The Toyota bZ4X is no more in the United States – instead, the carmaker has announced its Tesla Model Y rival will be known as the Toyota bZ from the 2026 model year.
The 2026 Toyota bZ is a facelift of the Japanese brand’s first mass-market electric car and – in addition to the new name – brings tweaked exterior styling, more power, and battery upgrades.
It’s the first time the bZ name has been used, which the carmaker said is a way of “simplifying the name for customers” – understandable, given other bZ-branded Toyotas like the Chinese bZ3 sedan aren’t sold in that market.
However, Toyota Australia has told CarExpert there are no plans for a name change here, confirming it intends to stick with the bZ4X name for the time being.
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While Toyota Australia is sticking with the bZ4X nameplate, the electric SUV – twinned with the Subaru Solterra electric SUV – could adopt the bZ name in other markets after its introduction in the US.
The existing bZ4X name will be used for the updated version scheduled to arrive in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2025 with revised styling and up to 573km of WLTP electric driving range – compared to the current best of 436km.
Pricing and details are yet to be announced, with the current bZ4X offered in two model grades locally priced at $66,000 before on-road costs for the front-wheel drive version and an all-wheel drive flagship from $74,900.
The 2026 bZ for the US has similar upgrades to those expected for the Australia-bound bZ4X, including a larger 74.4kWh lithium-ion battery.
In the US, this will feature a NACS-type charger (North American Charging System) for the first time, allowing it to be charged using Tesla’s charging network without requiring an adapter.
Battery preconditioning has also been introduced, ensuring rapid charging capability even in extreme cold (under -10 degrees Celsius) temperatures.
Additional changes for the US bZ include refreshed styling appearing near identical to the bZ4X update shown in Europe earlier this year including the Toyota ‘hammerhead’ front-end design and restyled wheel arches.
The North American bZ also sees more power, with 165kW for front-wheel drive BZs and 252kW from dual-motor all-wheel drive versions – the same outputs set for Australia later this year.
Toyota says the power gains are achieved by using silicon carbide (SIC) semiconductors.
The interior changes are the same as the update shown in Europe – and expected here – including a redesigned centre console, 14-inch touchscreen (up from 12.3-inches) and ‘slimmer’ dashboard with new instrument cluster graphics.
Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters have also been added to enable adjustments to the level of braking regeneration.
The related 2026 Subaru Solterra was unveiled at the 2025 New York motor show in April ahead of hitting US showrooms later this year.
The bZ twin gains a new flagship XT model grade, but is yet to be officially confirmed for Australia.
MORE: 2026 Toyota bZ4X: Model Y rival gets more range and power, Australian timing locked in
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