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2023 Toyota bZ4X Test Drive Review: Time To Trade Your Prius

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2023 Toyota bZ4X Test Drive Review: Time To Trade Your Prius

It's been eight years since Toyota last offered a battery electric vehicle here in the United States, and it only existed to satisfy California's strict zero-emissions mandate. After dragging its feet since then, the Japanese automaker is finally ready to offer an electric car that does more than meet government regulations.. Enter the 2023 Toyota bZ4X, the first in a new series of 'Beyond Zero' EVs accounting for 30 models by 2030 - hence the bZ moniker. The '4X' portion of the name refers to the size and body style, roughly translating to a RAV4-sized crossover.

With the mainstream EV segment still relatively new, the bZ4X will enter the fray against a wide variety of competitors. There's the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 from Asia, the Ford Mustang Mach-E from the USA, the Volkswagen ID.4 from Germany, and the Subaru Solterra, a rebadged version of the bZ4X. And that's just what's available now; more are coming. Toyota is hoping that 201 horsepower in FWD trim and 214 hp in AWD dual-motor form are enough to stave off the threat from rivals, but with only 252 miles worth of range in its most efficient FWD configuration, the bZ4X will have to put up a strong showing in other areas.

2023 Toyota bZ4X Changes: What’s the difference vs 2022 bZ4X?

As Toyota's first mass-produced EV, the all-new 2023 Toyota bZ4X is a fresh arrival and a vitally important model for the Japanese giant. It's based on the e-TNGA platform, a scalable electric architecture that will underpin a vast array of future EVs from the brand.

The compact crossover arrives in two trim levels - XLE and Limited - and produces up to 214 hp in the case of the all-wheel-drive variant, but a slightly less powerful front-wheel-drive version is available too. According to Toyota, the range is as much as 252 miles for the XLE FWD model. Inside, there's a standard 12.3-inch widescreen multimedia system and over-the-air updates are possible.

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