Tesla toppler? Could the Toyota bZ4X EV Concept be the EV version of the Fortuner?

MANILA: For the better half of the past two decades, Toyota’s bread and butter in terms of SUV sales in the Philippines has been the Toyota Fortuner, and with good cause. It’s rugged, reliable and, best of all, easier on the wallet with its excellent diesel-fed engines. It has consistently been not just one of Toyota’s best selling vehicles but also an overall smash hit.

In keeping with Toyota’s Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement and changing for the better, you can’t expect the Japanese powerhouse to rest on its laurels forever. If the last couple of years are any indication, it tells us that the world is slowly adapting and opening up to the idea of EVs or electric vehicles.

While Toyota has been the foremost authority on full-hybrid vehicles such as the Prius, which uses both an electric and internal combustion engine, the new hotness in the world of hybrid technology are BEVs or battery electric vehicles such as Tesla’s offerings. These types of vehicles completely ditch the gasoline engine for a fully electric experience. 

This time, Toyota has entered the fray with their Toyota bZ4X EV Concept. Toyota has unveiled a new global range of seven fully electric cars dubbed "Beyond Zero." The bZ4X Concept SUV, which makes its debut this week, is the first in this battery-powered batch to bear the "bZ" badge. 

Thanks to Toyota’s existing stake at Subaru, the two companies join forces to design and develop their BEVs from the ground up and will be built using the E-TNGA platform. The automaker's broader drive toward carbon neutrality involves increasing its global electrified vehicle lineup to 70 models by 2025, which includes hydrogen fuel cell battery, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid cars. Fifteen of them will be full BEVs, with seven belonging to the Beyond Zero brand.

Looking at the existing concept, one can’t deny Toyota’s design genes at play with sharp, angular lines, contrasting trim around the wheel-arches and a more distinct front fascia with a unique aerodynamic design to cool down the electric motor when in motion. Compared to Toyota’s current design language of having large gaping grills, the bZ4X EV concept might shed this design choice given the lack of need for large amounts of air for optimal operation.

Unlike the designs of current internal combustion engine vehicles, BEVs afford designers the ability to pen their models with a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs to maximize space and utility. That is further seen in the interior concept of the Toyota bZ4X Concept SUV with a comfortable yet unusually low Steering position and the gauge cluster centered and pushed back towards the front of the vehicle. Toyota says this was made to eliminate the need to change your grip while steering and create a sense of spaciousness inside the cabin. 

Production is expected to commence by 2022 in Japan and China, where demand for EVs have skyrocketed over the years. There has been mention that among these models include trucks and SUVs, which leads us to believe that a bZ-branded BEV Hilux and even a Fortuner is not beyond the realm of possibilities. If you can imagine a seven-seater SUV with all the power and torque of a Tesla hauling you and your family on your next outing, then imagine no more, as Toyota’s drive to make sure this becomes a reality has never been stronger.

Photos from Toyota Motor Corporation

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