Toyota Australia has been forced to delay the launch of its first all-electric vehicle, the bZ4X crossover, until the new year.
“Toyota Australia can confirm that the current levels of unprecedented global demand for vehicles, has delayed the introduction to Australia of the bZ4X until 2023,” a spokesperson for the company’s local division confirmed with CarExpert.
“Further details on timing will be released in due course.”
Initially, the Toyota bZ4X was earmarked for a late-2022 introduction to the Australian market, set to rival the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Tesla Model Y.
The Toyota bZ4X was jointly developed with Subaru – which offers the Solterra – and sits on the co-created e-TNGA electric architecture. Luxury arm Lexus has also put its own spin on this platform, in the form of the new RZ.
While the Australian line-up is yet to be detailed, the bZ4X is available overseas with a choice of 150kW single motor and 160kW dual motor drivetrains, both teamed with a 71.4kWh lithium battery pack. The single-motor version has a claimed driving range of approximately 500 kilometres per charge.
Serving as a halo model for Toyota’s electrified products, the Japanese brand has indicated the bZ4X will carry a premium price tag similar to that of the original Prius back in the early 2000s.
“This is due to significant research and development cost recovery,” Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss, Sean Hanley, said to CarExpert in October.
“Like hybrids, battery-electric vehicle adoption and affordability will take time, but certainly not 20 years. They will eventually become a sustainable means of mobility.”
Get everything you need to know about the 2023 Toyota bZ4X here, and stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest.
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