Contemplating how excited folks get a few new Prius, you’d have thought that Toyota’s first entry into the trendy world of totally electrical automobiles would have been acquired with far more fanfare. As an alternative, with modest vary figures, gradual acceleration and a complicated identify, the Toyota bZ4X landed with extra of a boring thud. It isn’t like folks did not purchase the electrical Toyota — some undoubtedly did — however they weren’t shopping for in massive numbers. Toyota’s resolution for the 2026 mannequin 12 months was to alter the identify, enhance the vary and add extra energy, whereas additionally upgrading the inside. Not a foul technique for promoting extra automobiles, in case you ask me.
Moreover, as an alternative of merely revealing the 2026 RAV4 by itself, Toyota determined to do it as half of a bigger, multi-day occasion that additionally included a brief drive within the new bZ. Emphasis on “quick.” The drive started and ended at Toyota’s headquarters in Plano, Texas, and whereas the meals was truly lots higher than you could be imagining, the roads themselves have been just about what you’d count on from a Dallas suburb. AKA not twisty, two-lane mountain roads. So whereas I did not get to actually take a look at the 2026 bZ, I did no less than get to drive it and poke round in it for a bit, which suggests I can no less than verify one factor: You aren’t ready for a way fast the dual-motor bZ is.
Full Disclosure: Toyota was so determined for me to drive the 2026 bZ that it fully redesigned the RAV4 simply as an excuse to fly me to Plano, put me up in a lodge and supply the requisite meals and drinks for 3 nights. All so I might have the chance to take the bZ out for about quarter-hour.
New look in and out
Except you park the outdated bZ4X subsequent to the brand new bZ, I do not suppose anybody goes to note the distinction, however that does not imply there aren’t variations. It is simply that the identical individuals who noticed one and thought, “Huh, I assume somebody truly purchased the electrical Toyota,” in all probability do not pay a lot consideration to issues like midcycle refreshes and up to date headlights. Nonetheless, even in case you do not like the best way the bZ seems to be, you need to admit it is higher trying than the unique. Finally, although, the phrases “electrical” and “Toyota” are way more essential right here.
Even in case you’ve seen the photographs, except you have truly been inside a bZ4X, you in all probability do not totally perceive how bizarre the cabin was. The gauge cluster, for instance, was mounted excessive up for higher visibility, and as an alternative of trying by the steering wheel to see how briskly you have been going, you have been alleged to place the steering wheel under the cluster. It wasn’t one thing you could not get used to, however it was nonetheless bizarre (and did not all the time work so nicely for drivers who have been both shorter or taller than common).
The gear selector was additionally unusual, as was the patterned material everywhere in the sprint. At the same time as somebody who recurrently switches from one new automotive to the subsequent, the bZ4X’s inside nonetheless made me cease and say, “Huh.” Compared, the brand new bZ’s inside is far more regular. It is nonetheless a bit bizarre, however it feels much more like a standard automotive cabin, which the individuals who truly take a look at drive these items and critically think about shopping for them will in all probability recognize.
Extra vary, extra energy
One factor they could not recognize, although, is the lengthy attain to quick ahead by the commercials on a podcast they’re listening to by way of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. A giant, extensive touchscreen is nice proper up till you need to lean all the best way over to faucet one thing you may use fairly continuously, and it is not a Toyota-specific situation, both. It is simply the fact of going with a horizontal orientation over a vertical one.
So far as driving the brand new bZ goes, I do not even have a lot to report. It drives lots just like the outdated bZ, perhaps barely higher in just a few areas. I can also’t actually say a lot about how correct its vary ranking is, since a 15-minute spin is not precisely sufficient for an exhaustive take a look at. Actually, even the low-range bZ4X in all probability had sufficient vary for 80% of individuals’s each day driving wants, and quicker charging is extra essential than just a few further miles anyway. However hey, numbers promote, and in case you get the 2026 bZ XLE FWD Plus, it has that coveted “3” initially of its vary determine now.
What individuals are actually going to note, although, is the additional energy. Whereas the outdated bZ4X wasn’t identified for its acceleration, particularly in front-wheel-drive type, it was nonetheless fast sufficient to mud a Corolla from a cease. Then once more, that in all probability says extra in regards to the Corolla’s acceleration than the bZ4X’s. Giving the front-wheel-drive bZ now has 221 horsepower as an alternative of the outdated automotive’s 201 hp is not going to alter acceleration all that a lot, however the all-wheel-drive model, however, now has 338 hp as an alternative of 214. That is an enormous distinction, and Toyota says it’s going to hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
Probably even too fast
In a world the place a number of EVs make greater than 1,000 horses, 338 of them could not sound like lots. Punch it behind the wheel of the brand new bZ, although, and you are going to sound like a kind of discussion board weirdos who like to go on long-winded rants about how the dyno outcomes show this automaker or that automaker underrates their horsepower, so truly their favourite automotive is quicker than the brand new automotive with extra energy. Besides we’re speaking about an electrical Toyota. Or, extra particularly, an electrical Toyota crossover.
Once I let you know the all-wheel-drive bZ goes, I imply it goes. Sure, the quantity on the speedometer goes up quicker than you’d count on, however extra importantly, it feels a lot faster than you’d ever count on. I am additionally saying this as somebody whose mind has been damaged by bikes and EVs with four-digit energy figures.
At the very least once you get right into a efficiency EV such because the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, you count on it to be fairly darn fast. Right here, I might see quite a lot of patrons strolling right into a supplier, shopping for the electrical Toyota with all-wheel drive for the winter and security and solely discovering they purchased a rocket ship weeks later, whereas making an attempt to make an unprotected left flip. Is {that a} unhealthy factor? By no means, no less than so long as we do not begin to see a spike in Toyota bZ crash figures. It is simply not one thing you are ready for in any respect in case you’re aware of the best way the bZ4X accelerates.
We’ll have to attend for the official launch of the brand new bZ earlier than I can say far more, as a result of, once more, I barely received to drive it and undoubtedly did not study sufficient to speak about the way it compares to any of the competitors. However “higher seems to be, extra vary and method faster” remains to be a stable place to begin for Toyota. Simply, you recognize, perhaps do not buy the all-wheel-drive bZ for a 16-year-old with a newly minted license. Or your retired-but-still-independent-for-now dad and mom. Clearly, they each deserve a handbook Supra.
