Toyota's electric SUV has never set the sales charts alight in Australia. The Touring is the company's answer: stretch it, add power, make it a wagon, and give it a light outdoors flavour.
What is new
The bZ4X Touring is 140mm longer than the standard bZ4X, with a more vertical tailgate and a horizontal roofline that makes it look more like a raised station wagon than a typical SUV. That extra length goes straight into the boot. It also adds front and rear skid plates, ladder-type roof rails rated to 80kg, black wheel-arch trim and a rear wiper.
Australia gets a single, high-specification all-wheel drive model at $69,990 plus on-road costs — a $2000 premium over the regular bZ4X AWD.
The drivetrain
The Touring runs a 74.7kWh battery and gets matched front and rear motors for a total of 280kW, which is up on the standard AWD car. The result is a 0-100km/h time in the mid-four-second range, which is genuinely quick for a family wagon. WLTP range is 488km — strong, though noticeably less than the 591km claimed for the lighter two-wheel drive bZ4X.
DC fast charging peaks at 150kW, giving a 10-80 per cent top-up in about 28 minutes.
On the road
This is a Toyota, so it is polished rather than thrilling. The steering is well matched to the chassis, the ride is composed, and it is quiet and easy over long distances. Ground clearance of 216mm and a 500mm wading depth mean it will handle a gravel road to a campsite comfortably, but there are no locking differentials — this is not a serious off-roader. Braked towing capacity is 1500kg, double that of the single-motor version.
Worth knowing
Toyota's five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty applies, but the standard battery warranty is five years rather than the eight that most rivals offer — extendable to ten if you have an annual inspection at a Toyota dealer. Factor that into the comparison.
Verdict
Solid, spacious, quick and easy to live with, with the reassurance of the Toyota dealer network behind it. Chinese rivals offer more range or more equipment for the money, so the bZ4X Touring is the choice for buyers who value the badge, the network and the polish over the spec sheet.