Toyota seems to be today a double turning point in his history : stylistic, on the one hand, and technological, on the other. First, because the brand is in the process of completely flipping its codes, with a new identity that is bolder, more modern, less “plan-plan” than before. The signs are not misleading, several models have already undergone a face lift. The Prius was introduced last year curved and narrowed silhouette, two-tier radiator grille, projectors connected by a light tape. Since then we have found this same philosophy including the new C-HR, Crown, Crown Signia and Camry. It’s the same story with the trucks, the van line has just been updated, the 4X4 Land Cruiser 300, Land Cruiser Prado and Land Cruiser 70 them too Followed by a Hilux pickup truck! Although the brand is still at the top, “Toyota is back” in terms of design!
Stylistic shift, technological shift
The second main turning point is, of course electrification. Toyota is well versed in hybrid technology, which it democratized in 1997 with its Prius sedan, which was a real commercial success and whose 5d generation has just been named The car of 2024 in the USA. But the manufacturer found time to launch in the 100% electric niche. Only one model in France is available with this engine: the crossover bZ4X. “bZ” stands for “beyond Zero” and should eventually refer to all electric models from the manufacturer: the bZ3 sedan launched in China is the second model in the series. To catch up, Toyota plans to release electric models in all categories: crossovers, sedans, coupes, roadsters, 4X4s and even SUVs ! For several months, the brand has been teasing us with numerous models, concepts that are more daring and innovative…
Future family SUV-coupe
The youngest is named Toyota sports crossover concept was presented on December 4 this year in Brussels. This represents a future family electric SUV, which will be located above the current bZ4X. This is a model that combines a sedan and a crossover, like the Peugeot 408, Renault Arkana and Citroën C4X, to mention only the French ones.
However, it will be much bigger: with its large wheelbase capable of seating 5 adults comfortably and its boot, which Toyota describes as “generous”, it should be positioned against the Kia EV9, BMW iX and the upcoming Hyundai IONIQ 7 (which, however, have a less streamlined silhouette than he). Toyota, however, remained very cryptic about it: for the technical part, we just know what it was developed jointly with BYD, a world leader in the production of batteries. We could expect a range of 700 kilometers thanks to the technology of the Blade brand. For the rest, we will have to wait a little longer its commercialization in 2025.
Read also:
Toyota bZ3: Electric sedan shown in images
Toyota: future new products expected for 2023
By 2025, Europe will import 800,000 Chinese cars
Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.