Toyota bZ4X SUV - Electric motor, drive & performance
Toyota's GR sports cars seem to be rubbing off on the bZ4X as it's one of the better SUVs to drive
The Toyota bZ4X is surprisingly good to drive. It has nicely weighted steering that’s enjoyable to use, plus the car stays relatively flat in corners, so you aren’t thrown around on twisty roads.
Toyota has also worked with Subaru to make the bZ4X good at off-roading, too. Four-wheel-drive models get special off-road settings, although ground clearance isn’t the best – and we don’t expect anyone who actually needs an off-roader to choose one of these.
The bZ4X is also really comfortable, especially when you factor in that it has large alloy wheels and it’s very heavy. That usually results in a car with a bouncy and harsh ride over bumps, but the bZ4X is smooth and relaxing to drive.
This is true on the motorway as well. Wind and road noise is hushed, which is impressive given the size of the tyres, and the stereo in our test car was high-quality.
Toyota bZ4X electric motor
There is one battery in the bZ4X, and it powers both versions. The entry-level model is front-wheel drive (FWD) only, and then there’s a four-wheel-drive version (or all-wheel drive, AWD).
The FWD model has 201bhp and 266NM of torque, while the AWD version has 215bhp and 337Nm of torque. It’s the latter that makes the biggest difference to the way the car drives, because it provides extra shove from low speed – alongside the extra traction from it being four-wheel drive.
This means the FWD version goes from 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds and the AWD model takes 6.9 seconds to do the same.
