Toyota bZ4X in the mud with the first electric Japanese brand. Proof- Corriere.it

Along the inner roads of Catalonia, it was Toyota bZ4X does not go unnoticed: The striking green and black striped livery acts as a reminder that it’s more of a pre-series specimen than a camouflage, attracting the eyes of many onlookers. It deserves attention: The new full electric car from the Japanese company is a milestone in the history of the auto giantIt also comes a few months after President Akio Toyoda expressed doubts about the speed with which some governments want to ban internal combustion engines. In this sense, the bZ4X appears not only as a new car, but also a confirmation of the fact that Toyota’s electrification strategy remains at 360 degrees.

multi-technical approach

“The letters B and Z stand for Beyond Zero, a trademark of our multi-tech electricity strategy — he explains to Corriere Motory Luigi Luca, CEO of Toyota Motor Italia – Our goal is to respond to the needs of the customer who chooses according to his finances, the possibility of recharging, the real use of the car “, to meet the real needs, without imposing a solution.” With bZ4X – continues CEO – we enter the entire electric sector with all our experience gained in the field of electricity, with 19 million electric vehicles traded.” It’s just the first step: “Toyota Motors plans to launch 30 battery-powered models by 2030 and reach 3.5 million sales of electric vehicles annually globally by the same date,” Luca concludes.

bZ4X: Good first

Meanwhile, the bZ4X is almost ready: on board One of only four units available in Europe for a driving testwe can appreciate many qualities A brand new car, based on the new e-TNGA platform It is equipped with a 71.4 kWh battery which is supposed to guarantee a range of 450 km in the WLTP cycle. car test mounts Four-wheel drive: This is made possible by the presence of two electric motors mounted on the axles, both 80 kW (total 217 hp), which together generate 336 Nm of maximum torque. A front-wheel-drive version only and a single engine with 150 kW and 265 Nm of maximum torque will also be available at market launch. On the road, the bZ4X moves lightly and precisely, allowing you to set clean trails in demanding curves: thanks to all-wheel drive, the good rigidity of the chassis and the center of gravity are made very low by the position of the battery, which largely compensates for the inertia of the not-too-light car entirely . The instantaneous torque makes driving enjoyable even if the performance is not quite sporty: from zero to hundred in 7.7 seconds with a self-limited top speed of 160 km / h. In the first approach too Guidance was very accurate (Waiting for a future Steer-by-Wire release), even if its compact size can be a little difficult to get used to at first, following a philosophy that has already been applied to cars of other brands.

In the mud up to the wheel hubs

After so many curves on normal roads in general, the real fun comes when It’s time to get muddy: In a dedicated circuit, accompanied by coaches, we thoroughly enjoyed bZ4x’s off-road qualities, backed by advanced technological solutionsAnd the. This is the case for Grip Control, a system that lets you easily handle bumpy and muddy climbs because it automatically adjusts force to each wheel second by second. Adjustable to five different speeds, with a maximum of 10 km/h, it gives you the impression of knowing how to drive off-road, when in reality you are not doing anything. Also of note is the efficiency of the XMODE system, which allows the driver to choose the most appropriate driving mode in all conditions, with customized settings for deep snow and mud. Thanks to the latter, we got out of an awkward situation where we got bogged down in mud right up to the wheel hubs and were practically blocked. The behavior in the so-called “twist” is also excellent, that is, on large bumps arranged so that they leave two wheels off the ground at a time (one front and one rear), where we were able to estimate how the system detects and blocks the non-touching wheels, and runs the others in the best possible way. Finally, the battery and propulsion insulation work done by Toyota engineers is also noteworthy, which allowed us to Immerse ourselves in a Ford electric car at a depth of 30 cm (but the bZ4x max is 50 cm).

Information and entertainment

bZ4X uses the file extension The latest and most powerful multimedia platform from Toyota With an easy-to-use 12-inch touch screen, with a cloud-connected navigation system that allows you to plan your trip with the most up-to-date information about traffic and parking. Several active safety systems, all assembled under the Toyota Safety Sense cap, which together with the third generation provide enhanced functionality to protect occupants from a wider range of hazards. And finally, the price: not yet revealed, but it is reasonable to assume It could be between 45 thousand and 50 thousand euros.