Road Tested By Hugh Maguire.
Price: €42,160
Pros:
Comfortable, quiet & refined.
Greatly improved real world range of about 420km.
Excellent vehicle & battery warranty.
Cons:
Max 150kWh DC charging….beaten by some rivals.
Boot space just average for the class…. Skoda Enyaq is better.
Drivers display partially obscured by steering wheel.
The original bZ4X was Toyota’s first EV and it was a reasonably good effort however it came in for quite a bit of stick over it’s poor range and some of the rather cheap looking materials used in the cabin. The latest now re badged just bZ (dropping the 4X part) is a joint collaboration with Subaru and their version is called the Solterra. In all but badge they are identical.
For the 2026 model year Toyota has attempted to address the main concerns people had regarding range and quality.
The original car had a 71.4kWh battery while this new version boasts a very slight larger battery of 73.1kWh. It is a tiny increase in battery capacity but the useable capacity has increased by about 5kWh and that combined with revisions to the drivetrain has brought increased efficiencies which have indeed increased the range. But by how much? And are the revision to the styling and cabin enough? I am going to answer those questions in this review. So improved and renamed but really any better?
The Car on test here is the bZ Sport. Two trim levels are available namely Sport and Premier.
First Impressions
The revisions to the styling are generally quite small but somehow combine to make the new bZ a better looking car than its predecessor. The front end is tidier now with what Toyota like to call the “Hammerhead” nose. The side is cleaner looking too while at the rear the mild redesign gives a less fussy design.
Although considered a compact crossover it is quite a substantial looking car. I like the styling quite a lot and it has real presence on the road. The black plastic extended wheel arches give it a rugged appearance and with lovely 18 inch alloy wheels this is a very smart looking EV.
What is it like inside?
The cabin has been substantially redesigned. The dashboard is new, they have completely redesigned the centre console and there is a new and larger 14 inch touchscreen. I must say I don’t see the larger screen as an advantage I think they are already getting way too big and even more distracting as a result, particularly when driving at night. Also the rather busy drivers display is partially obscured by the top of the steering wheel.
There are now two mobile phone wireless charge pads positioned in the centre console, new ambient lighting and better storage throughout the cabin. Overall I feel the redesign has worked, (with the exception of that overly large touchscreen) modernising the cabin with better materials and a cleaner look.
The driving position gives a commanding view of the road ahead and there is a host of standard kit from LED auto beam lights, adaptive cruise control, to heated seats and steering wheel, electric lumbar support, 360 degree cameras, electric rear tailgate just to name but a few.
The cabin is bright and very roomy both front and rear, with multiple storage areas and plenty of charging ports, while the boot is a decent size too offering true practicality for family transport with 452 litres of space. Rear seat passengers now benefit from improved USB-C ports with output increased to 60W. The rear however has quite a high floor (due the battery underneath) which means your seating position results in your knees being higher than your hipline, not so comfortable on long trips. Overall though this proves a roomy cabin with ample leg and headroom.
What is under the bonnet?
The new bZ now has that very slightly larger 73.1kWh battery powering one electric motor driving the front wheels.
Range is a claimed at 567km that is up from the previous models claimed range of 515km. Over my week long road test I achieved a real world range of 420km which is a big improvement over the previous models poor range performance.
It took about 35 mins to charge on a high power public charger to 80% and a further 20 minutes to get from 80 to 90%.
What is it like to drive?
There are no major changes to the underpinnings here however Toyota have invested in better insulation and I did find as a result there is less noise inside the cabin than when I tested its predecessor. The car proves safe and secure in the handling department so nothing to report here. It rides the road pretty well too and does not bob about on the road surface like many other EV’s.
Overall then it proves a competent if somewhat un-involving car to drive.
Hugh’s Verdict.
Toyota have the bZ just about right. It still has room for improvement in the areas I mentioned above however this is a vastly better car than their first attempt at an EV. The styling is good, the range is on par with most rivals and the level of standard equipment is very comprehensive.
The bZ does everything well and nothing badly added to which the car comes with an eight year or 160,000km battery warranty and a terrific ten year or 180,000km vehicle warranty. With 43 Toyota dealers nationwide you will have excellent after sales support. In short then I can strongly recommend this latest bZ it should prove a pleasant ownership experience.