This article was first published in Finansavisen Motor.
Barcelona, Sleeping: Toyota has had to endure some comments about the stepless gearboxes that have not been from the end of the scale marked “praise”.
Therefore, it is certainly a pleasure to be able to present the first pure electric car, completely free of drive shafts, gears and attempts to camouflage a stepless variable gearbox like a regular automatic.
Toyota bZ4X has a battery in the belly, two electric motors and four-wheel drive, this was true at least in the one Finansavisen Motor received.
MASSIVE STEM: The Toyota bZ4X has a small steering wheel, which you sit in your lap. The steering column, on the other hand, is massive, awaiting the new drive-by-wire system where you use a joystick instead of a steering wheel. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Toyota bZ4X is fast enough
It’s just as easy to get the numbers in place, for those who like to compare:
According to Toyota, the test car has two electric motors of 80 kW, front and rear, and if you exchange for old currency, it will supposedly be 217.5 hp. 336 Nm of torque helps to push the car from 0-100 km / h in 6.9 seconds, and a couple of informal tests on a suitable highway gave the impression that it fits well.
The top speed is stated at 160 km / h, which was not possible to check in Spain, but it follows the traffic on the motorway with a 120 km / h limit without problems.
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PLUS POINTS: There is really good legroom in the back seat of the Toyota bZ4X, and those sitting there can charge anything that uses USB. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Alpine needs
Trailer hook becomes available, and if you limit your interest in horses to the tiny versions that stood and the grass on top of one of the many roundabouts, it may be possible to carry the pet with you.
Maximum weight with trailer included is stated to be 750 kg, but in addition it should be possible to put 75 kg in a box on the roof attached to roof rails.
On the other hand, you do not get a ski hatch between the seats, so for those with a strong alpine need, a roof box will probably be a relevant option.
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SUCH A FIT: The luggage compartment in the Toyota bZ4X is that big enough with 452 liters, and you get enough luggage for a weekend at the cabin. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Free refills
According to the fact sheet, the battery consists of 96 cells, with an internal voltage of 355 volts, and a total capacity of 71.4 kWh.
With four-wheel drive, it is intended that you will manage 410 km measured according to WLTP, while the version with only 150 kW electric motor in front pluses of 40 to 450 km.
The built-in charger currently manages 6.6 kW charging power, but from Q4 2022 it will increase to 11 kW.
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WADER: To demonstrate that the Toyota bZ4X can withstand driving through half a meter deep water, they had built their own mud dam. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Under ideal conditions, fast charging is stated at 150 kW charging power, but in addition, the Toyota bZ4X offers an additional source of power and range. The roof consists of solar cells, and those who live in sunny areas should supposedly be able to expect 1,800 extra kilometers a year.
Approximately here, it is a good idea to point out that the car in the test is a hand-built prototype, and not the final production model.
Consequently, all figures are also awaiting final type approval.
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MARKING IN THE FIELD: The Toyota bZ4X stands out as a surprisingly good off-road car, even though it does not always have ground contact. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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In the latest team
Statistics and lived life are known to be two different sizes, and out on the road it quickly becomes clear that this is a car that will appeal to Toyota customers.
Presented as a menu at a Spanish bistro, today’s dish would consist of “carefree transport from A to B”.
The starter would taste of “comfortable driving environment”, and the dessert would be a bowl of “safe driving characteristics” with cream.
The problem is that Toyota has spent so much time inviting itself to the electric car company, that the features the competitors managed to impress with have now become commonplace. It is no longer startling that an electric car is as good in traffic as a car with an internal combustion engine, now it is the minimum requirement.
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SAFE IN THE FIELD: Toyota bZ4X is safe on foot, even on gravel roads with loose pavement. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Wilderness car
But just as the somewhat mysterious dish “Iberia’s secret” hides some of the juiciest pork chops you will ever put your teeth into, the Toyota bZ4X has a button marked X-drive in the center console.
Out on the country road, this is a worthy successor to Rav4, but in addition it has a couple of wilderness specialties lurking:
Among other things, it is waterproof in mud ponds up to half a meter deep, and it is a little impressive considering that the Range Rover Velar has a stated wading depth of 65 cm. To demonstrate that it actually works, Toyota had built an obstacle course complete with puddles.
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INCREASES NEXT YEAR: Toyota bZ4X will initially have a 6.6 kW charging power on the built-in charger, but according to Toyota it will increase to 11 kW towards the end of the year. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Up and down by itself
On a steep downhill slope, the descent assistant automatically engaged and unloaded the car safely.
Initially, one should not touch the pedals, but it is possible to adjust the speed by either accelerating or braking.
This should also work if you back down, according to PR and information manager at Toyota Norway Espen Olsen.
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FIRST DOWN: The Toyota bZ4X has a descent assistant that engages automatically when the car tips down with its nose above a certain number of degrees. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Well down, it’s nice to get up again, and for those who do not like the idea of climbing steep slopes, the car offers a drive-up assistant.
It is not Alexa that helps the pod to pass the driving test, but instead an automated system that maintains a steady speed up steep slopes with gravel, branches and telehiv.
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LOOK UP AGAIN: The Toyota bZ4X also comes with a drive-up assistant that allows you to climb rather steep hills without touching the pedals. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Wide cord in the mud
Afterwards, the traverse waited over diagonal speed bumps where one of the rear wheels got to feel life in the open air, before the most fun exercise “mud track” big for the ride.
By pressing the X-drive button, different driving programs appeared, and it made a noticeable difference.
In normal road mode, the car stopped in the deep ruts of brown mud, and stopped spinning a little awkwardly.
But when the program for mud and snow was switched on, it spun loose and there was an opportunity to take some nice dynamic pictures of broadsides in a rather dirty car.
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WITHOUT PROBLEMS: The Toyota bZ4X easily follows the traffic on the Spanish motorway at around 120 km / h. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Scary future
The interior is about as you would expect in a Toyota. It will be a plus for comfortable seats, and good legroom as well as charging options in the back seat.
The steering wheel is quite small and you sit with it in your lap. It sticks out of a huge block of plastic, because Toyota is working on reinventing the wheel.
If they get it approved, a joystick similar to the one pilots use on planes will send digital signals to the front wheels about where you intend to go.
All mechanical connections are replaced by a network cable. It may sound a little scary, but Toyota says they want to build a backup system, and it has worked on planes for years.
The advantage should be a greater degree of comfort, since you never have to turn the lever around. In addition, it is in the cards that autonomous systems will be able to work well with a digital system that does not have to rotate a rack.
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CAN TRAIN: The Toyota bZ4X can be equipped with a trailer hook, but with a maximum of 750 kg on the hook, you have to look a little at what kind of animal you may promise to carry. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Awaiting customer response
Toyota has previously shown the bZ4X without camouflage, so it seems a bit strange that the test cars are covered with foil. An advantage is that the unpainted plastic strips over the wheel arches get the same color as the rest of the car. When asked if it will be possible to tick for them to be painted, there is a slightly hovering answer that they will look at the response when the car goes on sale.
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ONE MILLION: If you follow up with annual visits to the dealer, the Toyota bZ4X’s battery will hold 70% of the power after one million kilometers. Photo: Ragnvald Johansen / Finansavisen
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Can get it right
So who is going to buy this car?
Toyota has defined some parameters for intended customers. One of them has been named “Erik”, 37 years old, single and lives in Oslo with an active lifestyle. They reckon that he goes for the top model with four-wheel drive, and that this marks the difference where he replaces the fossil car with one with a battery.
They may be right, but it will not be solely the qualities of the bZ4X that make the difference.
Several manufacturers are currently struggling with delivery, and some popular models literally have year-long waiting lists. It is a good car, and impressive in terrain, although it does not weigh heaviest for most customers. But if they manage to get enough cars to keep the delivery time down, the addition of bZ4X will probably raise both the sales baskets and the pie charts.
The version with front-wheel drive is expected to start at NOK 399,900 plus delivery, and the one with four-wheel drive adds NOK 427,000 plus delivery. It must be possible to order from March, with expected delivery in June.
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