Toyota’s electric crossover enters the 2026 model year with a new look, a new name, and updated technology. The Toyota bZ4X is now the 2026 Toyota bZ (which stands for “Beyond Zero”), and it’s significantly more competitive with the latest round of updates. It continues to rival the Chevy Equinox EV and Chevy Blazer EV.
One of the big highlights of the update is a larger lithium-ion battery pack with a higher total capacity of up to 74.7 kWh. The new battery increases the crossover’s maximum range by 25 percent up to 314 miles, getting awfully close to the Equinox EV’s 319-mile max range rating. There’s a 57.7 kWh battery option, as well, but it only comes in the XLE FWD variant and offers 236 miles of range.
Performance is also significantly improved. FWD units now produce 221 horsepower, and the AWD setup nets 338 hp. Those numbers previously were only 201 hp and 214 hp, respectively. Another big update to the Toyota bZ is a native Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) charging port, which GM EVs still don’t have.
The outgoing Toyota bZ4X had an awkward center console design and a hard-to-read instrument panel. Toyota has fixed those problems with a redesigned center console with dual wireless charging pads, a new 7-inch digital gauge cluster, and a standard 14-inch infotainment screen.
The 2026 Toyota bZ is available in XLE and Limited trims. A few standard features in the XLE trim include 18-inch wheels, ambient interior lighting, SofTex upholstery, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. Upgrades with the Limited trim include 20-inch wheels, multi-LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats, and more safety tech features like Traffic Jam Assist.
The dramatically improved range and performance make the 2026 Toyota bZ a much more serious competitor to the Chevy Equinox EV. The outgoing bZ4X was an also-ran with a confusing name, unimpressive range and performance, and some confusing technology. Toyota appears to have remedied all of the major complaints with its only electric crossover, and it will be interesting to see how the market responds.
Comments
You should stop with the ” Charging Standard (NACS) charging port, which GM EVs still don’t have.”
Many of the new charging location that GM and others are building are in better locations than Teslas back of a hotel, dark lot chargers.
There just aren’t as many.
Nice update by Toyota on what was kind of a big T*rd of a vehicle.
I still do not understand why we get these big mile range vehicles that are meant to be driven long distances that still charge at 150kW…….Please get this updated ASAP Legacy Auto
Shocked that Toyota beat GM and Ford in implementing the NACS Port
What is it with US automotive writers? Bz4x is “confusing” but Ford F150, BMW 328i or Mazda CX 50 are not? Nobody else in the world seemed to have a problem with it. But then the universally known Nissan Qashqai had to be renamed rogue sport just for the US.
is this car V6 or V8, benzin or disel ?
The bz will be a killer if Toyota ever incorporates their solid state battery.
However it is really interesting that gm is going to start pursuing manufacturing the lithium manganese batteries instead of the lithium iron units. In the near future I guess for any potential customer it will boil down to the less expensive Equinox EV vs the inevitable more expensive and hard to find Toyota bz EV.
I swear Toyota’s Blue Nexus probably has the best electric motor in the industry in terms of power and efficiency. And yes I proclaim that theirs are even better than whatever the Chinese are cooking.
bz4x has 74.7kwh battery and can get 314mi for 2WD and 288mi for AWD version. Kia EV6/Hyundai Ioniq 5 has 84kwh and get approximately the same range. This means the Toyota is lighter and probably more efficient as well. This spec is better than VW ID4 as well as all the GM Ultium
Same with the bigger vehicle. Subaru Trailseeker/Toyota Highlander EV is equivalent of Kia EV9 standard range which has 76.1kwh and only comes with rear-wheel-drive. Yet the Trailseeker despite having smaller 75kwh battery, all-wheel-drive, more horsepower, faster acceleration still has longer range at 260mi (Kia EV9 has 230mi range)