Yahoo Autos Toyota bZ4X Electric SUV Details Revealed
Toyota bZ4X battery-electric SUV previewed in prototype form ahead of 2022 production start, with FWD and AWD versions to be offered with a 71.4-kWh (gross) battery pack
Electric SUV will be offered in 201- and 215-hp versions, range of up to 310 miles in the WLTP cycle, with Tesla-style yoke steering as an option.
Toyota worked with Subaru on the project, with the latter slated to offer its own model based on the e-TNGA platform.
Toyota has just taken the wraps off the prototype version of the bZ4X electric SUV, revealing a model that will go on sale stateside next year. The long-awaited RAV4-sized electric sport utility will be Toyota's first truly mass-market battery-electric model, offering a WLTP range of up to 310 miles thanks to a 71.4-kWh (gross) battery pack. It should also be one of the most important launches for the automaker this decade, acting as the launch vehicle for its bZ, or beyond Zero, series or sub-brand of electric models.
Landing close to the looks of the concept seen earlier this year, the production model features plenty of rhombus-shaped design details and a distinct approach to the front fascia design, signaling its EV powertrain.
Like a great many other battery-electric models, the bZ4X will be offered in single- and dual-motor flavors, with the front-wheel drive version serving up 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, while the dual-motor all-wheel drive variant will produce a still-modest 215 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque. The former will be able to make the jog from 0 to 62 mph in a leisurely 8.4 seconds, while the latter will get there a little quicker in 7.7 seconds, with Toyota clearly erring on the side of range when it comes to performance.
Based on the e-TNGA platform, the bZ4X will feature what the automaker calls an E-axle, combining the motor, transaxle, and inverter into one unit, powered by a battery integrated into the floor. Toyota worked with one other automaker on the project, incorporating Subaru's all-wheel-drive technology into the SUV, a version of which will also be offered by Subaru soon in the Solterra.
Another innovative technical feature will be a steer-by-wire system that will be offered as an option, designed to reduce vibration and reduce effort required for U-turns.
"The steering feeling is improved through independently controlling the steering torque that the driver feels and the steering angle of the tires. Steering characteristics can be changed with drive mode select," the automaker notes.
