ELECTRIC, THE TOYOTA WAY: FIRST DRIVE OF THE TOYOTA BZ4X

It took Toyota long enough, but they’re finally launching their first battery electric vehicle in the Philippines: the 2026 bZ4X.

- By ULYSSES ANG

Still a firm believer in gasoline electric hybrids (they have the widest selection in the country after all), they think that now is the right time for them to dip their toes in something motivated purely by electrons. Considerations, they say, involve several factors. What those are is a topic for another day; fact of the matter is that the bZ4X is finally here, and this is how it drives.

Coming roughly three years since the nameplate came out globally, the bZ4X that the Philippines gets is the most up-to-date one. Sourced from Japan, it comes in a singular, full-loaded variant which has dual motors and all-wheel drive. With 343 horsepower, it has the highest output of a production Toyota outside of the Gazoo Racing range. 0 to 100 km/h is dispatched in around 5 seconds and top speed is electronically limited to 160 km/h. As for battery and charging, it’s got a 73.1-kWh lithium-ion battery enough for 570 kilometers of range. Charging is done at a maximum of 22 kW (Type 2 AC charging) and 150 kW (CCS2 DC charging).

Impressive as these figures are, the bZ4X shines the most where it counts: actual road conditions. During my drive from Toyota North EDSA—the site of the first complimentary AC/DC charging station for bZ4X owners—to Clark in Pampanga, I found it a very approachable car. It has a gentle learning curve in every aspect from its control layout to its road manners.

Typically, BEVs like some shock-and-awe when it comes to their implementation of in-car technology. Refreshingly, the bZ4X avoids that trope. Yes, there are two screens—one for the driver and another for the infotainment—but there are plenty of physical knobs and switches as well. Adjusting the cabin temperature, media volume, and even drive modes are all done via dedicated controls; no need to fumble through a touchscreen to do any of that, thankfully.