2026 Toyota bZ4X Touring review: Australian first drive

Toyota hasn’t sold a wagon in Australia for around 20 years, but that’s about to change.

The world’s biggest car maker has just launched the wagon version of its first electric car – the bZ4X – dubbed the Touring, and frankly, I’m here for it.

The bZ4X was only a modest success when it first launched in 2024, but a major update earlier this year that brought improved tech, more power and driving range, as well as a price cut, has led to a boom in popularity.

The update has made it far more competitive against rivals such as Tesla, BYD, Kia, and more, but what sets it apart? The wagon.

Of course, it’s not absolutely unique, being a twin-under-the-skin to the Subaru Trailseeker, but is the bZ4X about to make wagons cool again?

The Touring is a single grade sitting at the top of the bZ4X line-up. It’s based on the previous top-spec AWD but is, of course, bigger and has a few unique features to set it apart.

It costs $69,990 before on-road costs, $2000 more than the AWD SUV version, and $14,000 more than the 2WD. 

Premium paint is the only additional cost, priced at $575, with white, black, dark grey, dark blue, light blue and bronze colours available.

Shared with the AWD are features such as dual-zone climate control, eight-way power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats, synthetic leather-look upholstery, dual wireless chargers, a panoramic sunroof, a digital rear-view mirror, and a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system.

It only comes with a tyre repair kit, though, rather than a space-saver or full-size spare wheel.

Distinguishing the Touring are 20-inch black alloy wheels, front and rear skid plates, larger ladder-style roof rails, prominent black wheel arches, and a bonnet insert.

In dark grey, the plastic wheel arch mouldings don’t look too bad, but I wouldn’t be a fan of them on a lighter shade; they just stand out too much and are a bit too Subaru-esque. 

The Touring, like the Trailseeker, is made in Japan, with its design and engineering led by Subaru, so it makes sense, but ditching these would help separate the two and give it a sleeker and more elegant look. 

It’s not intended as an off-roader, so the rugged aesthetic just isn’t necessary.

Its proportions are largely in line with the regular bZ4X, but it’s 140mm longer behind the rear axle and 25mm higher with a flatter roof line that creates more second-row head room.

With a shared wheelbase, the cabin space is the same, remaining generous.

There’s plenty of room in the doors; in fact, there are slots for two drink bottles, one at either end of the cavity, with a slim portion for other small items in between.

However, the space under the floating centre console remains limited, with narrow openings on either side. Here you’ll find two USB-C ports for connecting phones, in addition to the dual wireless chargers located above.

The large sunroof drenches the otherwise dark cabin with light, making it a pleasant place to spend time. The seats are nicely padded, and the armrest is well placed for long-distance comfort. There’s a fair amount of plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap or low-quality.

Although it retains the traditional circular steering wheel from the SUV version, it also keeps the awkward positioning. It seems no matter your height, the wheel is slightly in the way of the high-mounted instrument cluster. However, it doesn’t get the strange ‘squircle’ wheel found in the Trailseeker.

In the second row, there is ample space for passengers, as well as map pockets on both sides, rear air vents, heated seats, and two more USB-C ports.

Each door can fit a standard drink bottle, and there are two further cupholders in the centre armrest when folded down.

Two child seats will fit easily. Three may fit depending on the type of restraint.

The two outboard positions have ISOFIX anchors, and all three rear seats have a top-tether point accessible from the boot.

Back in the day, wagons were a family favourite, and the bZ4X Touring doesn’t disappoint.

The boot has grown compared to the SUV, increasing from 452 litres to 603L, with more than enough room for day-to-day items such as prams and shopping, or even to cram all your gear in for a road trip.

With no spare tyre, there’s a compartment under the floor to stash cables and other small bits, such as a first-aid kit, and to the right-hand side there’s a 1500-watt socket for powering external devices and a little cubbyhole.

Like the new Toyota RAV4 and its SUV counterpart, the bZ4X benefits from the brand’s latest infotainment system. It’s a big leap for the car maker, but it still can’t compete with tech leaders like Tesla.

The larger 14-inch touchscreen can run wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and has its own native satellite navigation system, but a good chunk of the display’s real estate is taken up by virtual controls for the heated seats, fan speed, recirculating air, and other climate functions.

It’s good that they are available permanently, but physical buttons would be preferable so they’re easier to press while driving. There are some switches on the centre console, however, for the driving modes, the front-facing camera, and to turn off traction control.

The system itself is simple enough to use, and the screen is clear and bright, but it lacks a main menu, and you can’t use many of the functions on the move.

Like the 2WD and AWD regular bZ4X, the Touring uses a 74.7kWh CATL-supplied lithium-ion battery, good for a claimed 488km of WLTP driving range.

That’s down 29km compared to the AWD SUV and more than 100km lower than the 2WD’s 591km claim, so there is very much a compromise to be had in this regard if choosing the wagon.

Even the related Subaru Trailseeker has a higher claim, offering 533km WLTP, in part because it rides on smaller 18-inch wheels.

However, it’s better than the pre-facelift bZ4X’s range, which was just 436km (2WD) and 411km (AWD).

Energy consumption is rated at 16.8 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres, though at launch, the lowest I saw was 19.8kWh. That’s most likely down to differences in individual driving styles or perhaps greater use of the heating system due to cold conditions. 

It’s not wildly off the claim, but we’ll get the bZ4X Touring through the Drive garage soon to more accurately gauge what it’s capable of in real-world driving.

At a max rate of 150kW DC and 22kW AC, the Touring can be topped up in 30 minutes or 3.5 hours, respectively.

The bZ4X Touring has a five-star ANCAP safety rating courtesy of Euro NCAP’s testing on the related Subaru Trailseeker.

It features Toyota’s latest Safety Sense technology, including adaptive cruise control with curve speed reduction, emergency steering assist, road sign recognition for speed limits, and more.

I barely noticed the advanced driver assistance systems at all, showing that all the functions did their jobs without being annoying or overbearing, even the driver monitoring system was quiet.

With so many medium-sized electric SUVs now, and even an improved bZ4X struggling to make headway in the vicious fight to the top, this wagon Touring variant offers something a bit different.

Like many Toyota models, such as the RAV4, Corolla Cross and Kluger, the driving experience doesn’t particularly stand out; it’s just solid all round.

But it’s fully electric; it has an on switch, a logical if not traditional gear shifter in the form of a rotary dial, and you can adjust the regenerative braking to one of four levels, so if you want it to feel like an internal combustion-engined car, it will. 

For many contemplating the switch to an electric car, that might just be all you need to know.

The ride is comfortable and smooth for the most part, though it can be a little jarring over sharp bumps and rough patches. 

However, the 20-inch wheels on the Touring don’t seem to make much of a difference. The road noise can be invasive at higher speeds, though. Thankfully, wind rush is largely absent.

The Dunlop SP Sportmaxx tyres grip the road well, even in the wet, and when matched with good body control and well-balanced steering, they help make it capable and sure-footed, but not playful, through corners. Its handling is not let down by its extra length, either. 

It has 211mm of ground clearance and a special X-Mode borrowed from Subaru, although it’s not billed as a true off-road warrior. We didn’t get the opportunity to take it off the beaten track at the launch – perhaps another time.

The only other mode to speak of is Eco, which does what it says on the tin to help keep energy use low, but fortunately without hugely zapping power.

Outside of Eco, the bZ4X Touring accelerates swiftly, packing a reasonable punch off the line and zipping along nicely at higher speeds. 

While it isn’t the fastest EV out there, it has plenty of power when you need it thanks to its two 167kW electric motors providing a combined 280kW. Toyota quotes a 0–100km/h time of 4.4 seconds; you get the idea – it’s no slouch.

And if you need it to tow something on the smaller side, like a trailer, it can, with braked towing rated at 1500kg and unbraked at 750kg.

I’d love to see electrification be the catalyst for wagons falling back into favour, and if there’s a car that can reach the most people, this Toyota could be the one to do it.

Sure, luxury and performance wagons have never truly gone anywhere, but an affordable mass-market one without an engine could be the perfect alternative to an SUV for modern families looking to go green without compromising on space and practicality.

Two things I would change? The price could be a bit closer to $60k, and the wheel arch cladding can go back to Subaru.