Toyota teases new electric coupe-crossover
Toyota has given a sneak glimpse of a new all-electric model that is set to debut next month.
The sleek coupe-crossover is expected to be the production version of the bZ Compact Crossover concept shown in 2022, and slot between Toyota’s two existing EVs – the bZ4X and the Urban Cruiser.
Toyota has given away very little, providing just a single shadowy image and a brief video teaser, but what has been shared suggests Toyota’s third EV will stick closely to the slippery design of the concept car.
The footage shows a far lower, sleeker shape than either the BZ4X or Urban Cruiser, although with a similarly rising and falling belt line beneath the windows. The long bonnet appears almost saloon-like, while a long fastback-style tailgate incorporates full-width LED tail lights.
If, as expected, this new coupe-crossover model maintains the bZ Compact’s 4.5m by 1.89m dimensions, that will put it up somewhere between the Volvo EC40, Smart #3 and the Skoda Enyaq Coupe and Ford Capri.
Toyota has not revealed any technical details of the car – we expect to get them when it is officially unveiled on March 11. However, it’s likely to be built on the same e-TNGA platform as the BZ4X, meaning it could share powertrain elements with the larger model. That could mean a choice of 201bhp front-wheel-drive or 215bhp all-wheel-drive options. In the BZ4X both use a 71.4kWh battery to offer up to 270 miles of range.
There’s also no word on a name. When the bZ Concept was revealed, it was suggested the production model would be called bZ3X, signifying its position in Toyota’s bZ electric range. However, that naming pattern already appears to have been dropped with the Urban Cruiser and the new model may borrow from Toyota’s heritage in the same way as the smaller Urban Cruiser.
The new model marks a further step towards electrification for Toyota. The brand plans to have six all-electric models on sale by 2026, dominated by SUVs. A coupe-SUV partner to the Urban Cruiser and a larger SUV to sit above the BZ4X are among the models due in the next 18-22 months.
