A POPULAR car brand is set to release a new EV to rival the Volvo EC40.
The vehicle with a “hammerhead” design will be unveiled on March 12, joining the larger bZ4X and recently launched Urban Cruiser.
The new EV was tipped to be called bZ3X[/caption]
Toyota is set to reveal its new EV in March[/caption]
The new EV is expected to share some features with the Chinese-market bZ3C fastback[/caption]
The new Toyota vehicle is expected to cost around £38,000 – sitting in between the larger bZ4X and the smaller hybrid-powered Toyota C-HR.
Whilst the car’s name remains a mystery, when the initial concept was revealed in 2022, the production model was tipped to be called bZ3X.
Yesterday, Toyota released a teaser video of the car, which showed the model had kept many elements from the Sport Crossover concept, such as its size, raked roofline and extended bonnet.
The video also suggests the new EV will share some features with the Chinese-market bZ3C fastback, which was introduced at the Beijing motor show last year.
Such features will likely put the vehicle in competition with the likes of the Volvo EC40 and Smart 1, according to Autocar.
And like the Urban Cruiser, it will be available to buy with a range of battery sizes and motors.
Although no hints have been dropped about the EV‘s interior, Autocar suggests it will look more similar to the new C-HR rather than the Suzuki-twinned Urban Cruiser.
If this is true, motor-heads should expect a 12.3inch infotainment, a raised centre console, and a digital driver’s display.
Top of the range models will also likely include a panoramic sunroof, a JBL sound system and front sport seats.
This comes as the car brand revealed it is set to release three new sports cars with the revival of the Celica and MR2 models, as well as the return of the swashbuckling Lexus LFA.
The cult favourite trio, all of which will be internal combustion engine-powered, will form the future of the Japanese mega-brand’s sports car offerings.
The return of the cult favourite MR2 alongside the once rally-going Celica comes as Toyota finds itself with two rather large gaps to fill in its billing.
The mighty GR Supra is tiptoeing towards the end of its production run after six years back in the limelight, with petrolheads recently treated to one final version called the A90 Final Edition.
However, a new Supra has been pencilled in for 2027 release, according to Japanese magazine Best Car.
Meanwhile, the GR86 has already reached the end of the road, at least in Europe, where it was cut from sale thanks to EU safety regulations.
According to Autocar, the revival of the Celica and MR2 names fulfils the ambition of the company’s chairman Akio Toyoda, who envisioned the return of their “three brothers” along with the aforementioned Supra.
Both cars are to be powered by a new turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine called G20E, recently revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon – with reports suggesting it boasts more than 400bhp in road-going form and tops 600bhp in motorsports.
The model has kept many elements from the Sport Crossover[/caption]
The new EV will rival the Volvo EC40[/caption]
