Toyota’s Upcoming bZ5 Will Be Extremely Affordable, But It’s a Chinese Exclusive

It’s definitely Toyota’s season… this is a conclusion that you might have come to if you’ve been reading our recent articles, a lot of which have been about Toyota’s new models and updates. Well, if you thought we were done with the Japanese giant, you were wrong.

Namely, Toyota has yet another model in store for us, which is set to be produced later this year, so we can expect it to be released around that time.

And while Toyota’s upcoming bZ5 EV is going to be a revolutionary vehicle, there is a catch, as it is going to be a regional exclusive, at least for now.

The bZ5 is going to be a new electric crossover fastback that is set to be a revolutionary vehicle in many way, at least when Toyota is concerned. As you know, Toyota has been a pioneering brand for decades now, and the bZ5 is yet another example of that.

To make it clear, the bZ5 won’t be completely new, but it will rather be a rebranded version of the popular bZ3C, with a lot of new features and elements.

The exterior won’t be too different from what Toyota has been releasing in recent years, so don’t expect anything major in that aspect; the car will mix sedan, fastback, and crossover elements, to which it will add 21-inch alloy wheels.

The interior will feature a 15.6-inch touchscreen, a digital instrument cluster mounted close to the windshield, and a floating center console. The front seats will also be able to function as a bed. There will also be a panoramic sunroof, a 10-speaker JBL audio system, a fragrance dispenser (yes, really), nine airbags, and a full suite of Level 2 ADAS for urban autonomy.

As far as the power is concerned, it will include BYD’s Blade LFP battery packs, offering options with capacities of 65.28 kWh and 73.98 kWh. The initial estimates for the CLTC cycle are 550 km (342 miles) and 630 km (392 miles), respectively, and the 30-80% charge will be possible in just 27 minutes.

Now that we have given you the specs, it is time for the biggest surprise – the price. We all know that EVs are generally more expensive than regular cars, and while there are some cheaper Chinese models on the market, most major brands sport more expensive models.

Toyota has not been an exception until now. Namely, we can confirm that the bZ5 will cost around $18,000, which is half the price of the cheapest Tesla Model Y, for example. So, Toyota is finally entering the market in a major way, although we have to disappoint you.

The bZ5 will be only available in China at launch and there are no immediate plans, as far as we know, to bring it to other markets at this time. This is truly a bummer, but it could be the start of a new trend, which would be great for everyone.

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