Toyota used this week’s opening of the Los Angeles Auto Show to reveal a concept car that may become a small, all-electric SUV.
The awkwardly named Toyota bZ Compact SUV Concept may not preview a specific production car. Toyota says the car serves as “a glimpse of what the future could be.”
But it looks close to production-ready, with few of the unrealistic design details common to concept cars that never see a showroom floor.
It looks, more or less, like what you’d get if you replaced the Toyota C-HR with an electric vehicle. We can’t promise that’s the idea, but it wouldn’t be shocking.
“Beyond Zero” Step Two?
Toyota has long promised a new lineup of electric cars under the “Beyond Zero” moniker. But the lineup got off to a rough start this year when the bZ4X SUV was recalled almost as soon as it reached dealerships. Toyota took months to resolve an embarrassing problem that could lead the wheels to fall off while driving.
That episode behind them, this concept marks the second appearance of the bZ badge.
C-HR Proportions, Steering Yoke
The bZ Compact SUV Concept has similar proportions to the C-HR, with more aggressive curves and a sharper nose because electric cars don’t require grilles. It borrows the slit-thin C-shaped headlights of the all-new Prius.
Inside, Toyota says, “the design team included several eco-friendly touches, like seating made from plant-based and recycled materials.”
Renderings of the inside feature a steering yoke in place of the traditional steering wheel. Japanese-market versions of the bZ4X also get a yoke, but the Tesla-like steering arrangement doesn’t appear on U.S.-spec models.
An in-car personal assistant named Yui, Toyota says, “connects the driver and passengers with the vehicle. With the use of audio and visual lighting cues that move around the cabin, it responds to requests or commands from front or rear passengers.”
A Mechanical Mystery
Toyota offered no mechanical details at all. The company simply says the bZ Compact SUV Concept is “designed as a full battery-electric vehicle” with “fun-to-drive, exhilarating performance.”
That may suggest that the car is far from showroom-ready. But it may also reflect internal shifts at Toyota.
Recent reports suggest the world’s largest automaker plans to retool its approach to electric cars. Toyota found itself flat-footed in 2022 as rivals roll out successful electric designs and Toyota plays catch-up.
The company has invested heavily in solid-state battery research, hoping to perfect a smaller, lighter, faster-charging battery that promises improved range. It may be keeping its cards close to its chest as to what will power future electric vehicles.
