2026 Toyota bZ4X: Updated EV lands in NZ with lower price, more range

New Zealand’s largest new car brand is having a second go at establishing its only full electric model.

A new-generation Toyota bZ4x has landed in New Zealand with a new look and expanded model range. Perhaps most importantly, 2026 bZ4x models feature more range and carryover models are priced $16,000 cheaper than when it was first introduced in 2024.

Toyota says the new bZ4x is quicker off the mark and more rewarding to drive. It also features updates to answer the concerns of critics of the first model, an EV that struggled to gain attention and sales locally and internationally.

Pricing

The entry-level bZ4x Pure is now priced from $56,990 and mid-spec Motion is $66,990, down from their original $72,990 and 82,990 widow stickers of the first models respectively.

The range is now headlined by the bZ4x Touring at $69,990, which is effectively a slightly bigger Motion, adding 140mm the the length and 20mm to ride-height to increase interior boot space by more than a third - up 148 litres on Pure and Motion variants to 600 litres in the Touring.

All models now feature a new 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery, up from a 71.4kWh battery in the outgoing model, and more powerful electric motors.

The new front-wheel drive Pure pairs the battery with a single 167kW/269Nm electric motor. The Dual motor all-wheel Motion drive model both produce 255kW and 438Nm, while the Touring is the most powerful bZ4x with 280kW.

The AWD Motion and Touring variant’s braked towing capacity has also been doubled to 1500kg.

The bZ4X features revised ‘hammerhead’ exterior styling, similar to the new RAV4. The base bZ4X pure gains new-design 18-inch alloy wheels, while the Motion and Touring feature 20-inch wheels.

Inside, there’s a 14.0-inch infotainment touchscreen (up from 12.3 inches), while other new inclusions comprise paddle shifters, two wireless phone chargers, a heated steering wheel, a hands-free power tailgate, and a 1500W inverter in the luggage area to power small appliances.

Additional safety equipment includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit assist and a surround-view camera, all previously exclusive to the bZ4X AWD. A driver monitoring camera has also been added.

The first bZ4x models are now arriving in local dealerships.