Toyota launches electric SUV offensive

With the bZ4X, hybrid and fuel cell pioneer Toyota has ventured into the field of battery-electric drives in 2022. Until now, the mid-size SUV was available with a battery with a maximum capacity of 71.4 kWh and either a 150 kW front-wheel drive or an all-wheel drive system that combines two electric motors, each with 80 kW. The maximum DC charging power was 150 kW, and the standard charging process to 80 per cent was specified as 30 minutes.

The revised electric SUV will launch in the second half of the year. The new bZ4X will be available with two battery options of 57.7 and 73.1 kWh (gross). The small battery will only be offered with front-wheel drive, while the larger battery will also optionally be available with all-wheel drive. The WLTP range is expected to increase from 450 to up to 573 kilometres. According to Toyota, however, this is a preliminary figure. With the new battery option, customers should be able to choose the version that best suits their requirements and budget, the Japanese company says.

The electric axle drives have also been further developed and will use silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors in power electronics. It should make the drives more efficient (see the significantly increased range) but also more powerful. The basic version with the small battery delivers 123 kW, while the large battery boosts the front-wheel drive version’s power from 150 to 165 kW. The all-wheel drive version will, in future, deliver 252 kW of power, making it one of Toyota’s most powerful production models outside the sporty GR series.

When it comes to charging, the maximum DC charging power remains at 150 kW, but improved preconditioning should make it possible to reliably achieve full charging performance in a wide range of conditions. The navigation system will continue to include charging planning, which should automatically plan for suitable charging stations along the route – this function will also be installed in existing BZ4X vehicles via over-the-air updates. For AC charging, a 22 kW onboard charger is offered in the higher-end equipment levels, which halves charging times with alternating current – provided the charging point supports 22 kW. For the all-wheel-drive version, the maximum permissible towing weight has been doubled to 1,500 kilograms.

The design has been slightly modified both inside and out, but the bZ4X is still recognisable as such. According to Toyota, the centre console in the interior has been completely redesigned, and the instrument panel has also been redesigned. A 14-inch multimedia screen in the middle is now standard equipment.

C-HR+ comes with almost the same technology

Based on the revised eTNGA (electric Toyota New Generation Architecture), the BZ4X will be joined by a second model in the future: the new C-HR+, which takes its name from an existing combustion/hybrid model, is purely electric and is intended to be a “learning model in Toyota’s BEV SUV offensive,” as the Japanese company announced. The C-HR+ is scheduled to come onto the market at the end of 2025.

The ‘+’ in the name stands for the “versatility and functionality of the model and the unique properties of the BEV powertrain.” The powertrain, with two battery options and three power levels of 123, 165 and 252 kW, is virtually the same as the bZ4X, but with one difference: the large battery option in the C-HR+ has a gross energy content of 77 kWh, which should provide a range of up to 600 kilometres (again, a preliminary value). The smaller battery remains at 57.7 kWh. The maximum DC charging capacity is also 150 kW. For AC charging, an 11kW charger is standard; for higher-end equipment, the new 22-kW charger is also available here.

The slightly flatter body compared to the bZ4X and features such as the roof spoiler and the spoiler lip at the rear are designed to improve aerodynamics, with Toyota aiming to achieve a smooth airflow around the body. At the same time, the 4.52-metre-long SUV-Coupé is also designed to offer a spacious interior; Toyota states that the boot volume is 416 litres.

To convince newcomers to electric cars of the battery-electric C-HR+, Toyota wants to offer a ten-year or one-million-kilometre warranty with the Battery Care Program – however, an annual ‘battery health check’ is a prerequisite for this. Otherwise, the familiar warranty of eight years or 160,000 kilometres applies.

As a third electric premiere, Toyota has also introduced the Urban Cruiser. The electric SUV is aimed at the B-segment, one class below the BZ4X and C-HR+. This model is the product of the collaboration with Suzuki: the Urban Cruiser uses the same technology as Suzuki’s e-Vitara, and both vehicles will also be built together in India for the world markets.

Toyota also offers two battery and three drive versions of the Urban Cruiser – in the same gradation. The small battery – in this case with 49 kWh – is only available with a 106 kW front-wheel drive, and the WLTP range is expected to be around 300 kilometres. With the large 61-kWh battery, the front-wheel drive model delivers 128 kW, and with a range of around 400 kilometres according to WLTP, it is the variant with the longest range. The all-wheel drive model with this battery delivers 135 kW, and Toyota assumes a range of around 350 kilometres here.

Both battery options for the Urban Cruiser will use robust LFP cells. However, the battery warranty is the same: if you want ten years or one million kilometres of peace of mind (or a guaranteed 70 per cent state of health after this time), you also have to take part in the annual ‘battery health check.’

Toyota has not announced prices for any of the models yet.

Source: Info by email