BEIJING MOTOR SHOW: 2024 Toyota bZ3C and bZ3X debut

Toyota has shown off the production versions of the bZ Sport Crossover and bZ FlexSpace EV concept cars it revealed last year, which are now known as the Toyota bZ3C and bZ3X respectively.

Both new Toyota EVs are intended primarily for China and were co-developed with the Japanese car-maker’s Chinese partners ahead of mass production “within a year”.

That makes them unlikely to be sold any time soon in Australia, where Toyota’s first EV – the bZ4X mid-size SUV – has just been released.

However, Toyota has committed to launching seven bZ (‘beyond Zero’) battery-electric models globally by 2025, while Toyota Australia has promised to have three EVs on sale here by 2026.

By the same year, Toyota says it will release 10 new EVs and sell 1.2 million EV sales per annum globally, on the way to launching 30 Toyota and Lexus EVs by 2030, by which it plans to sell 3.5 million EVs annually.

The bZ3X small SUV and bZ3C small car have long been expected to follow the inaugural bZ4X, and a bZ5X large electric SUV is likely to join them, although that’s yet to be confirmed.

Just as the bZ4X competes with the top-selling Tesla Model Y and the potential bZ5X may rival the Kia EV9, the bZ3X would be a competitor for the Hyundai Kona Electric and upcoming Kia EV4.

Toyota Australia has said it would consider releasing all bZ models here and Toyota Australia sales, marketing and franchise operations chief Sean Hanley previously told carsales the bZ4X could be one of the three bZ models sold Down Under by 2026.

No concrete details have been released for either the Toyota bZ3X or bZ3C, which could be priced from under $50,000, but it’s clear both models have been received a variety of homologation and user-friendliness-based changes in their transition from concept to reality.

For the former, those changes translate to a proper steering wheel, raised centre console, rotary gear selector, more storage, rerouted ambient lighting strips and more ergonomic door trims.

“Designed around the concept of a ‘Reboot’, this dynamic, distinctively styled crossover BEV focuses on features that create a fun personal space for younger Generation Z customers,” Toyota China said.

The bZ3C, meantime, is aimed at families and now features a physical dashboard (without the built-in garden), a proper steering wheel and centre console, two-tone interior and more subdued ambient lighting.

Unlike the larger bZ4X, the bZ3 models may only be available with a single-motor (front-drive) electric powertrain, alongside a smaller battery offering a shorter range.

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