In terms of exterior styling, the bZ4X does not stray far from Toyota’s overall design language with the exception of the grille-less solid nose front fascia and lighting signature. The spartan interior is dominated by a 12-inch center stack screen and an elevated digital instrument cluster, but otherwise would be indistinguishable from other Toyota vehicles were it not for one absence: a glove box.
The Japan-built bZ4Xs shown to journalists here this week lacked a glove box, a subtraction that Toyota Motor North America executives explained was the result of the inclusion of radiant foot and leg heaters for front row occupants that is a brand first in order to conserve energy that would otherwise be lost to the vehicle’s HVAC system.
The bZ4X will be the first Toyota equipped with Version 3.0 of the brand’s Safety Sense suite of driver assistance and safety features. The upgraded system adds improved lane-keeping, guardrail detection, low-light cyclist detection and daytime motorcyclist detection to previous iterations. It will also come equipped with Toyota’s recently improved infotainment system, including a subscription-based service that provides real-time traffic and parking updates and a digital key allowing owners to access the vehicle or start it remotely with their smartphone.
Pricing was not announced.
