At the 2021 Shanghai Motor Show, Toyota presented a concept of the upcoming Toyota bZ4X, a D-segment electric SUV that anticipates a series of battery-powered vehicles coming in the next few years. Based on the Japanese manufacturer’s new eTNGA platform, the bZ4X combines dynamism and practicality: the SUV has a characteristic high driving position, but still appears firmly planted on the road. The bodywork has curvaceous surfaces, combined with linear, high-tech styling.
The front of the car – an immediate point of recognition for any vehicle – forgoes the familiar grille and instead features an arrangement of sensors, lights and aerodynamic elements in a distinctive hammerhead shape, giving the car a completely new look and presence on the road. The rear end echoes the layout seen on the Yaris Cross with a straight roofline, but a C-pillar that follows the line of the rear window. The headlamp crosses the entire width of the model.
The car takes on the classic overall proportions of an electric vehicle, although the bonnet seems rather long, perhaps to accommodate an additional front luggage compartment, while the wheelbase is long thanks to the batteries housed in the floorpan. The front cabin is designed around the driver for a sense of direct connection with the road. The cockpit has been completely redesigned and the bZ4X is also expected to feature a clutch steering wheel, available now for the Chinese market and later for Europe.
At the top of the dashboard is the instrument display: the layout was anticipated by the e-Trans concept car, presented at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show. In the centre of the dashboard, on the other hand, is the large screen for managing the infotainment system, while further down we find the central tunnel that houses the gear selector and other controls for various functions and where a large storage compartment has been created in its lower part. The Toyota bZ4X was developed in collaboration with Subaru and will be on the market by the first half of 2022.
