Toyota made no secret of its plan to introduce the next-generation Prius at this week’s LA Auto Show — but it still had an ace up its sleeve, delivering a surprise with the reveal of the new bZ Compact SUV.
And while it currently has no firm plan to put the all-electric prototype into production, several senior Toyota officials said the overwhelmingly positive response to the concept vehicle could push them to add it to the automaker’s small but growing line-up of battery cars.
Like the fifth-generation Prius, the bZ Compact SUV shifts direction, with a clean, sporty and energetic design language that is “a clear sign of where we’re heading,” hinted Ian Cortabiano, the vice president of advanced design for CALTY, Toyota’s California-based styling studio.
At 178.6 inches, Compact SUV Concept is about 6 inches shorter, and nearly 4 inches lower than Toyota’s first long-range battery-electric vehicle, the bZ4X, which went on sale early this year. But at an inch wider, it presents a sportier and more planted appearance that also features a more elegant and refined look.
Meet Yui
The sleek exterior is matched by a clean and refined cabin that gets a decidedly high-tech touch. There are twin video displays, one handling digital gauge duties, the other an infotainment touchscreen that curves to match the shape of the instrument panel.
But the real star is “Yui,” a digital voice assistant that takes things well beyond the capabilities of the system Toyota launched just a year ago. When first shown earlier this year, Toyota suggested that the AI-powered Yui gets smarter the more it is used, learning from the vehicle’s owner.
The cabin is more upscale in look and feel than the initial Toyota bZ4X and could just as well plug into the brand’s upscale sibling Lexus. But forget leather. The Compact SUV cabin is swathed in both “plant-based and recycled materials,” Cortabiano explained.
Perhaps the most distinctive detail is the use of a yoke, rather than a conventional steering wheel. But Toyota insiders made it clear that would not carry over into production.
“Exhilarating performance”
The show car is based on the same e-TNGA platform as the bZ4X, It’s a skateboard-like “architecture,” with its battery pack and motors mounted below the load floor.
The automaker declared that the bZ Compact SUV would be “fun to drive (with) exhilarating performance.”
Perhaps. But Toyota officials acknowledged that, since it’s only a concept vehicle, they’ve actually not yet come up with a specific drivetrain for the bZ show car.
That said, several company insiders who spoke to TheDetroitBureau.com suggested it would need to offer a much sportier package than what motivates the bZ4X, Toyota’s only all-electric model currently available. In its single-motor configuration, it musters a meager 201 horsepower and takes 7.1 seconds to hit 60. The all-wheel model nudges up to 214 hp but still needs 6.9 seconds to get there.
A change in EV strategy?
Last December, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda announced plans to launch 30 all-electric models during the coming decade. But the executive, and the automaker itself, have come under sharp criticism for staying with a long-term plan that would continue to deliver a mix of EVs, as well as hybrids, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.
“We’re committed to offering a full line of choices for our customers,” Toyota’s U.S. brand boss said during the Wednesday night unveiling of the 2023 Prius and the bZ Compact SUV Concept.
Quietly, however, the carmaker has launched an internal study to see if it needs to shift direction — a project that could see it put more emphasis on its EVs.
And, considering the thumbs up the L.A. show car got during its debut, along with the strong internal support its getting within Toyota, it just might find its way into production.