Toyota’s flagship electrical automobile with the clunky title, the bZ4x, is getting a makeover for the 2026 mannequin yr — together with a a lot shorter moniker.
Now styled as simply bZ, the compact SUV can also be getting extra vary, due to expanded battery capability, and an improved design. The front-wheel drive bZ with 74.7 kWh battery will have the ability to journey an estimated 314 miles on a single cost, whereas a 57.7 kWh battery choice for the front-wheel drive model will get simply 236 miles. Toyota mentioned it will announce costs nearer to the date when the brand new bZ arrives at dealerships, which is anticipated later this yr.
Charging was all the time a significant problem for the bZ4X, so its good to see Toyota taking these criticisms to coronary heart. The automaker can also be including Plug and Cost functionality, that means the bZ will have the ability to pull as much as any third-party charging station, plug in, and the motive force’s account shall be routinely billed with none apps to enroll in or QR codes to scan.
The bZ4X has all the time been form of a sleeper hit for Toyota. After a sluggish begin, gross sales of the EV shot up late final yr and early this yr, thanks partially to reductions and lease offers. Toyota mentioned it bought 5,610 bZ4Xs within the first quarter of 2025, in comparison with only one,897 in Q1 2024.
The bZ4X has all the time been form of a sleeper hit for Toyota
The brand new 2026 bZ shall be extra of a mover in different methods for Toyota. The automaker is boosting the horsepower by as much as 50 % to 338 mixed system web hp within the all-wheel drive mannequin. This was achieved by together with silicon carbide semiconductors within the motors for improved energy supply. The bZ can now speed up from 0–60mph in 4.9 seconds.
The outside design is now quite a bit cleaner and approachable. Gone are the black wheel arches, changed with panels that match the automobile’s paint colour for a extra cohesive look. The inside has additionally been up to date with a brand new heart console and a brand new instrument panel, with a bigger 14-inch heart touchscreen. And Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be utilized wirelessly.
The brand new bZ is constructed on the identical E-TNGA platform that undergirds the bZ4X, the Lexus RZ 450e, and the Subaru Solterra. Toyota is presently pumping $1.3 billion into its Kentucky manufacturing facility for EV manufacturing, together with a deliberate three-row SUV.
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