The all-new bZ4X, the first model in Toyota’s new bZ (beyond zero ) family of battery electric vehicles (BEVs ), is due to arrive in Ireland from June this year.
Toyota Ireland says that it will be available in three specification grades, the ‘Advance’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Premiere Edition’, with prices will start from €43,402 plus delivery and related fees.
Toyota plans a full line-up of electrified vehicles, to add to their petrol hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles.
Toyota says that the bZ4X is a spacious, comfortable SUV, with a new all-wheel drive system that it claims to provide class-leading off-road handling and performance, with separate electric motors for each axle.
Toyota says that the bZ4X has been designed with the driver in mind and incorporates the ‘hands on the wheel, eyes on the road’ principle with what it terms its human-centred cockpit. It adds that the seven-inch TFT instrument and information display sit directly in the driver’s forward eye-line, above the line of the steering wheel.
Toyota has come late to the all-electric cars market with others such as Volkswagen powering on. It also says that it continues to see hybrid technology as a key cornerstone in the move towards more sustainable motoring. However, the Japanese carmaker says that with years experience in electrified vehicle battery technology (for hybrids ), it claims to have secured world-leading quality, durability and reliability for the lithium-ion unit which powers the bZ4X.
With a fully charged battery, Toyota says that it expects the new model to have a range of more than 450 km but it adds that this depends on grade, exact data relating to this claim to be confirmed pending final homologation.
Toyota also says that it expects that after 10 years of driving, the battery is targeted to still operate at 90 per cent of its original performance. However, target values during development. guarantee it will cover up 70 per cent of its original battery capacity after up to 10 years of ownership of one million kilometres driven, subject to the customer taking their vehicle to an authorised Toyota service centre for an annual health check.
Toyota reminds us that the bZ4X is also the first to use the company’s new BEV-dedicated platform. It incorporates the battery unit as an integral part of the chassis, beneath the vehicle floor. The carmaker say that this benefits a low centre of gravity, excellent front/rear weight balance and high body rigidity, all of which make a positive contribution to safety, ride and handling.
Toyota Ireland says that it expects demand to be high, and invites interested parties to visit their website to place their reservation and contact their local dealer who can bring them through everything they need to know. Toyota expects that the 2022 bZ4X allocation will be pre-sold before its arrival in June.
For further information on the Toyota range please contact Joe Lynch & Sons, Lakeview, Athlone, on 090 6492734.
