Toyota confirms big electric SUV plan: 2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring revealed as a stretched version of the Japanese brand's Tesla Model Y, XPeng G6 and Kia EV5 rival

Toyota has revealed its potent new electric SUV.

Dubbed the bZ4X Touring, it is a stretched version of the bZ4X SUV that is currently on sale.

It is confirmed to land in Australian showrooms in the first half of next year, and resembles an EV version of the Subaru Outback SUV-cum-wagon.

Toyota hasn’t revealed many details yet, but it will have two electric motors pumping out 280kW sent to all four wheels.

It will come with the same circa-75kWh battery as the refreshed standard bZ4X, which should push its driving range past 500km but exact specification will be revealed closer to the car’s launch date.

Toyota won’t reveal prices until closer to its launch date but expect it to be pricier than the current all-wheel drive version of the standard bZ4X that will set customers back about $80,000 drive-away.

That price would put it at a substantial disadvantage compared to fellow mid-size EVs such as the Tesla Model Y and Kia EV5 and the wave of Chinese newcomers such as the XPeng G6 and Geely EX5.

Toyota's current bZ4X sales run rate is about 80 cars a month, which puts it at about 1000 a year and substantially below rivals.

Toyota Australia’s sales and marketing chief, Sean Hanley, said the vehicle would appeal to those in need of extra cargo space and the bigger battery and all-wheel-drive set-up would appeal to those wanting to do long-distance touring.

The bZ4X Touring is expected to come with the same upgrades earmarked for the standard version later this year.

That means a new 14-inch multimedia screen and 7.0-inch driver display.

It’ll have roof rails and chunky wheel-arch guards and rear cladding that give it strong Subaru Outback vibes.

The reveal of the new body shaped variant of the bZ4X follows the reveal of the electric C-HR, which is believed to be headed our way in the coming years.

Toyota said the CH-R EV's max driving range is 600km via the benchmark WLTP testing cycle, but this has not been homologated yet.