The bZ4X Touring keeps the updated bZ4X’s strengths from the B-pillar forward and addresses the coupe roofline’s two big talking points, rear headroom and boot space.
Not too long ago, I had a go at the regular Toyota bZ4X in its newest form, and I walked away with a feeling that I don’t often get from a second attempt at a model. It felt like the car that should have been released from the get-go, being able to charge faster, go further, and with a feature list (and price tag) that now hold up against the competition instead of apologising to it. So when the keys to its longer, boxier sibling showed up, I was curious. Could Toyota take a car I already liked and make it more useful without breaking what was working?
This is the bZ4X Touring, in the AWD guise, which is the more powerful of the options. But wait, there’s more: this is the only one you can get in our market, and it is even more powerful than the AWD bZ4x “non Touring”. Toyota has then taken the formula and stretched it into a wagon/SUV shape, which on itself makes the rear end the talk of town.
That’s because from the B-pillar forward, it is identical to the regular bZ4X, including the one I recently had on loan. Same face, same front doors, same overall stance. Behind that, the coupe-like tail gives way to a proper squared-off roofline and rear end. This example came in Brilliant Bronze, which is a lovely colour that shows off the extra metal behind the rear doors quite well.
The “normal” bZ4X’s coupe rear end is divisive, but I get it, as it breaks the mold from most other SUVs out there. But that sloping roof comes at a real cost, compromising both rear headroom and boot space quite badly. The Touring doesn’t have that problem: the longer roof not only gives it proper station wagon looks, but also gets proper roof rails, and very practical ones at that. Just keep in mind that anything strapped up there will eat into your range, because physics doesn’t care how good the roof rails look.
So, let’s cover the interior. Getting in, you are greeted by a no-nonsense Toyota cabin in the best sense of the phrase. You get in and you know where everything is. Most of the touch points are lovely to the hand and feel appropriate for where this car sits, and this is exactly where that “Toyota about to cross into Lexus territory” feeling is at its strongest. Nothing is trying too hard to impress you, and yet it all feels well considered. Rear seat space is good, but the high floor makes it more suitable for shorter drives for adults.
Controls deserve a special mention. Most features have physical buttons, and they are within reach of both the driver and the passenger, which is not a given these days. You don’t have to dig through menus to change something simple, and your passenger doesn’t have to lean across you to do it either. It’s a small thing that makes a car much easier to live with, and I wish more manufacturers would copy it. While some other players try to wow you with heaps of features that end up being buried in menus, Toyota took a pragmatic approach that might even seem too simple – it isn’t.
Then there is the boot, the reason the Touring exists and the biggest change to “this bZ4X”. It is very practical, with an easy opening to load and unload, and the powered tailgate opens noticeably faster than on Toyotas past. That might sound trivial, but anyone who has stood in the rain waiting for a slow tailgate to finish its dramatic reveal will understand why it matters. Overall, the Touring feels like the right size, being spacious but not so big that it feels compromised or cumbersome to get around in.
In terms of technology, the feature set makes sense. There are no gimmicks for their own sake, and what is there is useful and easy to find, again helped by that generous helping of physical controls. The sound system is good, and one feature stood out: the camera rear-view mirror. In a car designed to be loaded to the roof, being able to switch to a camera feed when the boot is stacked up and your conventional view out back is gone is genuinely handy. Visibility in general is good too, so you’re never left guessing where the corners of the car are.
Under the bonnet (well, under the floor, but some habits are hard to kick), the AWD Touring uses the same drivetrain architecture as the regular AWD bZ4X I drove before, but amped up in power slightly, and in both cases I never once wished for more power. The figures on paper aren’t wild (280kW and 268+268Nm torque with no combined figure), but that isn’t really the point here. The power delivery is very close to the class benchmark, and the car feels genuinely brisk (with a 4.4s 0-100 sprint and very immediate delivery), especially compared to how a combustion SUV of this size and price would behave. You squeeze the pedal, it goes, and it keeps going without fuss.
And how does it drive? Like a lovely, competent daily companion. Power delivery is assertive and well calibrated, despite of a hint of hesitancy when it shifts from power to regen. It is easy to understand, easy to operate, and the drivetrain does everything you ask of it without drama. In regular driving it is a really good place to be, and the suspension deserves credit. I personally appreciate this kind of riding signature, soaking up impacts well and, importantly, avoiding the crashiness that heavier EVs often show over broken pavement. Rougher roads don’t send a jolt through the cabin, and that goes a long way towards making this a pleasant car to spend time in.
What caught me off-guard, both because I didn’t experience on the bZ4X and also because I didn’t expect to see it here, was this quick of a steering rack. In some corners, I found myself having to undo part of my input as I turned in. Combined with body control that can’t fight physics as weight transfers through a corner, the car requires a bit of a learning curve before you know how much input to give. The result maybe sometimes feel like taking a corner in a series of straight segments rather than one clean arc, which might feel jarring for passengers, although none of mine minded at all. It is just so serendipitous that during my time with it, I took a 25 year old Toyota Celica for a drive and the stark contrast between a sporty car from the 2000s having a much, much slower rack was an interesting realisation.
On range, over my week with it, the car was indicating roughly 430 to 440km on a full charge. That’s a bit under the claimed figure, with only moderate hypermiling but loads of motorway driving. That’s plenty for most weeks of commuting and errands, and it puts the Touring in a much more competitive spot than earlier bZ4X versions, also helped by improved, realistic charging.
And that is the bigger picture here. This new generation of bZ cars is a good step forward, and the Touring takes it a bit further. It is the same well-sorted car from the B-pillar forward, with a far more usable boot and a roof you can actually use. If you’re not keen on the regular bZ4X’s coupe-like looks, or you simply need the extra space, the Touring is a good way in without changing too much of the formula. Thanks, Toyota, for the opportunity, and thank you for reading this far!
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