CARS OF THE WORLD

Toyota bZ4X Concept 2021-2022.

Toyota bZ4X Concept: a harbinger of the upcoming electric crossover.
Toyota has unveiled the bZ4X concept electric crossover. In fact, we have before us a modern version of the RAV4 EV model.

The 2021 Toyota bZ4X Concept has an angular exterior design with narrow headlights. The car does not have a radiator grill; instead, a plug is installed, over which there is a ventilation slot.

Plus, one cannot fail to note the eye-catching side air intakes in the front bumper.

The profile of the car is formed by a long bonnet, a strongly sloped windshield, pronounced wheel arches and powerful rear roof pillars.

The lanterns at the stern draw attention to themselves with a striking pattern and are united by a light strip.

The interior of the crossover is more restrained and closer to commercial vehicles. Directly in front of the driver is a tightly knocked three-spoke steering wheel and a low-slung digital instrument cluster without a visor.

According to Japanese experts, such a layout improves the visibility of the model and increases traffic safety.

Also, the concept is characterized by the presence of a «floating» center console and a separately located widescreen display of the multimedia system.

Interestingly, the front panel on the passenger side is trimmed with fabric, and the second row, even in photographs, seems very spacious.

The company does not cover the technical features of the Toyota bZ4X Concept, but the crossover is based on the e-TNGA platform, developed jointly with Subaru.

The company claims that the commercial model will be able to boast of both Toyota reliability and outstanding Subar cross-country ability.

Serial production of the electric car is planned to be established both in Japan and in China, while the model will be presented in all major markets. Its start of sales is scheduled for mid-2022.

Toyota bZ4X crossover to open up the company’s electric range

So Toyota is preparing to break into the electric vehicle market. Until now, this Japanese company has relied on hybrids and has made significant progress in this area: since 1997, more than 17 million Toyota gasoline-electric vehicles have been sold worldwide.

They are estimated to have “saved” around 140 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Hybrids now account for 23% of Toyota’s global sales. But electric cars are on the agenda.

Toyota unveiled an extensive offensive plan in this area in the summer of 2019, and unveiled the first pre-production train at the Shanghai Motor Show that opened today.

The Toyota bZ4X is a crossover the size of the current RAV4. It is built on the e-TNGA electric platform, which has unified motor modules: theoretically, it can be front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Of the features of the «trolley» — a steering mechanism without mechanical connection with the steering wheel (control by wires) and solar panels for recharging the battery.

The complex index of the model is quite amenable to deciphering. The letter bZ is coined for the entire family of electric trains on the e-TNGA platform and stands for “beyond Zero”, emphasizing zero carbon dioxide emissions.

Four speaks about the position of the model in the hierarchy, but «X» is a crossover.
The Toyota bZ4X SUV was developed in conjunction with Subaru, which will soon have an electric twin, but its main contribution to the project is setting up an all-wheel drive.

Alas, the partners have not yet published any characteristics of the car, but they showed the interior.

Instead of a steering wheel, a steering wheel is installed here, because a mechanism without a shaft allows you to set any gear ratio and steer without interception.

However, it is not a fact that this solution will live up to mass production. But the virtual instrument cluster, raised up in the manner of Peugeot cars, is likely to remain. In the second row there is a flat floor and generous legroom for riders.

The serial Toyota bZ4X crossover should appear by mid-2022, these electric vehicles will be produced in Japan and China, and sold almost all over the world.

Next Toyota will release a whole shaft of «electric trains»: by 2025, fifteen models will see the light, of which seven are of the bZ family.

Moreover, the company will involve not only Subaru in their development.

Depending on the target market, Daihatsu and Suzuki will be partners in the EV program, and in China, BYD, a local firm with extensive experience in the development and production of EVs.