The columnist of Car Guide Antoine Joubert was among the first in Quebec to drive the 2023 Toyota bZ4X on the roads of the province.
“The vehicle I was lent [était] a prototype, a production vehicle that is very close to being marketed,” says Antoine. Remember that the Toyota bZ4X was designed jointly with Subaru which, in parallel, offers the Solterra.
From an aesthetic point of view, Antoine remarks that the product is typically Toyota, in particular thanks to the design of the dashboard, the seats and the infotainment system. Moreover, since it is an electric car, the columnist is sorry for the drag coefficient of 0.29. This shows that the utility is not particularly aerodynamic.
Photo: Toyota
Let’s talk about autonomy
Toyota announces a range of 406 kilometers for the front-wheel-drive version and 367 kilometers for the all-wheel-drive variant. Unfortunately, the ratings go down quickly when the heating or air conditioning is on.
“Plugged in at home, I started the vehicle and the dashboard showed 434 kilometres. As soon as I pressed the button to start the heating or air conditioning, the range dropped by 96 kilometres”.
Faced with this situation, the columnist contacted Toyota since he wondered why the range suddenly dropped by 22% when the mercury indicated a rather mild temperature of 15°C. The latter replied that they are proposing “conservative” figures. Consequently, Antoine notes that it will be necessary to wait for a winter test before having the heart net.
And the availability?
The Toyota bZ4X arrives in Canadian dealerships this spring. The waiting list for this model is estimated at around one year, but this can vary from dealer to dealer.
Photo: Toyota
The Toyota bZ4X starts at $44,990. All versions are eligible for current government subsidies, which total $12,000 for Quebec drivers.
Watch the capsule In studio at the top of this article to know all the impressions of Antoine Joubert.