Battery size: 74.7 kWh
Range: 297 - 366 miles
Max charge rate: 150 kW
E-Rating: A
Introduction and model history
Toyota's first pure electric car, the password-like-named bZ4X, didn't exactly set the EV world on fire when it arrived in 2022. Nice to drive – yes, well put together – yes, but efficient? No.
An update in late 2025 saw Toyota's Renault Scenic E-Tech rival gain a new dashboard, improved tech, and, thankfully new batteries and better efficiency. Trouble is, in the time it took Toyota to carry out these vital updates, the family electric SUV class has exploded with more interesting alternatives.
Toyota is looking to remedy this and wants to put the bZ4X back on customers' shortlist – and it's doing this by creating an electric estate car. No, that's not a typo – the bZ4X Touring is a more practical, rugged wagon version of the normal bZ4X, and its arrival might well be the first example of an SUV being turned into an estate car.
The Touring is 140mm longer and 20mm taller than the standard car, and comes as standard with roof rails. The rear end is boxier, there are some unpainted plastic panels to hint at its rugged character, and there's even a larger battery compared with the normal bZ4X.
Range, battery and charging
You might think that the bZ4X would come with the same new 54kWh and 69kWh (usable) batteries as the standard car, but no. Puzzlingly, Toyota has fitted a larger 74.7kWh (gross, no usable figure has been given) battery, but it still has the distinctly average 150kW maximum DC charging speed. Top spec cars get 22kW AC charging, while the entry-level car gets 11kW.
The battery is mated to either a front-wheel-drive or a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system, giving up to 366 miles WLTP range in the former and 297 miles in the latter. That's a little more than the standard car, which, in its most efficient form, can manage a claimed 352 miles. As for how efficient the Touring is, well, you'll have to wait until we drive it.
Seeing as though we have seen efficiency figures as high as 3.7 miles/kWh in the regular updated bZ4X – and that was on a chilly winter's day – I had high expectations that the Touring would be even better, but no. On my test drive in a very warm Slovenia I couldn't better 3.5 miles/kWh, which is a little disappointing really. That equates to around 261 miles, which is around 100 less than Toyota claims – we'll have to test this again when we drive the car in the UK later this year.
A heat pump comes as standard in the Touring but there's no vehicle to load (V2L), which I think is a shame when you remember that Toyota is aiming the Touring at families with active lifestyles.
Practicality and boot space
Of course, the Touring's main party trick over the standard car is its increased practicality. Boot space has swelled by 148 litres to an enormous 669 litres – that's bigger than a Skoda Enyaq's boot, along with a whole host of other family-sized electric SUVs. Toyota hasn't given a figure for how much space is on offer once the 60:40 split/fold rear seats are lowered, but it's enormous.
The rear seats also fold down almost completely flat, giving a very large and practical loading area. There's some underfloor storage, plus the tonneau cover can be stored here too, and there are various hooks and a three-pin socket.
The Touring carries over the standard car's enormous legroom that allows tall adults to get very comfortable. The back seats also recline slightly, and occupants can push their feet under the seats for greater comfort. There is space to carry a middle passenger, but the rather flat seat between the two outer seats means it's probably better suited for occasional use.
All Tourings get roof rails as standard, which can carry weights of up to 80kg when the car is on the move, or up to 300kg when stationary – that's ideal for pop-up tents. Meanwhile, the Touring can also tow up to 1,500kg braked, so smaller, lightweight caravans or trailers can be towed with ease.
Interior, design/styling and technology
The Touring carries over the same updated-for-2026 front design changes, with new 'Hammerhead' day-running lights and headlights placed lower down in the bumper.
While the standard car has swapped its unpainted wheel arch trim for body coloured ones, the Touring keeps the unpainted trims in a nod to its more rugged character. There are similarly unpainted side sill extensions, but it's at the rear where the design differs most from the standard car. It has a completely different rear-end – squarer in shape, and there's a different light design.
In side profile, with its elongated roofline and squared-off tailgate, there's no denying the Touring has a more estate car-like appearance. It kind of reminds me of an old Volvo XC70 or a Subaru Outback – the latter is pertinent, actually, as there will be a Subaru version of this car called the E-Outback.
The interior is carried over from the new-for-2026 bZ4X, so there's a new dashboard compared to the original 2022 car. There's a revised digital driver's display, a more horizontal design to the dashboard, and a new 'floating' console that features dual wireless charging pads. The tech has also been upgraded with a large new touchscreen with knobs for the climate control, new EV-specific info in the satnav such as public chargers and battery pre-conditioning.
The Touring does get one change from the standard car, however, and that's upholstery. The car was revealed with a smart looking brown interior option, and it's expected UK cars will feature this.
Motors, performance and handling
While there's only one battery on offer, there's a choice of front- and all-wheel drive. Go for the front-driven option and you'll get a 224hp motor, while the all-wheel drive gets twin motors to give a total of 380hp, making the all-wheel-drive model the most powerful EV Toyota has ever made. No performance figures have been revealed yet, but I would expect the all-wheel-drive model to get to 62mph in around five seconds.
The AWD model also gets Toyota's 'XMODE' drive control technology and Grip Control for better off-road performance, and, judging by how this system works in the standard car, it means the Touring will be surprisingly adept at tackling slippery terrain compared to most other family SUVs.
I drove the front-wheel drive model and I was very impressed. In all honesty the Touring feels very similar to the standard car, so that means a surprisingly engaging driving experience, with sharp steering and a well-judged power delivery. It's a very smooth car to drive and is in perfect keeping with the whole car's 'touring' car vibe – it's quiet and handles well. The three-stage regenerative braking – via paddles behind the steering wheel – works really well, although there is no one-pedal driving.
Unless you really need the all-wheel drive's off-road abilities – it has a wading depth of 500mm, just like the regular bZ4X, and the four-wheel drive system is seriously impressive on muddy surfaces – I'd suggest sticking with the from-wheel drive mode because it drives really well.
Running costs and pricing
Prices kick off at £45,995 for the entry-level Design with front-wheel drive and 224hp. It gets a 14-inch touchscreen with in-built satnav, wireless Apple CarPlay, ambient lighting, 18-inch alloys, synthetic leather and fabric seats, a heated steering wheel, and a whole host of safety equipment, including a 360-degree camera.The Excel comes in at £51,695 and is all-wheel drive-only. It adds fully synthetic black leather seats, panoramic roof, 20-inch wheels, heated front and rear seats, a panoramic sunroof and a digital rear view mirror.
The Touring will come with Toyota's 10-year battery warranty, and a 10-year service-activated warranty.
Verdict
I don’t know about you but I’m liking this thing of turning SUVs into rugged estate cars. This bZ4X Touring could be a really good option for a lot of people – it has all the things we like about the regular car, but has more practicality, and dare I say, looks better, too.
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