Our Exciting Adventure With a Toaster on Stilts - Toyota Goes Camping
Image Credit: Toyota.
Lately, my focus, like a moth to a very expensive, silent flame, has turned to the electric side of life. And wouldn't you know it, Toyota has gone and announced something rather interesting and yet strangely familiar… I had to do a double-take because I thought I was looking at the Subaru Trailseeker, but no - Toyota has assured me this, in fact, is their new vehicle. Not Subaru then.
Toyota calls it the 2026 bZ Woodland. Now, the "bZ" bit is their electricky prefix – "Beyond Zero," they say, which is nice and optimistic. "Woodland," however, brings up images of babbling brooks, fluffy bunnies, and perhaps getting utterly, hopelessly stuck in the mud. And Toyota's gone and slapped this badge on a new electric crossover. My initial thought? Have they finally lost their collective minds, or have they actually built something you could genuinely take slightly off the beaten path?
Image Credit: Toyota.
This thing is meant to be a rugged addition to their electric family. Rugged! An electric Toyota! My sides, they ache! It's got standard All-Wheel Drive, which is a good start. And they've given it X-MODE®, which, coupled with the AWD, gives it a rather healthy combined system net output of 375 horsepower. I gotta say - that's not exactly sluggish. That's actually more poke than a decent hot hatch from back in the day. So, it should be able to outrun those fluffy bunnies, at least.
The new bZ Woodland gets an improved ground clearance… A princely 8.3 inches. That's enough to clear a moderately ambitious squirrel, perhaps even a small, flat rock. And it can tow… A whole 3,500 pounds. Right, so you can haul your slightly-too-heavy camping trailer, or perhaps a modest boat for a bit of electric-powered lakeside sitting. They even mention available All-Terrain tires. Available? Meaning you have to pay extra to truly embrace the Woodland part of its name. I never heard of buying hiking boots and having to pay extra for the soles.
Style-wise, it's got the Toyota "hammerhead" front end. Yes, like the shark. Though thankfully, it doesn't seem to have the teeth. It's got full-width LED lights, because naturally, you need to spectacularly illuminate the forest floor as you silently glide through it. Then they've added wide, black overfenders. Ah, the universal sign of "rugged." Stick some black plastic on it, and suddenly it's ready for the apocalypse.
My personal favorite touch? It's nearly 6 inches longer and just under an inch taller in the back than its new bZ sibling. Suddenly, it's not afraid of tall friends or packing an extra bag of crisps. This growth spurt means it boasts over 30 cubic feet of cargo space back there. That's enough room for a seriously ambitious grocery haul, or maybe even a small tent.
Image Credit: Toyota.
Of course, we get some standard roof rails on it - utterly essential for carrying important Woodland accessories, like a kayak you'll never use or a bicycle rack for bikes you'll only ever take to the paved bike path. The wheels are 18-inch aluminum jobs with "removable covers." Removable covers? Is this so you can pretend you're driving on steelies when you're feeling particularly hardcore? Modern, yet rugged, they say.
Now, about how it drives. That 375 horsepower is courtesy of electric motors on both the front and rear axles. Standard AWD, remember? And that X-MODE system I mentioned earlier? Toyota claims it helps with brake control and power delivery to give you "enhanced control and traction." The Grip-Control uses "motor drive power modulation" at low speeds to achieve "capable off-road performance." And it reacts to the road surface to prevent slipping. So, basically, it helps you not look like a complete muppet when trying to crawl over something bumpy. I suppose that's actually quite useful.
Image Credit: Toyota.
The battery pack lives flat under the floor, which gives it a low center of gravity. Good for not tipping over, presumably. And they've built a structure around it that adds to the vehicle's rigidity for "stable handling" so it won't wobble like a blancmange when you fling it into a corner. The battery itself is a lithium-ion unit with a total capacity of 74.7 kilowatt-hours. Enough juice for an estimated range of up to 260 miles on a single charge. Just don't try and tow that 3,500 pounds the whole distance, eh?
Charging? It's got a North American Charging System (NACS) port, meaning it plays nicely with a lot of Tesla fast chargers out there. Under ideal conditions – and note the "ideal conditions" bit, that's code for "when the stars align and the wind is just right" – it can charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes using a Level 3 DC fast charger. It also has a pre-conditioning function for the battery, getting it ready for fast charging, especially in colder weather. You can set it manually or let the navigation do it if you're heading to a charger. Very modern. For charging at home, it can do Level One and Level Two AC charging, and it has an 11-kW onboard charger. Decent enough for overnight top-ups.
Image Credit: Toyota.
Inside, they've given it paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Now, these don't change gears, because there aren't any gears - these control the regenerative braking. You can dial the force up or down to capture more energy when you slow down. The cabin itself, thanks to the e-TNGA platform, is quite spacious. Spacious is good. Room for legs, elbows, and maybe even a small dog that hasn't realized it's supposed to be in the cargo area. There's a screen for the driver display and a large 14-inch touchscreen for the infotainment.
The seats are covered in something called SofTex®, which I assume is Toyota's fancy way of saying "not actual leather." They're heated in the front, naturally, and the driver's seat has power adjustability. Interior colors are "Stone Brown" and "Black." Very Woodland. Very subtle.
Image Credit: Toyota.
The infotainment system runs Toyota's own software, which includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Dual Bluetooth phone connectivity? Sure, why not? Wi-Fi hotspot capability? Of course! You wouldn't want to be disconnected in the Woodland, would you? You can even link your Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts directly to the car.
Then there are the connected services. Three years of "Drive Connect" which includes an "Intelligent Assistant" (saying "Hey Toyota" to your car), Cloud Navigation (because maps on your phone are so last decade), and "Destination Assist" (a real human to help you find where you're going, because clearly, buttons and maps are too complex now). You can even use a "Digital Key" with your smartphone. No need for a physical key! Just wave your phone at it. And you can share access with others. Handy for when you want to lend your extremely expensive electric toaster on stilts to a friend.
Image Credit: Toyota.
The Toyota bZ Woodland - a lot to unpack here. An electric SUV designed for probably not serious off-roading, despite the name. But it's got the toys, the power, the range, and the ground clearance to tackle a rough dirt road. Or a particularly aggressive speed bump. It's well-equipped. It's got all the modern tech and safety features you could shake a stick at. Is it a true Woodland warrior, though? Probably not. Is it an interesting, capable electric SUV that happens to wear slightly more robust shoes? Absolutely. It's the Volvo XC70 made for the electric age, and for that reason alone, I like it.
