One can say that the electric car market in China has pretty much been cornered by its domestic automakers. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, as there are quite literally hundreds of aspiring brands wanting to be the next BYD in terms of sales success.
Also known as the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) segment, non-Chinese brands have been facing an uphill battle there lately. But it seems that Toyota wants to hit back as hard as it can with its latest NEV.
It’s called the Toyota bZ3X, and in local currency, it starts under P1 million (before local taxes). Its main target is none other than the BYD Atto 3. And who said Toyota isn’t taking the EV market seriously?
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There’s no prizes for guessing that this is a compact crossover, a hugely popular segment just about everywhere these days. In its home market, it’s available in three variants with different battery sizes and equipment levels. Toyota also claims that it offers midsize vehicle levels of space inside despite the relatively small footprint.
And here’s another thing you should know about the Toyota bZ3X: It’s actually a product of the Toyota-GAC partnership in China. Peel away the body and one will see that its bones are based on the second-generation GAC Aion V.
Inside, the cabin is nothing like the usual Toyota product, mainly because the Chinese market seems to prefer a near-buttonless minimalist interior. Not much of a surprise there, especially when you take a look at other cars from the PRC. Instead, you get a pair of sizable screens on its wide and expansive dashboard.
Large windows and a sizable panoramic sunroof lets more natural light inside. The light-colored trims on select models further enhances the feeling of spaciousness. Also, the front seats can lay down flat to create a lounge-like space, and there’s even a pop-out table mounted on the front seat backrest.
For its infotainment system, the bZ3X is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip. Audio is courtesy of Yamaha with an 11-speaker system. Of course, it comes with advanced driver assists and is developed by Momenta. It gives this EV crossover a higher level of semi-autonomous driving capabilities, along with remote parking.
Moving to powertrains, the three battery packs available are 50kWh, 58kWh, and 68kWh. But regardless of size, those batteries provide juice to the single electric motor that puts out 201hp. Range is rated at 430km for the 50kWh battery, 520km for the 58kWh version, and 610km for that top-spec 68kWh model.
In China, prices start at 109,800 yuan for the entry-level model which is just under P870,000 before taxes. For those who want more equipment and range, the mid-spec model retails for 139,400 yuan or about P1,105,000. As for that top of the line model, that one has a price tag of 159,800 yuan or approximately P1,263,000.
