Contemplating how excited folks get a few new Prius, you’ll have thought that Toyota’s first entry into the fashionable world of totally electrical vehicles would have been obtained with far more fanfare. As an alternative, with modest vary figures, sluggish 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 positively did — however they weren’t shopping for in giant numbers. Toyota’s answer for the 2026 mannequin 12 months was to vary the identify, enhance the vary and add extra energy, whereas additionally upgrading the inside. Not a nasty technique for promoting extra vehicles, in the event 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 “brief.” The drive started and ended at Toyota’s headquarters in Plano, Texas, and whereas the meals was truly so much higher than chances are you’ll be imagining, the roads themselves have been just about what you’d anticipate from a Dallas suburb. AKA not twisty, two-lane mountain roads. So whereas I did not get to actually check the 2026 bZ, I did not less than get to drive it and poke round in it for a bit, which implies I can not less than affirm 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 utterly 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 would 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Except you park the outdated bZ4X subsequent to the brand new bZ, I do not assume anybody goes to note the distinction, however that does not imply there aren’t variations.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 the event you don’t love the way in which the bZ seems, you must admit it is higher trying than the unique. Finally, although, the phrases “electrical” and “Toyota” are way more essential right here.
Even in the event you’ve seen the images, 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 way of the steering wheel to see how briskly you have been going, you have been presupposed to place the steering wheel beneath the cluster. It wasn’t one thing you could not get used to, but it surely was nonetheless bizarre (and did not at all times work so properly 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. Whilst somebody who frequently switches from one new automobile to the subsequent, the bZ4X’s inside nonetheless made me cease and say, “Huh.” As compared, the brand new bZ’s inside is far more regular. It is nonetheless a bit of bizarre, but it surely feels much more like a standard automobile cabin, which the individuals who truly check drive these items and severely contemplate shopping for them will in all probability respect.
Extra vary, extra energy
One factor they might not respect, although, is the lengthy attain to quick ahead by way of the commercials on a podcast they’re listening to through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. A giant, broad touchscreen is nice proper up till you must lean all the way in which over to faucet one thing you may use fairly incessantly, and it is not a Toyota-specific subject, both. It is simply the truth 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 so much just like the outdated bZ, possibly barely higher in a number of 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 check. Actually, even the low-range bZ4X in all probability had sufficient vary for 80% of individuals’s every day driving wants, and sooner charging is extra essential than a number of additional miles anyway. However hey, numbers promote, and in the event you get the 2026 bZ XLE FWD Plus, it has that coveted “3” at the start of its vary determine now.
What persons 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 concerning the Corolla’s acceleration than the bZ4X’s. Giving the front-wheel-drive bZ now has 221 horsepower as an alternative of the outdated automobile’s 201 hp is not going to vary 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.
Presumably even too fast
In a world the place a number of EVs make greater than 1,000 horses, 338 of them might not sound like so much. 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 automobile is quicker than the brand new automobile with extra energy. Besides we’re speaking about an electrical Toyota. Or, extra particularly, an electrical Toyota crossover.
After I let you know the all-wheel-drive bZ goes, I imply it goes. Sure, the quantity on the speedometer goes up sooner than you’d anticipate, however extra importantly, it feels a lot faster than you’ll ever anticipate. I am additionally saying this as somebody whose mind has been damaged by bikes and EVs with four-digit energy figures.
Not less than once you get right into a efficiency EV such because the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, you anticipate it to be fairly darn fast. Right here, I might see a whole lot of consumers strolling right into a seller, 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, not 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 the event you’re aware of the way in which 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 bought to drive it and positively did not be taught sufficient to speak about the way it compares to any of the competitors. However “higher seems, extra vary and approach faster” continues to be a strong place to begin for Toyota. Simply, you realize, possibly 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 guide Supra.
