The world’s biggest car maker has not exactly been leading from the front when it comes to the transition to electric vehicles. Until now, Toyota only had one full battery EV available in the Australian market – the bZ4X – and in June it very nearly lost its crown as the biggest selling brand in Australia, at least for the month.
But things are slowly about to change. The Toyota brand, by the end of next year, will have four full battery electric models in Australia, including an electric Hilux ute, the C-HR+ that is due to arrive next year, and the new bZ4X Touring, an electric wagon that local media got to drive earlier this month.
One of the curious things about the Toyota approach to EVs is its focus on producing mechanical twins with other Japanese car makers: The bZ4X is a joint venture with Subaru, which sells it as the Solterra, and in Europe it has had success with the Toyota Urban Cruiser, a joint venture with Suzuki, which sells it as the e-Vitara.
The new bZ4X Touring is another j-v with Subaru, which is selling its version as the Trailseeker. Essentially, it is a longer version of the bZ4X (an extra 14 cm to 4.83m) and has a bigger boot that makes it a wagon rather than a hatchback, and a lot more cargo space (603 litres).
And if you think it looks kind of familiar, that’s because it’s based around the popular Subaru Outback AWD SUV, so much so that in Europe, the Subaru Trailseeker is actually called the electric Outback.
And that seems like an interesting moment in the electric transition in Australia – you’d think that rolling out a battery electric version of a city car like the Yaris or a Corolla would be a no brainer for Toyota.
Instead, they’ve gone for a car designed to make sure that weekends are not ruined by going electric. Toyota’s pitch is to invite the owner to go camping and “soft-road”, with high ground clearance (211 mm), a high mounted roof that can support a roof tent and 300 kilos, panoramic roof, and vehicle to load.
It offers three different driver-selectable modes – Normal, Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud – that provide improved traction on slippery or rough or unpaved roads, but just to be clear it’s AWD and “all terrain”, rather than a full 4WD so it’s made for gravel and unchallenging dirt roads rather than completely off road.
The bZ4X features a 74.7 kWh lithium-ion battery that supports 150kW DC charging and 22kW three-phase AC charging, and offers a driving range of 488 km (WTLP), but remember the range in EVs is always less than claimed if you are sitting on a highway at 110 kms.
Its efficiency is rated at 168 Wh/km, which sounds about right. We got a result of around 180 Wh/km, but were going reasonably hard, and my quiet drive back to Brisbane got less than 160 Wh/km.
Importantly, the bZ4X Touring is a very nice car to drive. I had brought my 2022 Tesla Model Y RWD from my home in Byron Bay to Toyota’s Brisbane-based media and drive event, and the difference between the two cars was instantly remarkable.
The 2022 MY RWD had lousy suspension that Tesla did not bother to tune properly to Australian conditions. Sometimes, it can feel a bit like sitting in the back of a wheelbarrow. The bZ4X Touring is smooth, quiet, well tuned, comfortable and handles really well.
We headed off towards Lake Wivenhoe through the hills to the west of Brisbane, before looping around towards Mt Tambourine to the south.
It was a really fun driving route for those who like the feel of hilly, winding roads and who like to put the vehicles to the test.
The bZ4X Touring handling and suspension was excellent – and my co-driver, who threw the car around corners at greater speeds than me – was also impressed. It can get from 0-100 kmh in just 4.4 seconds, so it has some real zip..
It’s also just very pleasant to drive. The interior, as you’d expect from Toyota and a car in this price range, is good quality. The screens are thoughtfully placed and designed, and there are two wireless chargers for phones. There is no “frunk”, however.
I drove it back to Brisbane from Mt Tambourine and it was a comfortable and quiet drive. My main regret is that the regen settings are light, so don’t expect to achieve any 1-pedal driving. You will need the brakes. And I do prefer the Tesla navigation system.
Impressive as it is, the challenge that Toyota faces with the bZ4X Touring is that it is not competing with the 2022 version of the Tesla Model Y.
Tesla sorted out the tuning and suspension problems with that car, and the upgraded Model Y released last year is a much better vehicle, which is why it has clearly been the best-selling car of any type in Australia in the last two months, and by quite some margin.
And it’s not Toyota’s only competitor in the price range – Toyota is pitching the bZ4X at a price of $69,990, plus on roads. A whole bunch of Chinese made SUVs are competing in this space, often at lower prices – including the XPeng, Zeekr, and the BYD SeaLion, and there are even some decent European models in this space.
And the bZ4rX is even competing with its own twin, the Subaru Trailseeker. The difference between the two vehicles is in the tuning and the interior fit-out, but Subaru is at least offering a “base model” version (without the sunroof) at $69,620 driveaway (and a longer range of 535 kms).
And that’s the weird thing about the Toyota approach to the EV transition. Apart from the upcoming electric Hilux ute, the world’s biggest car maker has not been rolling out EVs in areas where it might have a natural advantage, probably for fear of cannibalising its success with the likes of the Yaris, Corolla and Camry, where hybrids are about as far as it wants to travel.
It is still insisting on a multiple pathway to low emissions, which means hybrids for the cheaper cars, plug ins for some like the popular RAV4, and even hydrogen for an upcoming version of the Hilux ute.
So with the bZ4X Touring, Toyota is probably unlikely to draw in new customers to the brand. What it will be counting on – and what it premium price demands – is the Toyota reputation for reliable cars, good service and its 270-strong dealer network around the country.
In the world’s most advanced EV market – Norway, where the share of EV sales is more than 97 per cent – Toyota has managed to secure a prime position, with three of the six top selling models.
In Australia, though, Toyota must compete head on with the Chinese EV makers, and in June BYD very nearly unseated its multi-decade position as the best selling car brand in the country.
Toyota will insist that is a one off, caused mostly by a lack of deliveries from HQ. What the bZ4x Touring does prove is that they know how to make good electric cars. The test will be if they can make them at a price that can compete in the mass market.
See The Driven’s detailed EV sales data here: Australian electric vehicle sales by month in 2026; by model and by brand and our list of all available EV models in Australia here.
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