Toyota’s bZ4X Touring is almost the ideal family road-trip car

Toyota’s revised bZ4X Touring may be close to the ideal family road-trip car. Even the name, once awkward, is beginning to sound natural.

Japanese manufacturers are often accused of sleeping through the electric-car boom. But in Japan, battery-electric vehicles account for only about 3 percent of the market, and in the United States the figure remains below 6 percent. Hybrids, where Toyota and Honda are pioneers, remain popular in both markets and lead in Europe and China as well.

Toyota’s strategy is therefore not as misguided as its critics suggest. Still, electric cars have become a growth market that the world’s largest manufacturer cannot ignore, even if it considers hybrids the wiser option in climate and overall terms. Toyota entered the market with the bZ4X in 2022, but the original model stood out neither for range nor charging speed. Its established strengths in durability and reliability seemed likely to give it a long career, particularly as a taxi.

The latest revision is extensive. Toyota has kept the technology relatively conservative, avoiding an expensive 800-volt architecture and the headline-grabbing figures of some rivals. The battery holds 74.1 kWh, or 71 kWh usable, helping keep the vehicle’s total weight below two tonnes. Real-world range averaged about 530 kilometers, supported by low consumption of 14.8 kWh per 100 km despite substantial motorway driving in summer temperatures. Even after long, brisk motorway stretches, 500 kilometers remained achievable, roughly four hours of driving.

The battery can now precondition itself through route planning, a feature the previous model lacked, allowing it to accept the available charging power properly. After about half an hour, the journey can continue. Charging stations that are only partly operational and queues in front of them remain a source of frustration, while traveling abroad without a roaming agreement can leave users dependent on a single charging card. Those problems do not belong to the car itself.

Overall, the electric journey proved highly positive. The smooth ride creates a sense of comfort in every seat, and the single-motor version accelerates with sufficient force while using less energy than the almost overpowered all-wheel-drive model. The bZ4X also handles rough tracks and difficult viewpoints with ease.