Kia Ev4 vs Toyota BZ4X
What's the difference?

Kia Ev4

$49,990 - $64,690

2026 price

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Toyota BZ4X

$55,990 - $69,990

2026 price

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Summary

2026 Kia Ev4

2026 Toyota BZ4X

By Andrew Chesterton

By Stephen Ottley

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Not Applicable, 0.0L

Fuel Type

Electric

Fuel Efficiency

0.0L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Comfortable, competent drive experience
Long range from bigger battery
Sharp pricing on entry-level grade

Well integrated safety technology
More space than bZ4X
Great performance for an SUV

Dislikes

Design will polarise
Boot is a missed practicality perk
Service costs higher than most

Cabin design is awkward in places
Not a price leader in the EV market
No one-pedal driving

2026 Kia Ev4 Summary

Kia admits that, even a handful of years ago, a car like the EV4 likely wouldn't exist in Australia. With a forecast of 70 sales a month, or 840 a year, it won't come close to the brand's biggest all-electric sellers, and senior executives and product planners alike would have been wondering if it was worth the effort.

But times have changed, and so have regulations, and Kia is happy to roll the dice on as many EVs as it can get its hands on to lower its fleet emissions in the wake of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).

If you'll forgive the long and rambling intro, I'll now get to the point. Long live the NVES, because the EV4 is a good (if a little bizarre-looking) thing. It's quite lovely to drive, will cross vast distances in its long-range guise, and will undoubtedly make our roads a more visually interesting place.

But would you have one over the Tesla Model 3 or BYD Seal? Read on.

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2026 Toyota BZ4X Summary

Toyota finds itself in a very unusual position - playing catch-up.

Usually the Japanese brand dominates any market segment it is in - or at least has one of the more popular offerings. But when it comes to mid-size electric SUVs, Toyota finds its bZ4X trailing well behind several rivals including the BYD Sealion 7, Geely EX5, Kia EV5, Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X.

There’s a very clear reason for this, too. Toyota was late to the party. The brand has taken a very slow approach to the electric vehicle (EV) market, launching its first battery-powered model, the bZ4X SUV, in early 2024.

Up until the start of 2026 and a price drop that coincided with surging petrol prices and a spike in EV demand, the bZ4X was something of a bit-player in the EV market. But with sales up more than 300 per cent in 2026 the time seems perfect to expand, with the bZ4X Touring reaching dealerships.

So is this the right SUV at the right time? Or is it too little too late?

@carsguide.com.au
The 2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring is a camping friendly EV! A close relative of the Subaru Trailseeker, the new electric family car has on-board plugs to charge small appliances and you can stow up to 300kg on the roof racks. Is this a better camping car than a Toyota Prado? #Toyota #bz4xtouring #EV #cartok #fyp
♬ original sound - CarsGuide.com.au

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Interested in a Toyota BZ4X?

Deep dive comparison

2026 Kia Ev4 2026 Toyota BZ4X

Verdict

An electric sedan is really shrinking the buyer pool, which is why Kia has such gentle expectations for the EV4 in Australia. But it's a lovely driving EV with plenty of perks, and the design alone will brighten up Australia's roadways. For my money, I'd either be going for the cheapest one that's sharp value with plenty of kit, or the flagship GT-Line that gets the big battery and the works in terms of equipment. The Earth for me sits in no-man's land.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

Verdict

Is the bZ4X Touring the right Toyota for this moment in time or too little too late for the brand to play catch-up to its EV rivals?

The good news for Toyota is that it isn’t too late, at all. The Touring expands the appeal of the bZ4X, metaphorically and literally, and certainly the sales trajectory in 2026 suggests buyers are warming to Toyota’s electric future.

However, it remains a more expensive proposition for its size and the Touring doesn’t really make it stand out amongst the crowd that includes the popular BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y. It’s unfamiliar territory for Toyota, but it didn’t become the automotive juggernaut it is by giving up, so there is every reason to think the bZ4X duo will chip away at the EV sales leaders.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Kia Ev4 vs Toyota BZ4X What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Kia Ev4 vs Toyota BZ4X
What's the difference?