(October 31, 2021) Toyota on Friday presented the world premiere of the all-new bZ4X, the first model in a new series of bZ — beyond Zero — battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Faithful in its design and technology to its concept predecessor, revealed earlier this year, the production-ready bZ4X is the first model to be developed by Toyota entirely as a BEV. It is also the first car to be built on the company's new BEV dedicated platform.

Based on e-TNGA philosophy, this has been co-developed by Subaru and Toyota. Incorporating the battery unit as an integral part of the chassis, beneath the vehicle floor, this gives the fundamental benefits of a low center of gravity, excellent front/rear weight balance and high body rigidity for excellent safety, ride and handling.

Toyota says the bZ4X is a spacious, comfortable SUV, available with a new all-wheel drive system that provides class-leading off-road handling and performance with separate electric motors for each axle. Its clean, sleek and powerful exterior design reflects both its advanced BEV qualities and SUV status, and debuts a new brand-defining "hammerhead" frontal shape, communicating the car's strong stance. The long wheelbase provides excellent accommodation in a light and open five-seat cabin, plus generous load capacity.

Toyota has drawn on almost 25 years' experience in electrified vehicle battery technology to secure world-leading quality, durability and reliability for the lithium-ion unit which powers the bZ4X. Even after 10 years of driving, the battery is expected to still operate at 90% of its original performance.

The 2023 bZ4X goes on sale in mid-2022, targeting worldwide markets including the U.S., Europe, Japan and China. The bZ in the sub-brand's nomenclature derives from Beyond Zero, a reference to zero emissions. The numeral stands for the vehicle class, the X for the body type.

Toyota fleshed out specifications for the Japan-market edition on Friday. While many details such as battery size and range might differ by market, the announcement tells the world where Toyota's head is regarding EVs and foreshadows what to expect overseas.

The bZ4X will come in front-wheel and all-wheel drive. In Japan at least, both variants get a 71.4-kWh lithium ion battery. The front-wheel-drive version gets a single 150-kW motor on the front axle and can cover 0 to 100 kph (0 to 62 mph) in 8.4 seconds. It has a 310-mile range. The figure is based on the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle, which is different from the U.S. standard set by the EPA.

The AWD version has an 80-kW motor on both the front and back axles and can accelerate to 62 mph from a standstill in 7.7 seconds. Its range is 285 miles.

The theme for the interior is "lagom" — the Swedish word that expresses something that is "just right." Here it is reflected in comfort and spaciousness that give the cabin the ambience of a living room, a feeling that's enhanced by using soft, woven trim textures, satin-finish detailing and the option of a panoramic roof.

The instrument panel is slim and low set, adding to the sense of openness and the driver's forward visibility. The "hands on the wheel, eyes on the road" principle is supported by the human-centered cockpit in which the seven-inch TFT instrument and information display sits directly in the driver's forward eyeline, above the line of the steering wheel, so the meters can be viewed with minimal eye movement.

A massive upright digital display dominates the dashboard, while the instrument panel is positioned low and recessed from the steering wheel, which juts toward the driver like a cannon.

The bZ4X will offer two steering options. One is the traditional circular steering wheel. The other is a newfangled Formula One-style wing-shaped handle that connects via a steer-by-wire technology. Toyota calls this the "one-motion grip" setup and said it will be introduced in China and then rolled out to other markets from 2022, although it didn't specify which ones.