Sharp-Looking bZ Compact SUV Concept Previews Toyota’s EV Expansion

Toyota has revealed the bZ Compact SUV concept at the 2022 Los Angeles auto show, previewing a future electric crossover.The bZ Compact SUV has crisp, modern styling and is six inches shorter but 1.1 inches wider than the bZ4X electric crossover Toyota currently sells.No powertrain details were revealed, but the interior includes sustainable materials and a virtual voice-command assistant named “Yui.”

While Toyota remains committed to hybrids—and has just revealed a new generation of the iconic Prius—the Japanese automaker is also dipping its toes into the emerging EV market, launching its first dedicated electric vehicle, the bZ4X, for 2023. Now Toyota has revealed a new concept at the Los Angeles auto show, which it is simply referring to as the bZ Compact SUV. This one previews a smaller electric crossover that should join Toyota’s lineup in the coming years. The concept appears to be a more finished version of the rendering shown late last year when Toyota released a slew of electric concepts.

The bZ Compact SUV features sharp styling cues and a more athletic stance than the larger bZ4X electric crossover currently on sale. At 178.6 inches long, the concept is six inches shorter than the bZ4X, and the 108-inch wheelbase is four inches shy of the bZ4X’s. While the bZ Compact SUV stands 3.6 inches less tall than the bZ4X, it stretches 1.1 inches wider. With the wheels pushed out to the corners of the vehicle and crisp creases across the bodywork, the concept has a purposeful stance.

The interior is simplistic and straightforward, with a yoke steering wheel and two rectangular screens that curve upward from the dashboard. The seats are built from plant-based and recycled materials, and ambient lighting adds a bit of pizazz to the grayscale cabin. The bZ Compact SUV also features a virtual assistant named “Yui” that responds to verbal commands.

Toyota isn’t providing any details on the bZ Compact SUV’s powertrain, other than confirming that it’s fully electric and claiming that it will bring “fun to drive, exhilarating performance.” Toyota says that it has plans to introduce around 30 dedicated electric vehicles globally, with five of those wearing the bZ (which stands for “Beyond Zero”) branding. The bZ Compact SUV concept is likely to be one of the five, and we expect it to arrive in the next couple of years bearing the name bZ3X.

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