Toyota unwraps family-focused bZ3X at Beijing motor show

Toyota has unveiled a new electric SUV, dubbed the bZ3X, at the Beijing motor show.

A blocky five-seater developed in collaboration with Toyota’s Chinese joint venture partner, GAC, it's said to prioritise interior space and comfort.

Its minimalist interior relegates most controls to a large infotainment touchscreen, in keeping with the Chinese market’s appetite for uncluttered interiors and digital functionality.

Toyota claims that the bZ3X offers “the latest driver assistance systems”, although it has yet to clarify what level of assistance is offered by the car.

Similarly, it has yet to detail technical specifications for the SUV.

Toyota’s other electric cars – the bZ4X and Chinese-market bZ3 saloon, which uses batteries supplied by BYD – are both based on the e-TNGA platform, suggesting this is most likely the platform underpinning the bZ3X. This hasn't been confirmed, however.

The bZ3X was unveiled at Beijing alongside the bZ3C, a fastback version of the saloon of the same name. 

The SUV is expected to use the same BYD-sourced lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack as the saloon, which yields a range of around 372 miles.

That is thanks in part to the saloon’s low drag coefficient of 0.22Cd, a product of aerodynamically friendly cues such as flush door handles and various air channels around its exterior. 

Both the bZ3C and bZ3X will go on sale in China next year, and a company spokesperson told Autocar that the latter is currently undergoing a “detailed evaluation” ahead of a potential European launch.