Toyota prices up bZ4X electric SUV

Toyota has released prices and specification details for its first ever pure-electric SUV, and they look pretty impressive.

Prices for the bZ4X start at £41,950 and rise to £51,550. For comparison, the cheapest Nissan Ariya starts at £41,845 but tops out at a hefty £58,440 while a Kia EV6 costs between £40,950 and £51,945.

The Toyota is available in four trims levels, with a choice of front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. Deliveries to UK customers will start in June.

Official WLTP test figures say the front-wheel drive Pure model can achieve 317 miles, with an efficiency rating of 4.3 miles/kWh. For the all-wheel drive bZ4X Motion, the official range is 285 miles with 3.9 miles/kWh efficiency.

The bZ4X has a 71.4kWh battery, which is supported by an optional warranty which will guarantee 70 per cent capacity after 10 years or 1,000,000km (620,000 miles) driven.

The trim levels start with the 'Pure' which comes exclusively with front-wheel drive, an eight-inch touchscreen, seven-inch digital driver display, and climate control with a remote function (owners warm up or cool their car before driving it).

'Motion' kicks in at £45,750 and gets an electric tailgate, heated seats, electric adjustment for the driver's seat, ambient lighting and a wireless charging pad. An all-wheel drive (AWD) version is available for £48,350.

Toyota might offer bZ4X with a Tesla-style steering 'yoke'

Next up comes 'Vision' at £47,650 (AWD is £50,250) which adds 20-inch alloy wheels, remote controlled parking assist, synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats and a digital key (gives access to the car with a smartphone app).

For private customers, the bZ4X Motion can be leased for £611 per month, inclusive of VAT, with a Personal Contract Hire (PCH) agreement. This is with a 36-month contract, and an initial payment of £3,662.

There's also the inevitable highly-specified launch model. The £51,550 Premiere Edition gets a nine-speaker JBL sound system, a panoramic roof and can only be ordered online.

A number of options are available too including a towing pack and extra safety equipment, although Toyota hasn't said whether it'll be offering a an aircraft-like, Tesla-style steering 'yoke'.

The rather awkwardly named bZ4X is the result of a development tie-up between Toyota and Subaru, with the latter manufacturer naming its SUV 'Solterra'.

The bZ4X is roughly the same size as the Toyota RAV4 PHEV and comes with a 201bhp electric motor powering the front wheels. The AWD models promise 'best-in-class off-road capability' thanks to their Subaru-engineered four-wheel drive system, and get 214bhp.