Toyota launched a broadside of news last week, and buried within it was an easy-to-miss tidbit with big implications for car shoppers. The company will launch an all-electric SUV in the U.S. market next year.
The new electric vehicle (EV) would be similar in size to the 2021 Toyota RAV4. That vehicle has a plug-in hybrid edition starting at just over $38,000.
We’ve seen the bZ4X before. It appeared as a concept vehicle at the Shanghai Auto Show in April. It’s a compact crossover. Several character lines carved into the bZ4X’s profile, along with a rakish roofline and pronounced roof spoiler, give it a more spirited look than the RAV4. Inside, a huge central touchscreen and a driver’s instrument screen without the traditional cowl set it apart from Toyota’s usual interiors.
Concept vehicles traditionally change quite a bit before they reach production. But we see few things about the bZ4X that wouldn’t be practical for large-scale manufacturing. It could reach dealerships in something close to concept form.
Toyota now says that will happen next year. “More information on the production model of the Toyota bZ4X will be shared later this year,” the company says, “with sales planning to begin in 2022.”
The vehicle will kick off a new line of EVs. “This future lineup will feature 15 dedicated BEVs, including seven carrying the bZ (Beyond Zero) brand moniker,” Toyota says. “In addition, Toyota intends to bring electrification to its pickup truck lineup in the near future.”
