- Toyota has a new electric crossover in its lineup.
- Called the bZ3X, it's roughly the same size as a Rav4.
- There's one problem: it's not for sale in the United States.
Toyota has just one all-electric car on sale in the United States, the bZ4X crossover. It starts at $44,465, it has 252 miles of range on a full battery and it’s not particularly impressive in the charging speed department. In other words, it’s not exactly competitive, seeing how Tesla, Hyundai and others have electric crossovers that offer more of everything for a similar price.
But Toyota knows how to build cheaper and more appealing EVs–they’re just not available in the United States. Enter the new Toyota bZ3X, an electric crossover developed with China’s GAC specifically for the Chinese market, which is notorious for breaking traditional automakers’ hopes and dreams. In other words, the world's largest car market is ruthless, so brands need to bring their A-game.
Pre-orders for the bZ3X, which is roughly the same size as a Toyota Rav4, are now live in China, and the starting price is truly impressive: 100,000 yuan or roughly $13,800. That price tag increases up to 200,000 yuan ($27,500) as you move up the trim ladder, but that’s still $17,000 less than the entry-level bZ4X in the U.S.
Granted, China is well-known for subsidizing EV production in any way it can, but those are still very impressive numbers. And things only get better once we factor in the specs. Three versions will be available: 430 Air+, 520 Pro+ and 620 Max. The entry-level trim gets a single electric motor making 150 kilowatts (201 horsepower) and a 50-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack that’s good for 267 miles (430 kilometers) on a full charge on the rather lenient CLTC procedure.
Toyota hasn’t revealed the specs for the remaining trim levels, but logic dictates that the 520+ Pro will have 323 miles (520 km) of range, while the 620 Max will offer 385 miles (620 km) of range. Recharging from 30% to 80% state of charge takes 24 minutes, as per GAC-Toyota.
Gallery: Toyota bZ3X
The EV comes with an Nvidia-powered advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that gets info from 27 sensors, including 11 high-definition cameras, 12 ultrasonic radars, 3 millimeter-wave radars and a lidar. These enable features like speed limit assist, traffic light assist, remote parking and blind spot monitoring, according to CarNewsChina.
Inside, the bZ3X has a two-spoke steering wheel, ambient lighting and an 11-speaker Yamaha audio system. An 8.8-inch screen sits in front of the steering wheel and acts as the digital instrument cluster, while a 14.6-inch floating touchscreen serves the infotainment.
Chinese buyers can pre-order the Toyota bZ3X for the equivalent of $275. This gets them priority delivery when shipments begin in March next year.
