- Toyota will unveil an all-electric crossover on March 11.
- It released a single silhouetted teaser image and video.
- The design stays true to the 2022 bZ SUV concept.
Cast your minds back to 2022 and you might recall a fantastically swoopy electric crossover coupe from Toyota called the bZ Compact SUV concept. Well, next month, that concept becomes a production reality and could give the automaker’s EV fortunes a real boost.
Toyota today confirmed it would reveal an “all-new exciting and surprising” BEV on March 11 (March 12 central European time) and released a single teaser image and a video that don’t give an awful lot away, but do reveal enough that we can be sure it’s the 2022 concept come to life.
Related: Toyota bZ Compact SUV Concept Brings Eye-Catching Styling To Europe
They show a sleek fastback shape and a set of curvy hips and front fenders. The roofline is low, but the body appears to be hoisted well clear of the ground to deliver the “elevated driving dynamics” Toyota refers to in its limited blurb. The automaker also promises “surprising space, comfort and versatility,” and claims it will have a strong emotional appeal.
Toyota doesn’t mention the crossover’s name, but judging from recent reports, there’s a good chance it won’t be named bZ because even its bZ4X big brother is rumored to be ditching the absurd jumble of numbers and letters for something more sensible later this year.
The teaser also doesn’t tell us much about the new EV’s tech specs, but we can look at the concept’s dimensions to get an idea on size. Back in 2022, Toyota said the bZ Compact SUV measured 4.54 m (178.7 inches) long and 1.56 m (61.4 inches) tall. If the production version sticks to those numbers it’ll come in at 152 mm (6 inches) shorter and 90 mm (3.5 inches) lower than the Toyota bZ4X.
No power figures or battery capacities were given for the concept but Toyota’s new Urban Cruiser electric SUV, which is smaller in size than the new crossover, has a choice of 49 kWh and 61 kWh battery packs.
Single-motor, front-wheel drive versions of the Suzuki e-Vitara clone make 142 hp (106 kW / 144 PS) with the small battery and 172 hp (128 kW / 174 PS) with the bigger one, while the optional dual-motor powertrain boosts total output to 182 hp (135 kW / 184 PS).
The gallery below contains one teaser shot of the new production crossover and multiple images of the 2022 bZ Compact SUV concept.
