The car manufacturer will start selling both new BEVs in China within the next 12 months
April 25, 2024 at 02:18
- The Japanese car manufacturer has yet to announce comprehensive details of either model.
- Toyota previewed these two electric SUVs with the bZ Sport Cross Concept and bZ FlexSpace Concept last year.
- The bZ3C has been developed alongside BYD and FAW and the bZ3X was developed with the help of Guangzhou Automobile Group.
These are the two next battery-electric vehicles that Toyota will sell in China. They are dubbed the bZ3C and bZ3X and have debuted at the ongoing Beijing Auto Show.
Toyota previewed these two models at China’s most important auto show last year but back then, they were concepts known as the bZ Sport Crossover Concept and bZ FlexSpace Concept. The production versions are very similar to these concepts and Toyota intends on selling both in the Chinese market within the next year.
Read: Toyota Chief Believes EVs Can Only Capture 30% Of Future Auto Market
Given that China is currently the world’s most important battery-electric vehicle market, one would have expected Toyota to drop a whole bunch of details and specifications about the bZ3C and bZ3X but at the time of writing, it hadn’t done so. As such, little is known about the two models like how much they will cost or the intricacies of their electric powertrains.
What we do know is that the bZ3C has been developed in partnership with BYD, FAW, and Toyota’s Intelligent ElectroMobility R&D Center in Toyota. It is a sleek crossover that shares some resemblance to the bZ4X and Prius sold globally but has a slightly more refined exterior design. Among the most striking elements of it is the sharp LED daytime running lights and the single swooping LED taillight.
Like so many other BEVs out there, the cabin of the bZ3C is dominated by a massive central infotainment display in the center of the dash while a digital gauge cluster is also visible. It has an altogether simple and minimalist design likely inspired by Tesla and includes an eye-catching ambient lighting array.
The bZ3X is much larger than the bZ3C and adopts a more traditional SUV shape. However, there’s nothing traditional about its front end with slim headlights and the absence of a traditional grille. It also stands more upright than the bZ3C and has distinctive taillights. As is fashionable nowadays, there is also an LED light bar at the rear.
The cabin of the bZ3X appears much more spacious than its sibling but it too has a large infotainment display. Other key components visible include a two-spoke steering wheel, digital gauge cluster, and two wireless phone charging pads. An expansive panoramic glass roof has also been fitted.
Toyota says both models are “equipped with the latest driver-assistance systems.”