2023 Toyota Urban SUV concept revealed
Battery-powered Toyota Yaris Cross alternative to become Japanese brand’s cheapest EV in Europe by 2024Toyota has debuted a new battery-electric baby SUV concept ahead of its European launch sometime next year.
Officially dubbed the 2023 Toyota Urban SUV concept, the pint-size five-door EV – which could be badged as the bZ1X or bZ2X – will be one of six dedicated electric models launched by Toyota in Europe by the end of 2026, alongside the established bZ4X mid-size SUV.
Other Toyota EVs to be released in Europe within the next three years could include the production versions of both the Toyota bZ compact SUV concept (bZ3X) and the larger Toyota Sport Crossover concept, which could be called the bZ5X or bZ5C.
Concrete details are predictably thin on the ground for now, but Toyota has at least confirmed the Urban SUV concept measures 4300mm long, 1820mm wide and 1620mm tall, making it even smaller than the 4180mm-long Yaris Cross.
It will be offered (in production form) with the choice of two battery sizes as well as a single- or dual-motor EV powertrain.
Featuring all the hallmarks of the Japanese brand’s latest design language, the Urban SUV concept has been described by its creators as a “close-to-production design” with an “authentic SUV design” that “draws on the success of the hybrid-electric Toyota Yaris Cross”, alongside which it will be sold in the light SUV segment.
Toyota is tipping the B-SUV segment to become one of Europe’s biggest EV markets in the coming years, with established and upcoming players including the Volvo EX30, Jeep Avenger, Peugeot e-2008 and Ford Puma EV.
“The new vehicle will be the most compact and accessible in a planned six-model dedicated BEV line-up and will compete in the B-SUV segment,” it said.
“A diverse portfolio of electrified products will help propel Toyota Motor Europe towards its goal of exclusively offering ZEVs by 2035 and reaching complete carbon neutrality by 2040.”
There’s no word yet on whether the production version of the Urban SUV concept will be released Down Under, where the bZ4X will become Toyota Australia’s first EV in February 2024.
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