Motor review: The minute I turned on Toyota’s bZ4X, something turned me off

So many things can make or break a deal for a new car, but very often the killer blow can be a single element. Something that the buyer couldn’t see themselves living with under any circumstances.

I’ve been there a few times with second-hand cars.

I don’t know if you remember the Ford Sierra from light years ago, with the stepped, ragged-looking front?

I absolutely, irrevocably could not live with it. I’d sooner hitch the pony and trap than own it. I haven’t changed my mind one little bit since.

But there have been times when I have altered my views. The sawn-off looks of the original BMW X6 Coupe would be one example.

I remember, at the time of its first-generation launch, saying how unsightly it was and that I couldn’t see myself living with it. (The second generation won me over. Slowly.)

Something in this week’s review of Toyota’s new electric SUV pushed me into that arena of questioning if I could live with a car because of one element.

No, it’s not its name, though calling its debut full-electric vehicle the bZ4X is a bit of a mouthful and not especially endearing.

A bit like when you finally work out a spiky clue in a crossword puzzle – you sit back and enjoy the logic of it. The same applies to the new Toyota.

The ‘bZ’ stands for ‘beyond zero’. In other words, it’s a battery electric vehicle. The ‘4’ is used to refer, broadly speaking, to its size – think RAV4 dimensions. And ‘X’ tells us it is an SUV. Put it all together and you get ‘bZ4X’. Simple.

So here, by a process of elimination, are some clues about what did not put me off this car.

The look of the bZ4X would not deter me as it is quite robust-looking. I really did like the design lines across the back and the flanks – there is a touch of the RAV4 about it.

And I could certainly live with the amount of space bestowed in the cabin – it is generous to say the least. There was surprising room for two adults at the back (three, if needed) and up front we had loads of space.

However, it is not an interior-design trendsetter, or particularly opulent with its materials. Some, in the door panels and dash, were of high quality, but there was little to seriously threaten the interior vibe of rivals such as the Nissan Ariya, KIA AV6 or Skoda ENYAQ, whatever about the sparse post-modern Tesla Model Y’s cabin.

But this is a Toyota, and they generally do things particularly well. So I wouldn’t let that bit of criticism put me off too much.

Range between recharges was a deal lower in real-world driving than in the quoted figures (up to 505km, depending on model).

That can often be the case with these battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Yes, even some rivals with bigger batteries. But again I’d give a Toyota the benefit of the doubt for its mix of price, range (battery 71.4kWh) and durable tech.

I liked the way they constructed and aligned key info gauges in front of the driver, creating something of a cockpit environment.

However, to get a clear view of them means the steering column has to be quite low. That, in turn, meant having a tiny steering wheel. Some people dread them. I love them. (Peugeot is expert at this, with the iCockpit set-up). So, my seating position was relatively high – there was good adjustment – and I was quite comfortable with it.

The fact that the bZ4X had a tough initial introduction due to an issue with the wheels/hubs would have me running from many a brand’s new model, but Toyota put things right and that’s all in the past now. Not an issue.

We’re nearly there. The infotainment and key information systems worked pretty well, but didn’t look as smart as some rivals. That wouldn’t put me off either.

Nor would driving around town knock it off my shopping list, even if the suspension set-up was such that damper travel was only average in its ability to absorb tarmac bumps and cuts.

The low centre of gravity minimised roll control when I took it for an up-and-at-them series of twisty roads. This would be a boon for those prone to car-sickness, because tall SUVs can suffer quite an amount of body-roll.

There is a vast amount of plastic dash stretching far into the windscreen (from behind the info binnacle display). They have chosen, in part, to break the monotony of it by imposing louvred lines on top (shades of the Ford Sierra?).

I don’t think I could live with that. I noticed it the second I sat in. You might view things differently, but I would feel better about the car if they had decided not to bother. Would I buy it? Do I need to ask? Of course, it is a personalised view, but for now at least I’m not for changing my opinion.

Factfile

Toyota bZ4X electric SUV Usable 64kWh battery. From €42,950. Range claimed: FWD up to 505km, up to 461km for AWD. Road tax €120. Sport spec includes electric tailgate; triple LED headlamps; parking sensors; partial synthetic leather; 8-way driver seat adjust; 12.3ins multimedia; TSS 3 pre-collision system with pedestrian (day/night), cyclist/motorbike (day), road sign assist; smart cruise control; 7ins TFT info display; energy-saving heat pump; 18ins alloys; 5 USB ports.

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