There was a time when Toyota electric cars were about as exciting as a microwave manual. The old bZ4X felt like something designed by a committee of cautious accountants, all of whom wore beige trousers and frowned at the idea of fun. But then — something happened.
Toyota woke up one morning, looked at Tesla, Hyundai, and Kia doing wheel spins into the future, and said, “Right. Enough of this.” So, they chopped the ridiculous name down to just bZ, stuffed in a bigger battery, gave it more power, better charging, and finally produced something that doesn’t feel like it was assembled during a tea break.
And this — the XLE Plus — is the sweet spot.
The old model suffered from poor range, slow recharging, and a bizarre interior layout. For 2026, Toyota has attempted to address these concerns and has truncated the tongue-twister name for good measure.
What’s New?
The 2 biggest changes are more power and more range. The base model still gets a weeny 57.7 kWh battery good for 235 miles. More bad news, it only has 168 hp. Next up, the XLE Plus gets a bump in power to 221 hp, and the battery is 74.7 kWh, giving you a range of 314 miles. The dual motor AWD trim gets the same battery but 338 hp, giving it a range of 278 miles. 0–60 happens in about eight seconds, which in EV terms means it’s fast enough to annoy some people. In our instrumented test, we managed a best of 7.3 seconds to sixty.
Charging
Good news, it comes with Tesla’s NACS charging port, meaning you can use Superchargers, which is like suddenly discovering your phone works with every charger in the house. Glorious. The 2026 bZ’s charging speed does not increase. All models still top out at 150 kW. Plug into a fast charger, and it’ll go 10–80% in roughly 30 minutes, provided the battery is warm and cooperative. And there’s battery preconditioning, so it actually prepares itself before charging — unlike most of us, who only prepare emotionally.
Exterior
Previously, the front end of the bZ looked like it had been assembled from leftover Lego by a distracted toddler. Vast slabs of awkward black plastic clung to the nose, making it appear bloated, confused, and frankly a bit embarrassing. Now, mercifully, they’ve been binned. In their place are proper body-colour panels that sharpen everything up, streamline the shape, and give the 2026 bZ a far cleaner, smarter, and significantly less facial-crime sort of appearance.
Driving
If you approach the 2026 Toyota bZ XLE Plus expecting fireworks, tyre smoke, and the sort of hooliganism normally associated with a hot hatch, you will be disappointed. This is not that sort of electric car. It’s more like the sensible bloke at the pub who drinks bitter, owns a Labrador, and pays his taxes early. But spend some time actually driving it, and something rather interesting happens.
Press the accelerator and the bZ moves off with the sort of silent determination normally reserved for Japanese bullet trains leaving Tokyo. Being front-wheel-drive, the XLE Plus does elicit some wheelspin if you turn off the traction control, leave it on, and it does a sort of bunny hop before it gains complete traction. We turned off the traction control and launched it to 60 in 7.3 seconds, which is quite a bit faster than Toyota’s claim.
On the road, the overwhelming impression is serenity. The steering is light but accurate, and because the heavy battery sits low in the chassis, the car feels planted in corners rather than top-heavy like many SUVs. It doesn’t encourage you to drive like you’re auditioning for the next episode of Top Gear. Instead, it encourages something radical in the modern world: calm. Through sweeping bends, the bZ tracks neatly and predictably. There’s not much drama, but there’s also not much wobble. The suspension soaks up broken pavement with the relaxed composure of a Labrador settling into a leather armchair.
Awkward Interior Gets an Awkward Fix
The Toyota bZ’s dashboard is, without question, the oddest thing about the car. And that’s saying something in a world where car designers routinely appear to be supervised by a committee of caffeinated interior decorators.
You see, the original Toyota bZ4X had its instrument panel shoved right up against the windscreen. The theory was that you’d look over the steering wheel at the gauges, rather than through it. Which sounds clever, until you realise that in practice it meant lowering the steering column so much you felt like you were piloting the car from a deck chair.
Naturally, drivers complained.
So for 2026, Toyota redesigned the dash—mainly to fit a new 14-inch centre screen, which is enormous. It’s roughly the size of a small television you’d find in a budget hotel room. But despite this redesign, the steering wheel still sits suspiciously low, and the vast space between it and the instrument panel is now an expanse of plastic so barren it could easily qualify as a nature reserve.
On the plus side, fit and finish is impeccable, the seats are comfortable and supportive, and it is a delightfully serene car to be in.
Cargo Space
Back-seat passengers get generous head- and legroom, and with a flat floor, three adults can sit comfortably without feeling cramped. Cargo space is no slouch either: 27.7 cubic feet behind the second row and a generous 56.9 cubic feet when the seats are folded down. There’s plenty of room for gear, groceries, or weekend adventures.
Wheels and tires
This FWD model wears 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/60 Bridgestone all-seasons, which do a respectable job for a car of this class.
Price
Base price for the XLE model is $34,900.
The Plus ($3,000) includes:
Larger Battery & Higher Range: The Plus model features a 74.7-kWh battery pack, which increases the estimated driving range to 314 miles, compared to 236 miles on the base model.
- Increased Power: The electric motor is upgraded to 221 horsepower, a boost from the base model’s 168 hp.
- Technology Upgrades: It features a larger 14-inch touchscreen display, up from the base, along with wireless smartphone charging.
- Comfort Features: The XLE Plus adds comfort and convenience, such as heated front seats.
This one has this premium paint for $475, Carpet floor mats for $399, wheel locks for $105, and door sill protectors for $199. Total price is $40,468
VIDEO REVIEW
Verdict
The 2026 Toyota bZ XLE Plus is the electric car Toyota should have built from the beginning. It’s efficient, comfortable, well-equipped, and easy to live with. The single motor is not thrilling, it’s not revolutionary, but it’s a pretty good effort, and in the world of electric cars, that makes it something of a quiet triumph.
2026 Toyota BZ XLE Plus Numbers
BASE PRICE: $37,900
PRICE AS TESTED: $40,468
VEHICLE LAYOUT: Single motor, FWD, 5-passenger, SUV
FRONT AND REARS: Permanent-magnet synchronous AC
POWER: 221 hp
BATTERY PACK: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 74.7 kWh
ONBOARD CHARGER: 11 kW
PEAK DC FAST CHARGE RATE: 150 kW
TRANSMISSION: direct-drive
CURB WEIGHT: 4,510 lb
0-60 MPH: 7.3 seconds
EPA ESTIMATED RANGE: 314 Miles
COMBINED/CITY/HIGHWAY: 131/143/105 MPGe
CARGO SPACE: 26 cubic feet, 60 cubic feet with rear seat folded
PROS: Solid range, zippy, super smooth ride
CONS: Needs quicker charging
2026 Toyota BZ XLE Plus Review
