- Toyota is challenging its own Lexus ES EV in China with the bZ7 electric sedan flagship.
- It’s the most elegant BZ-badged vehicle so far, with an interior that appears to feature wood trim.
- Details are scarce, but it will go on sale next year.
Toyota has revealed another electric sedan in China while it focuses on crossovers and SUVs everywhere else. The bZ7 is a China-exclusive flagship electric sedan bigger than a Camry and considerably more luxurious than anything with a bZ badge.
There are no specs or exact dimensions yet, but Toyota says it’s over five meters (196 inches) long, which means it has roughly the same footprint as a BMW i5. It’s a lot sleeker and more aerodynamic-looking than the BMW, helped by its low nose and fastback-style rear, which gives it an even smaller decklid than another new electric sedan that looks like it should be a liftback, the new Lexus ES.
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Source: Toyota
Interestingly, even though the bZ7 and ES are from the same manufacturer and about the same size, they share no mechanical components. While the Lexus rides on an updated version of the TNGA platform, the Toyota has a completely different architecture. The manufacturer doesn’t say what underpins the bZ7, but it could be a platform from GAC, which co-developed and will manufacture the vehicle in China. We certainly see some Toyota Crown influence in the design, not to mention its Prius-like face.
Another China-exclusive electric Toyota, the bZ3X SUV, shares its underpinnings with the GAC Aion V, as well as its control systems and motors, but it gets a different battery pack. Looking through GAC’s lineup, its largest electric model, which is smaller than the bZ7, is the Aion LX crossover. It is front-wheel-drive in base trim but has nearly 400 horsepower in dual-motor guise, and it can take a very big 144 kilowatt-hour battery in the Plus variant.
It is easily the best-looking bZ-badged car with its elegant, low-slung shape and tapering greenhouse. It stays true to the concept that previewed it, with the only notable changes being regular side mirrors that were cameras and different door handles.
One photo in the official gallery gives us our first peek inside the bZ7. It’s strikingly similar to the minimalistic layout used in the new Lexus ES, and it also challenges the Lexus for interior ambiance. It’s even stocked with wood trim, befitting its role as a flagship vehicle.
Toyota plans to bring the bZ7 to market in the next year. Considering Toyota’s plan to drop the bZ nomenclature from future models, this could be the end of the bZ line. We should learn more about the car and its potential for other automotive markets later this year.
