Toyota led the way with hybrid vehicles and today they are very much on the electric highway. Their bZ4X BEV, which is a mid-size compact SUV, was the first from the giant Japanese carmaker to feature their eTNGA architecture, which integrates the battery into the structure of the vehicle and this can be used for various size of vehicles providing extra rigidity.
The bZ4X is available as either two wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the latter brings off road capability; however I wonder how many ever really get to benefit from all wheel drive. Progress is ongoing in the motor industry and for 2024 the bZ4X has been updated and I have had the opportunity to spend some time behind the wheel. Right away I observed a quieter cabin, thanks to some additional sound proofing. In addition more Toyota Safety Sense systems and very welcome improved charging performance. My test car when I drove it, the indication was just shy of a range of 482 km (300m), with the indicator displaying a charge of over ninety percent. Toyota claim a range of 511km (318m); however as those who may have driven or own a BEV the range you achieve is open to a number of factors, temperature etc. and not to forget the manner in which you drive. Drive like Max and do not be too disappointed when the range falls!
In bringing the bZ4X to the market, Toyota worked with Subaru as a development partner and through motorsport and in particular with rallying they were amongst the leaders in all wheel drive technology. Performance is a priority I suspect for the majority of drivers and I found this BEV from Toyota certainly not lacking. The front-wheel drive version is powered by a high-response, front-mounted 150kW electric motor with 201bhp and 266Nm of torque, rest to 100kph (62mph) in 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 160kph (100mph). While the all-wheel drive model features separate front and rear 80kW motors driving the front and rear axles. Max power is 215bhp, with 337Nm of torque; rest to 100kph (62mph) is reduced to 6.9 seconds and the employment of power from the front and rear motors is optimised to achieve better overall power consumption and the front motor is used when only low drive torque is needed. Despite its modest dimensions, this BEV delivers a quality drive, user friendly and a plus for me was the driver layout in the well-appointed cabin; providing an area of driver focus.
My time with Toyota also gave me the opportunity to take the wheel of the 2024 Yaris Cross and for me the most pleasing aspect of the upgrade, a new129bhp hybrid powertrain benefiting from elements of the latest, fifth generation Toyota hybrid technology, increasing efficiency, power and responsiveness. However, the 114bhp unit remains, so the customer has choice. The larger engine does what it says on the pack – more performance and it certainly gets my vote. In the 129bhp version, faster acceleration, with rest to 100kph (62mph) time reduced by half a second to 10.7 seconds.
Like the bZ4X, the new updated Yaris Cross with its chunky design benefits from the upgrades in Toyota Safety Sense active safety and driver assistance systems and across the range there are a number of enhancements to make this member of the Toyota family an attractive form of transport; I tried the Sport version. In common with Toyota models that I have tested and there have been quite a few, it is the build quality which impresses me most and that is very true of this latest pairing.
Ian Lynas
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