2026 Toyota bZ First Look: Is a Little Better Good Enough?

Motor Trend

13-05-2025

Late to the game and short on redeeming qualities, the Toyota bZ4X has been a tough sell in the U.S. next to better options from Tesla, Hyundai, Kia, and pretty much every other company that builds a compact electric SUV. The revised 2026 Toyota bZ aims to fix that through subtle improvements to nearly all aspects of the vehicle, from range and charging to interior features and exterior design.
Toyota is also taking this opportunity to drop the '4X' in the old model's name. Calling the new car bZ probably won't shed the outgoing car's baggage, but it signals that Toyota has thankfully abandoned plans to brand every EV with an alphanumeric that starts with bZ (an abbreviation of 'Beyond Zero'). The company's next EV, the 2026 Toyota C-HR+, instead dredges up a different jumble of letters that has (some) historical precedence and maybe even a sliver of name recognition.
Going Further Quicker or the Same Distance Slower
The big news is that the bZ's maximum range rating jumps 25 percent to 314 miles over the bZ4X's best of 252 miles. Notably, that extra reach is squeezed out through small tweaks rather than packing a bunch of additional energy into the battery. The larger of the bZ's two packs is only marginally larger at 74.7 kWh of energy capacity compared to 71.4 kWh in today's front-drive models and 72.8 kWh in all-wheel drive trims.
New permanent-magnet motors make more efficient use of that energy thanks to silicon carbide semiconductors while also delivering improved performance. Most front-drive bZs make 221 horsepower, a 20-hp gain, while all-wheel-drive models surge from 214 to 338 hp. With all that giddy-up on board, we expect the quickest models to drop more than a second from the 0-60-mph dash, stopping the clock right around 4.5 seconds.
We're a bit shocked that Toyota Motor North America has also chosen to introduce a new base model. As far as we know, no one ever asked for a slower bZ4X with a smaller battery, and yet the front-wheel-drive 2026 Toyota bZ XLE generates just 168 hp and uses a 57.7-kWh battery. Curiously, Toyota says the XLE will earn an EPA range of 236 miles, somehow—almost inexplicably—matching the range of the front-drive 2025 bZ4X Limited with that 71.4-kWh battery.
How is that possible? If we had to wager a guess at what's going on with the new range ratings, we'd bet there are bigger changes to the numbers Toyota isn't sharing. While most of the auto industry advertises usable battery capacity, Toyota lists total capacity. It seems likely that the 2026 bZ leaves less energy in reserve than the old bZ4X, allowing significantly more energy to be used for driving the car down the road.
The model lineup, range estimates, and power ratings for the 2026 Toyota bZ are as follows:
Prepare for Better Charging
More than range, the bZ4X's greatest shortcoming has been its lousy DC fast-charging. Unfortunately, the 2026 bZ's peak DC charging speed doesn't increase beyond the current car's ho-hum 150 kW. Toyota is still promising faster public charging, though, thanks to a new battery preconditioning feature. When activated, it uses coolant to either warm or cool the battery to an ideal temperature for charging. Drivers can turn on preconditioning manually or set it so that the car automatically prepares the battery whenever a DC fast-charging station is set as destination. There's also a new route planner integrated into the navigation system to help drivers plan their charging stops on long road trips.
Toyota can even tout the 2026 bZ as an early adopter of the Tesla-designed NACS port, which will allow owners to plug into the majority of Tesla Superchargers without an adapter. Plug & Charge capability means the car can initiate charging and handle payment without needing the driver to fuss with a phone app or swipe a credit card. The bZ can also refuel faster at home thanks to an upgrade from 7-kW to 11-kW AC charging.
Design Tweaks Inside and Out
A new fascia with thinner running lights strengthens the familial relationship with the Toyota Camry and Prius, but it's the available body-colored-matched cladding that gives the bZ a real glow up. When painted to blend in with the rest of the car, the chunky plastic trim disappears into the rest of the body work. Unfortunately, the high-contrast black finish is still standard on some models, which calls attention to the front fenders that look like they've been installed backwards.
Interior revisions include a new dashboard with a larger 14.0-inch touchscreen across the lineup. Compared to the outgoing bZ4X's 12.3-inch screen, though, the new screen won't feel significantly larger because the current car's capacitive climate controls have been relocated into the display, where they take up the lower third of the screen. A revised center console provides space for two wireless phone chargers and moves the gear selector back toward the armrest. Toyota also says the cabin will be more refined than it already is thanks to improved sound insulation and tweaked suspension. The bZ's steering wheel sprouts a pair of paddles for adjusting regenerative braking and there's a 1,500-watt AC outlet for powering household electronics. Limited trims gain an eight-way power passenger seat, driver memory function, and a digital rearview mirror.
Is a Little Better Good Enough?
The 2026 Toyota bZ will reach U.S. dealers in the second half of 2025. With longer range, faster charging, more power, a more attractive face, and a more refined interior, there's little doubt that it will be a better EV than the bZ4X that came before it. But the competition isn't standing still. The question that remains is whether Toyota has done enough to push the bZ ahead relative to the alternatives. We'll wait to drive it and run it through our test regimen before we take a stance on that.
This story was originally published in March 2025 with global market details, but has since been updated to reflect U.S.-specific battery sizes, range estimates, photos, and more.