-C ports in the front. 

Because the Toyota RAV4 is the brand’s best-selling vehicle in the United States, this concept that’s similar to it will arrive before other trucks and SUVs. It should come out in the middle of 2022. 

No information has been released about pricing, but it’s safe to expect that this new SUV will start at around $40,000. The Toyota RAV4 Prime, which is a plug-in hybrid starts at about $39,200.