For 2024, Toyota made a few small refinements and one major enhancement to its bZ4X all-electric SUV. Depending on the trim level, there’s more standard equipment than before and the all-wheel-drive model’s battery pack DC fast charges dramatically quicker than before. Unfortunately, despite these meaningful enhancements, many of the bZ4X’s inherent shortcomings have not been addressed, which is a real shame.
The elephant in the room
This all-electric Toyota has the dubious honor of being the slowest-charging vehicle we’ve ever tested, and by a staggering margin. When we last put the bZ4X through our EV Pulse Charging Challenge test, it took 3 hours and 12 minutes to get the vehicle from a 0% state of charge to 95%. The charger estimated it would take an additional 90 minutes to get the last 5%, an absolutely abysmal performance. In comparison, the gargantuan GMC Hummer EV pickup we put through the same test was fully juiced up in just 117 minutes, and its battery pack clocks in around 212 kilowatt-hours, three times larger than this Toyota’s. Needless to say, we were not looking forward to DC fast charging the 2024 bZ4X.
Fortunately, we shouldn’t have worried, because the vehicle has been transformed. Engineers redesigned the all-wheel-drive model’s 72.8-kWh battery pack (front-drive bZ4Xs have a 71.4-kWh pack), adding a water-to-water heat exchanger and a new heating adjustment valve that helps increase the battery temperature in cold temperatures for faster charging. These changes increased the vehicle’s peak fast charging rate from just 100 kW to a far more competitive 150, the same as the front-drive model’s battery pack.
Putting these enhancements to the test, we rolled up to an unbalanced 350-klowatt Electrify America DC fast charger with a 5% state of charge, which equated to an estimated 11 miles of range. After plugging in with the familiar CCS connector, we braced for an all-day charging session, but the Toyota reached 100% in just 1 hour and 7 minutes, a staggering improvement. The quasi-industry-standard 10-to-80% time was also entirely respectable, at just about 36 minutes. Clearly, Toyota addressed this EV’s single biggest weakness, which is tremendous news, though plenty of other areas could still be improved.
Other updates for 2024
Aside from dramatically enhanced DC fast charging, the bZ4X also comes standard with a dual-voltage charging cable for Level 1 and Level 2 AC charging. The vehicle’s 7.6-kW onboard charger can take the battery from a “low” state of charge (Toyota’s vague wording, not ours) to full in about 9.5 hours, adding roughly 20 miles of range per hour.
Additionally, the Limited model gains standard hands-free parking, while the base XLE version is now fitted with an 8-way power driver’s seat and a power-operated rear hatch at no extra cost. Additionally, while charging, this Toyota now displays the estimated range and projected 0-to-80% charging time on the digital instrument cluster, so yay for that. Buyers of this EV also get one year of free charging with EVgo.
Steady as she goes
Other than the abovementioned upgrades, this is basically the same bZ4X we’ve known and tolerated. Front-wheel-drive models are graced with an adequate 201 horsepower and 196 pound-feet of torque, enough to get you to 60 mph in around 7.1 seconds. That’s comparable to other single-motor EVs out there, but if you want more get-up-and-go, you can always grab an all-wheel-drive bZ4X, right? Yes, technically.
Examples with four powered wheels have 214 horses and 248 lb-ft of twist, nowhere near as much output as competing all-wheel-drive electric vehicles deliver. According to Toyota, that’s enough chips and cheese to get you from 0 to 60 in around 6.5 seconds, though our tester never feels that quick. The performance is perfectly adequate, but this EV is far from vigorous.
Just like its performance, the bZ4X’s range is disappointing. The front-drive XLE model can go up to 252 miles on a full charge (236 for the Limited trim). All-wheel-drivers top out at 228, though, if you opt for the Limited grade, like we have here, that falls to a measly 222 miles of range, pretty substandard for a mainstream electric in 2024.
Decent enough to drive
Dynamically, this Toyota is fine. The steering is quick and light, but in no way engaging. The front seats are comfortable and supportive (and heated and ventilated on Limited models), and the ride quality strikes a nice balance between soft and sport. This SUV’s backseat has adult-friendly amounts of headroom and legroom, and the bench itself is quite comfortable, if slightly more upright than you might like.
Further enhancing comfort, for $350 extra the bZ4X is available with radiant heating panels in the front row. These warm your feet and legs in nippy conditions, which can help reduce the use of the vehicle HVAC system, increasing range. This options group also includes heated rear seats.
Our Limited test model also has a heated steering wheel, a panoramic glass roof, a 360-degree camera system and even a nine-speaker JBL sound system for an extra $580. The bZ4X also comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, a suite of advanced driver assistance technologies. This includes amenities like a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning with steering assist, road sign recognition and adaptive cruise control with lane centering. Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and Safe Exit Assist, so passengers don’t open their doors into oncoming traffic or cyclists, are included at no extra charge, too.
Like other Toyotas, this EV has a pair of 12.3-inch displays inside. The central touchscreen runs a well-rounded infotainment system that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You also get digital instruments, which would be fine provided you could read them. Positioned high on the dashboard where it tries to replace both a conventional gauge cluster and a head-up display, this panel is perfectly positioned for the steering wheel to obscure the bottom half of the screen. In particular, taller drivers will not appreciate this setup. In order to see the entire display, you have to lower the steering column to the point it practically feels like the airbag is aimed at your groin. This is one glaring area the bZ4X could be improved. Another is that this SUV has no glovebox, which means cabin storage space is at a premium.
What’s it cost?
As for pricing, the all-wheel-drive Limited-trim bZ4X shown here checks out $53,973 including $1,350 in destination fees, which is not outrageously expensive. The all-wheel-drive XLE model starts at around $46,500, which is comparable to entry-level all-wheel-drive versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4, though these rivals are all more compelling. Opt for a base front-drive version of this Toyota and you’ll be spending around $44,420. Unfortunately, the bZ4X is not eligible for any federal tax credits at this time.
The updated 2024 Toyota bZ4X is better than ever thanks to a handful of small tweaks and a monumental upgrade to the DC fast charging performance. Regrettably, though, the automaker can still do a lot to improve this vehicle, as the performance, driving range, interior storage and instrument cluster positioning all leave much to be desired.
At a glance
- Year: 2024
- Make: Toyota
- Model: bZ4X
- Trim: AWD Limited
- Type: All-electric SUV
- Horsepower: 214
- Torque: 248 pound-feet
- MPGe ratings (city/highway/combined): 112/92/102
- Range: 222 miles
- Pros: Dramatically improved DC fast charging performance, good infotainment tech, combo charger now included, more standard features on the Limited trim
- Cons: Poor range, mediocre performance, steering wheel obscures instrument cluster, no glovebox, not eligible for any federal tax credits
- Estimated Base price: $44,420
- As-tested price: $53,973 including $1,350 in destination fees