2026 Toyota bZ: A new name, more power, and lots going for it

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This week: Toyota bZ

Price: $40,468 as tested. Options were few, floor mats and such. Lots standard for this trim level.

What others are saying: “Highs: Smooth and nearly silent powertrain, excellent efficiency, comfortable front seats. “Lows: Long wet stopping distance, no one-pedal driving ability, lacks some expected EV-specific features, compromised driving position, meager small-item storage,” says Consumer Reports.

What Toyota is saying: “Miles and miles of innovation.”

Reality: Whoa, dropping that letter and number from the name really helped this EV.

What’s new: Toyota has given a bit of a rethink to the bZ4X, rebranding it now as simply the bZ. (Even I could not remember the old name, and I get paid to remember the name. Then again, I never had the pleasure of testing one, just the Subaru Solterra clone.) They’ve also stretched the range to 314 miles, at least on the version tested. Comforting. It has a new sleeker look too.

It’s part of Toyota plotting its own path on EV, with the improved bZ and larger bZ Woodland, a path that was cut years ago and now they’re stuck with it. But could it mean a resurgence of EVs, when they’ll finally come in to their own? When a consistently trustworthy brand like Toyota jumps in head first, it could open up new possibilities. Especially if oil prices stay high.

Competition: Some are callingEVs a thing of the past but there are a lot of them available. This is not a comprehensive list: Chevrolet Bolt (a Driver’s Seat review is planned for September), Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach E, Honda Prologue, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Jeep Wagoneer S, Kia EV6, Mini Countryman EV, Nissan Ariya, Subaru Solterra, and Tesla Model Y.

Up to speed: Like most EVs, the bZ climbs to 60 mph with seemingly no effort. There may be a Sport mode; I didn’t feel the need to look for it. There is an Eco mode, and I didn’t bother turning it on.

The front-wheel-drive versions of the bZ create 221 horses, and hit 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, according to Car and Driver, which puts it into respectable fast-car territory. The all-wheel drives have a second motor, 338 horsepower, and get to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, according to Motor Trend, more like an EV.

Shiftless: The bZ has a nice dial shifter on the console; push down and twist counterclockwise for Reverse, or clockwise for Drive. Press a button for park. The tiny parking brake lever is conveniently nearby.

On the road: The aerodynamics and heavy batteries make driving a rewarding experience. There’s a little bit of fun but there’s mostly just a smooth glide as you zip along.

The front-wheel-drive version does a great job of not feeling like one. Oversteer or lurching to the side on corners is limited, although the torquey motor meant the bZ left rubber behind on occasion when the light turned green.

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Driver’s Seat: The cloth seats provided great comfort and support. Toyota makes a superb basic seat; it was the main selling point in Sturgis Kid 1.0’s first car, a 2016 Scion iM, and every family member who drove it agreed those were refreshing. The bZ carries this spa-day mantel.

The faraway gauge pod pretends to be mounted on the steering column. I’d found it cumbersome and somewhat hard to read in my Solterra test, but this time I was charmed. The Lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat commented on how neat it looked.

The sloped front windshield makes for a welcome cockpit for anyone who ever spent time in a 1990s GM dustbuster minivan.

Friends and stuff: Here, the bZ starts to lose its charm. Rear-seat passengers will find plenty of legroom, and decent headroom. Foot room is a little snug but there’s so much legroom.

But the real downfall is the rear seat. The seat cushion is so crushable it’s almost like sitting on an air mattress, and so short from front to back it’s like sitting on a log. So I guess it’s an air log?

Cargo space is 38.1 or 56.1 cubic feet.

Play some tunes: The 14-inch Toyota audio multimedia screen is perched liked an iPad on the dashboard, complimenting the gauge screen nicely and giving the bZ a very Prius-like feel. Getting around the system is almost entirely through the touchscreen, but it’s big enough that it’s not too impossible.

Sound from the system is very good, an A. Extremely clear audio.

Keeping warm and cool: The Lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat commented on the round temperature control dials’ attractiveness. I explained how they meant swiping something else on the screen by accident, but then couldn’t replicate my errors when asked. Sigh.

The rest of the controls are on the ebony portion of the touchscreen, and do require some eyes-off-the-road time. The fan is especially difficult to operate. Notably, the bZ alerted me to keep my eyes on the road, and I told it, “You know, this is all your fault. But it won’t be YOUR insurance rates going up.” No response. No apology. Jerk.

Range: The vehicle reported a 314-mile range. The best mileage comes in the low-priced offering, which is a nice touch. The next level Limited range drops to 299 miles, and the Limited all-wheel drive will only travel 278.

It was fairly quick to charge on my home 110-volt outlet, adding 20% range overnight, and it advertises that it takes eight hours to fully charge on a 240-volt standard home charger.

It’ll charge from 10-80% in 30 minutes on a fast charger, slightly slower than the 20 minutes on other carmakers’ EVs.

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Where it’s built: Aichi, Japan

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the bZ reliability to be a 3 out of 5.

Next week: Volvo EX30