Toyota bZ4X review
The Toyota bZ4X does little to get your heart racing, but plenty of tech and comfort will make it easy to live with
- Monthly
- £474*
What's good
What's not so good
Find out more about the Toyota bZ4X
Is the Toyota bZ4X a good car?
If you’re looking for a new electric SUV that’s comfortable and packed with tech, the Toyota bZ4X is a car you may be considering. It’s about the size of a RAV4 and goes up against alternatives such as the Volkswagen ID4, Nissan Ariya and Skoda Enyaq.
In a way, the Toyota bZ4X is a bit like your washing machine. It’s got a complicated name, looks pretty unassuming and doesn’t provide too many thrills to drive, it’s likely something you’ll just see as a daily appliance.
There’s very little to get the heart racing about how the Toyota bZ4X looks, either. Sure, it gets some chunky plastic wheelarches for an attempt at ruggedness and some angular bodywork, but it’s to little effect.
It’s a similar story inside, with function being placed well above form, but that’s a good thing in this case. The driving position is comfortable and the controls are all dead easy to find. There’s no glovebox though – instead, you get an awkward-to-use storage space under the centre console.
An 8-inch infotainment screen is standard with the Toyota bZ4X, but it’s worth going for a higher-spec model with a 12.3-inch version instead. The software is sharp and very user-friendly, plus you’ll get wireless support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay thrown in.
Passengers in the back are treated to a decent amount of headroom, plus loads of space to stretch their legs out. That’s even with an ever-so-slight bump in the floor.
You might yawn over the way it looks, but the Toyota bZ4X will be a super easy car to live with.
You won’t find a storage compartment beneath the bZ4X’s bonnet, though, as you would in a Tesla Model Y or Volvo XC40 Recharge. Also, with just 452 litres of luggage space in the boot, it’s well behind the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s 527 litres and Skoda Enyaq’s 585 litres too.
Official tests put the range of the bZ4X between 286 and 317 miles, depending on spec. A few hours of mixed driving routes of the higher-consuming AWD version saw a real-world range just shy of 200 miles, which isn’t superb but not a total disaster either.
The Toyota bZ4X is just as unassuming to drive as it looks. It’s effortless around town with really light steering and a decent turning circle, as well as a comfy ride.
That translates to a pretty relaxed drive out on the motorway too, particularly with a heap of standard-fit assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control. Just don’t expect much excitement when things get twistier.
Though the Toyota bZ4X doesn’t do much to stand out in a pretty crowded electric SUV sector, its sheer user-friendliness makes it one to consider. You’ll want to look elsewhere for practicality, though.
If you’re looking to make a Toyota bZ4X your next car, check out the latest deals available through carwow.
How practical is it?
Oddly, given the usual space advantages of an electric car, the bZ4X actually has a smaller boot than many alternatives.
What's it like to drive?
The bZ4X is surprisingly agile and sporty to drive, but doesn’t miss out on comfort. It’s even really impressive if you need to go off-road…
What's it like inside?
Toyota’s infotainment system takes a big step forward, but the driving position is slightly odd.
- Monthly
- £474*
*Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term and 8000 miles annually, VAT included.