Toyota bZ4X to face-off against Tesla Model Y

By Bruce Newton, carsales.com.au

Toyota is set to become the underdog as it faces-off against Tesla with the introduction of its first-ever dedicated electric car.

The Japanese giant has revealed Australian details for its bZ4X EV, which has been priced competitively against its direct rival and Australia’s most popular electric vehicle, the Tesla Model Y.

The bZ4X will be offered locally in two model grades, with the entry-level version costing $66,000 (plus on-road costs) and featuring a single motor configuration with two-wheel drive while the flagship variant tops out at $74,900 (plus ORCs) and has a dual-motor set-up with all-wheel drive.

By comparison, the Tesla Model Y is slightly more affordable at the lower end, with the RWD model costing $65,400 (plus ORCs) but is more expensive at the other end with the Long Range AWD version costing $74,900 (plus ORCs) while the range-topping Model Y Performance, for which Toyota does not offer a direct rival, has a sticker price of $91,000 (plus ORCs).

Other rivals include the Hyundai IONIQ 5 (priced from $65,000 to $84,000 plus ORCs) and the Kia EV6 that costs between $72,590 to $99,590 (plus ORCs).

So far, Toyota claims to have received 122 orders in less than a week, from more than 7000 expressions of interest. The Japanese brand says that only 1500 examples of the bZ4X will be shipped to Australia this year, suggesting the market leader does not have massive ambitions for its first EV.

That number compares to the 28,769 Tesla Model Y EVs sold in Australia in 2023. Nevertheless, Toyota’s marketing chief Sean Hanley talked up the bZ4X’s importance at the recent Australian launch.

“The bZ4X is not just an electric car – it’s the foundation for the next phase of our electrification strategy that hits a sweet spot with its mid-size SUV dimensions, space and functionality,” he said.

“As the first Toyota BEV, it will accelerate our multi-pathway approach that’s designed to help our customers lower their tailpipe carbon emissions while leaving no-one behind.”

The 2WD Toyota bZ4X is powered by a 150kW/266Nm electric motor mounted on the front axle, while the AWD’s dual-motor set-up offers 160kW/337Nm with a three-stage X Mode for off-roading.

Both models have a 71.4kWh (gross) lithium-ion battery pack that delivers a claimed 436km range for the 2WD and 411km for the AWD based on WLTP testing. The maximum DC fast-charging rate is up to 150kW.

By comparison, the Tesla Model Y RWD has a 455km WLTP range and the AWD Long Range a 533km WLTP range.

The bZ4X comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, extending to seven years on motor and driveline with logbook services. The high-voltage battery is covered for up to 10 years.

Toyota also offers capped-price servicing for the first five years/75,000km with each 12-month/15,000km service costing $180.

See our full specs and equipment list below.

Toyota bZ4X FWD specifications and equipment:

Mechanical

• 150kW/266Nm front-mounted permanent magnet synchronous electric motor
• Front e-Axle single-speed transaxle
• 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery
• 535km range (NEDC) / 436km range (WLTP)
• Front MacPherson strut and rear multi-link suspension with coil springs
• Ventilated 328mm front and 317mm rear disc brakes
• Electric power steering

Exterior

• Poly-ellipsoidal LED headlights with adaptive high-beam system, dynamic auto levelling and follow-me-home light control system
• LED daytime running lights
• Heated side mirrors with auto power folding
• LED side mirror indicators
• LED tail-lights
• Rear fog lamp
• 20-inch alloy wheels with 235/50R20 tyres
• Privacy glass for rear side, quarter and back windows
• Front and rear air spats
• Six available colours with solid, metallic and pearl paint finishes

Interior

• Sporty front seats with fabric and SofTex trim
• Reclining rear seats with fabric and SofTex trim
• 60/40 split-fold rear seatbacks
• Front and rear floor mats
• Shift-by-wire dial drive selector with integrated electronic park brake
• Leather-accented steering wheel
• Driver and passenger sun visor vanity mirrors with LED lighting
• Five seats

Safety

• Toyota Safety Sense: Pre-collision safety system with pedestrian and daylight cyclist detection, plus left/right intersection function
• Active cruise control
• Lane trace assist and emergency driving stop system
• Road sign assist (speed signs only)
• Vehicle stability control
• Front and rear parking support brake including parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Seven airbags: driver and front passenger front and side, centre-front, side curtain
• Pitch and bounce control
• Two rear ISOFIX points, three rear top-tether mounts
• First-aid kit

Comfort and convenience

• Dual-zone climate control
• Smart entry and start
• Auto front wipers
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• 7.0-inch multi-information display
• Tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel adjustment
• 8-way power adjustable driver seat with vertical headrest adjustment
• 2-way driver seat power lumbar adjustment
• 6-way manual adjustable front passenger seat with vertical headrest adjustment
• Heated front seats
• Passenger occupant detection
• Rear air vents
• Driver and passenger seatback pockets
• Rear seat vertical headrest adjustment
• Power tailgate
• 4 x cup holders (2 front/2 rear), 8 bottle holders (2 in each door)
• Tyre repair kit

Infotainment/Multimedia

• 12.3-inch multimedia display with cloud navigation and DAB+ radio
• Toyota Multimedia Connect (12 months complimentary)
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto
• 4 x USB-C ports, 1 x UBC-A
• 12V accessory socket
• 6-speaker audio system

Toyota bZ4X AWD additional features over bZ4X FWD:

Mechanical

• 80kW/168.5Nm front and rear-mounted (160kW/337Nm total) permanent magnet synchronous electric motors
• Front and rear e-Axle single-speed transaxles
• 485km range (NEDC) / 411km range (WLTP)

Exterior

• Roof spoiler
• Roof rails
• Side mirrors with memory and reverse auto adjust
• Panoramic roof
• Gloss black bonnet accent

Interior

• Premium SofTex seat trim
• Heated steering wheel

Comfort and convenience

• Memory function for driver seat adjustment
• Ventilated front seats
• Qi-compatible 10W wireless charger
• Kick sensor for power tailgate

Safety

• X-Mode with two off-road drive modes: Snow/Dirt, Deep Snow/Mud
• Panoramic view monitor
• Blind spot monitor with Safe Exit Assist
• Intelligent Parking Assist
• Multi-terrain sensing Downhill Assist Control and Crawl function

Multimedia

9-speaker JBL premium sound system

How much does the 2024 Toyota bZ4X cost?

• Single-motor/two-wheel drive – $66,000
• Dual-motor/all-wheel drive – $74,900

* Prices exclude on-road costs

Disclaimer: Images supplied by Toyota Australia.

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