{"id":29104,"date":"2022-04-21T12:02:40","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T16:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29104"},"modified":"2022-04-21T12:02:40","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T16:02:40","slug":"payne-smooth-comfy-bz4x-is-an-ev-for-the-toyota-faithful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/04\/payne-smooth-comfy-bz4x-is-an-ev-for-the-toyota-faithful","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Smooth, comfy bZ4X is an EV for the Toyota faithful"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Encinitas, California<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Toyota pioneered the green auto segment 20 years ago with its egg-shaped Prius, expanding its customer base from Camry shoppers, Tacoma off-roaders\u00a0and Supra speedsters to include hybrid tree-huggers.<\/p>\n

These loyal\u00a0green customers then watched over the last decade as Tesla stole Toyota\u2019s green eco-mantle with the all-electric Model 3 and Model Y.<\/p>\n

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The faithful have finally been rewarded with the all-new\u00a02023 Toyota bZ4X, the first all-electric Toyota built on a skateboard chassis. Just like a Tesla, but Toyota-fied.<\/p>\n

Stepping on the gas (electric?) pedal, I surged out of a stoplight on Carlsbad Highway north of San Diego, leaving traffic behind. Tesla made macho acceleration an EV trademark \u2014 contrary to the snail-like Pious \u2014 and the bZ4X doesn\u2019t disappoint. Liquid smooth and quiet as a beach breeze, the SUV is pleasant to drive around town devoid of a droning CVT transmission or gutteral V-6. Toggle the regen button (conveniently located right next to the rotary shifter) and you can one-pedal drive. Just like a Tesla.<\/p>\n

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But the top-drawer, Michigan-friendly\u00a0all-wheel-driver\u2019s 214 horsepower pales next to the AWD Model Y\u2019s neck-snapping 384 ponies \u2014 good for 4.4 seconds 0-60. My Toyota arrives two seconds later.<\/p>\n

That puts it at the back of the pack of Model Y pretenders (Tesla dominates the EV market with some 70% of sales) that have flooded the market, including the Subaru Solterra (which shares the bZ4X\u2019s skateboard platform), Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Volvo C40\u00a0and my favorite, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E.<\/p>\n

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Like the Camry sedan and RAV4 SUV, bZ4X\u2019s game plan revolves around reliability and room. Vroom? Not so much. Unlike some automakers that have set dates for their all-EV future, Toyota recognizes EVs are a niche for now. You want thrills? Check out the all-new\u00a0gas-fired GR86 sports car and twin-turbo V6 Tundra \u2014 also released this year.<\/p>\n

Like its stablemates, bZ4X will turn you head. Borrowing design cues from an alphabet soup of sources \u2014 fascia from the Model X, flanks from Lexus NX, fender classing from RAV4, taillights from Prius \u2014 it poses a coherent, premium design statement. And that\u2019s a good thing since bZ4X starts at $42K\u00a0(on par with ID.4, Ioniq 5 and\u00a0Co.), well north of a RAV4 hybrid.<\/p>\n

Less appealing is its alphabet soup of a name: bZ4X. No worries, I speak Alphanumeric.<\/p>\n

Translation: BZ is short for Beyond Zero (important to its righteous image, but a dubious claim of zero emissions since the SUV\u2019s battery is mined from the world\u2019s lithium deposits, then charged via America\u2019s fossil-fuel-fired energy grid). Then things get really obtuse. The 4 stands for midsize vehicle (3 is for compact, 2 for subcompact, and so on). And X is for crossover.<\/p>\n

Toyota turned RAV4 (Translation: Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel-drive) into a winner, so who am I to judge?<\/p>\n

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A bigger issue is bZ4X\u2019s mixed bag of tech beneath an appealing interior design package. I ogled the center console\u2019s striking tidal wave of black trim cresting in a broad\u00a012.3-inch screen, then barked: \u201cHey, Toyota! Take me to Boulders Resort, Scottsdale, Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n

Confusion.<\/p>\n

The Tesla would have understood my Southern accent, mapped the 504 miles to destination, and included charging stops on the way complete with restaurants and shops where Mrs. Payne and I could graze while the car slurped electrons. Not the Toyota.<\/p>\n

I turned to the trusty\u00a0touchscreen keypad and located Boulders, but my e-guide hadn\u2019t a clue where fast chargers could be found along the way. Finding fueling stations is my job, apparently.<\/p>\n

Toyota says that charging station updates are scheduled for future\u00a0over-the-air updates (another Tesla innovation), but it will be tough sell to California greens desperate for something different than the six Teslas on their block. Toyota knows its target audience; six-figure households with a multi-car garage that have a Nowhere-Near-Zero Land Cruiser for when family road trips are required.<\/p>\n