Toyota injects bZ4X -- its first full-electric model -- with RAV4's off-road abilities

Toyota is injecting the bZ4X – the first of seven full-electric models from the Beyond Zero subbrand due by 2025 -- with off-road capabilities take from its successful RAV4 compact SUV.

Those include the ability to drive through up to 50 cm of water and to handle deep snow and mud. Toyota’s aim is to bring “genuine SUV off-road driving capability” to the electric car sector for the first time, the automaker said in a release.

The awd version of the bZ4X features 80 kW electric motors on each axle to provide power to the front and back of the car. Maximum power is 218 hp, with 337 newton meters of torque and acceleration 0 to 100 kph in 6.9 seconds.

Top speed is 160 kph. The awd midsize SUV’s use of power from the front and rear motors is optimized to achieve better overall power consumption. For example, only the front motor is used when limited torque is needed.

The bZ4X is also the first model based on the e-TNGA architecture that Toyota co-developed with Subaru, which is launching its version of the midsize SUV under the name Solterra.

On the bZ4X, the e-TNGA architecture integrates a 71.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack into the chassis beneath the vehicle floor. The result is a strong and highly rigid framework and a low center of gravity.

At 4690mm long, 1860 mm wide and 1650mm tall, the bZ4X is 45mm longer than the RAV4. It also sits on a 2850mm wheelbase, which is 160mm more than its sibling, which results in more legroom for the rear passengers. Cargo space starts at 451 liters.

The entry bZ4X is a front-driven model powered by a 150-kilowatt electric motor that produces 204 hp and 266 newton meters of torque. The car can go 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 160 kph.

The fwd variant has a range of 516 km on a full charge battery, according to WLTP standards, resulting in an average of 7 km per kW. The awd version’s WLTP rating is for 470 km of range, equivalent to 6.3 km per kW.

During a test drive on urban and suburban roads around Copenhagen, Denmark, the awd bZ4X consumed 19.5 kw per 100 km, equivalent to 5.2 km per kw.