Battery size: 71.4kWh
Max charge rate: 150kW
Range: 286-317 miles
Efficiency rating: A to A+
Miles per kWh: 4.0-4.4
Performance
The front wheel drive variant hits 62mph in 7.5 seconds, the all-wheel drive 6.9. Both are perky enough on paper, though the AWD version we drove did tail off considerably once up to speed. This is very definitely not a sportscar, and although the car does have what Toyota calls a ‘single pedal drive’ system, it seemed pretty gentle - and not aggressive enough to be considered one-pedal appropriate. In fact, as far as performance goes, the bZ4X is acceptable rather than surprising - it’s fine, in other words.
Driving
As you might expect for a mid-size SUV aimed straight at the heartland of battery electric vehicle sales, the bZ4X does everything nicely, without standing out in any particular area. The steering is good, the brakes are competent, the ride compliant and soothing.
It’s not got the vim of a Mustang Mach E, but compares favourably to stuff like the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID4.
What it does have, is genuinely surprising off-road ability with the AWD model. That might not be a huge deal in a mostly road-going car, but we tried the bZ4X on an off-road course that would fox most dedicated off-roaders. Toyota calls it X-Mode, and it gives a set of pre-set programmes to deal with any eventuality - stuff like snow/gravel/mud - and it works. Precise control of the electric motors means that the bZ4X maintains momentum in tricky situations, even on summer ‘eco’ tyres. Not hugely relevant day-to-day, but will come in handy on those snow days.
9
