Huge power-up for pioneering electric car: Toyota bZ4X scores big upgrades as it searches for traction against Kia EV5, XPeng G6 and Tesla Model Y

Toyota’s first, and so far only, electric car on sale in Australia is set for a significant update, with more power and a refreshed look to arrive later this year.

The Toyota bZ4X, which launched in 2024, has been a relatively small fish in the Toyota pond, racking up fewer than 1000 sales between February and December 2024.

Toyota anticipates a local launch for the updated bZ4X in the fourth quarter of 2025, with further details like pricing and more technical information to be confirmed closer to the date.

Headlining the update for the bZ4X is a retuned motor, powered by a larger 74.7kWh battery to replace the 71.4kWh unit it currently has.

The bZ4X still comes in two layouts - front-wheel and all-wheel drive. The former now has a 165kW output (15kW more than before) while the AWD scores a huge increase of 92kW, bringing its combined output up to 252kW.

The result of this is a 0-100km/h time reduced by 1.8 seconds, down to 5.1 seconds.

At this stage, Toyota hasn’t specified just how the slightly bigger battery and increased outputs affect the bZ4X’s driving range, which are currently 535km for the FWD and 485km for the AWD as claimed by Toyota.

Toyota does however say the battery’s thermal control has been improved for better performance and charging in the cold, a criticism levelled at the car upon its European launch.

Inside, the bZ4X’s cabin has been “completely updated”, the hero addition being a new 14.0-inch multimedia touchscreen.

Exterior changes are also present, with the bZ4X leaning further into Toyota’s ‘Hammerhead’ front-end design language and the wheel arches now in gloss black.

While the bZ4X hasn’t taken the market by storm, Toyota Australia says it is committed to electric cars and adds there are more on the way.

Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide “despite popular belief” Toyota is preparing for EVs to make up a much bigger portion of the new car market than currently.

“So the idea that EVs will keep dropping, dropping, dropping south is not going to happen. They're actually going to grow. Yeah, let's be upfront. They're going to grow,” Hanley says.

“And that's why we’ve got to be part of that phase, because it's going to happen.”

Just this week, Toyota revealed the C-HR+ electric car in Europe, though it looks as though it’s destined for the old continent only for the time being.