Toyota's New EV Has Supermodel Looks, a Ph.D. in Tech, and a Tiny Price Tag... And You Can't Have One
Image Credit: Toyota.
Here we go again. I'm pressing my nose up against the digital glass, looking at another absolutely fantastic electric vehicle that I, and you, my dear American friends, most likely will never get to drive. It's a wonderful kind of torture, isn't it?
This time, the unicorn in question is from a company that's been playing rather coy with its electric ambitions here in the States. While we've been getting a slow drip of hybrids and one or two EVs, Toyota's joint venture in China has been busy. Incredibly busy. They've just unveiled the bZ5, an electric coupe SUV that looks like it drove straight out of a designer's dream and into a showroom with a shockingly small price tag.
Image Credit: Toyota.
Let's just start with the looks. Carmakers love to give their designs fierce-sounding names, and Toyota is calling the front end of the bZ5 a "hammerhead shark." And you know what? For once, it's not just marketing fluff. It actually looks sharp, aggressive, and incredibly cool, with these C-shaped headlights connected by a full-width light bar. It's the kind of face that makes you do a double-take.
The rest of it is just as slick. It's got that sloping coupe roofline that's all the rage, making it look sporty and fast even when it's parked. The door handles are hidden for that clean, "I'm from the future" look, and it sits on massive 21-inch alloy wheels. It's about 15.7 feet long and 6.1 feet wide, making it a proper mid-size SUV, a bit larger than its bZ cousin. It's handsome. Really, truly handsome.
Image Credit: Toyota.
About that price… Okay, take a seat. Or better yet, find something to lean on. The starting price for the Toyota bZ5 in China is RMB 129,800. After you run that through the magical currency converter, it comes out to… about $18,000. I've seen used hatchbacks with questionable histories sell for more. For a brand-new, head-turning electric SUV from Toyota, that price is just wild. Even the top-tier model is only around $22,000. It's enough to make a grown-up weep.
What kind of performance does eighteen grand get you? It's no slouch, but not an electric cheetah, either. The bZ5 comes with a single front-mounted motor that puts out a very respectable 268 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. Toyota says it'll scoot from 0 to 31 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds. No, that's not a typo. They gave a 0-31 time, which is a bit like telling me how long it takes to run to the mailbox. It's an interesting metric, I suppose. I'm sure the 0-to-60 time will be in the 9-second bracket.
Image Credit: Toyota.
For the battery, Toyota partnered with BYD — another giant in the EV world — to use its famous "Blade Battery." You get two choices. The standard 65.28 kWh pack is rated for about 342 miles of range. Or you can opt for the larger 73.984 kWh battery, which pushes the range to a rather impressive 391 miles. Now, this is based on China's CLTC cycle, which is known for being a tad optimistic, but even with a grain of salt, those are solid numbers.
When it's time to plug in, the bZ5 supports 90 kW fast charging, which can get you from 30% to 80% in just under 30 minutes. In America, we'd call that pretty darn good. In the hyper-competitive Chinese market, the locals apparently call it "average." Can you imagine? Being blasé about your car's battery filling up in the time it takes to watch an episode of a sitcom? Oh, to have such problems.
Image Credit: Toyota.
Step inside, and it's just as impressive. The dashboard is clean, modern, and dominated by a massive 15.6-inch floating infotainment screen and a fully digital display for the driver. There are no fussy buttons everywhere; instead, you get a slick rotary gear selector. It all feels very minimalist and tech-forward.
And the toys! There's a panoramic glass roof that spans over 15 square feet, 256-color ambient lighting to match any mood, and even a 10-speaker JBL sound system. But the best part, the feature I am most jealous of, is the front seats. They have a "one-touch lie-flat" function. After the shock of seeing the price, you can just recline all the way back for a little nap. Genius.
Image Credit: Toyota.
The bZ5 isn't just a pretty face with a cheap price. It's also a brainiac. It is packed with over 30 advanced driver-assistance functions, including a system that can handle itself in city traffic. This is all powered by a suite of up to 33 sensors, which, on the higher-end trims, even includes a LiDAR unit. That's some seriously high-end tech for a car at this price point.
The Toyota bZ5 is a gorgeous, tech-filled, decent-range electric SUV with a price that seems like a typo. It's proof that Toyota can build a world-beating EV when it's pushed to compete. And it's a beautiful, frustrating reminder of the kind of amazing vehicles that are out there in the world.
