Toyota has been . . . hesitant about going all-in on EVs. This has saved Toyota a lot of money. Ford and GM and VW and other brands that were all-in on EVs have lost a lot of money – more than $35 billion, in Ford’s case.
So the bZ (formerly the Bz4X) is a kind of cautious toe-in-the-water for Toyota. Introduced in 2023 as Toyota’s first mass-market electric car, it has allowed Toyota to offer an EV without risking everything on EVs.
That’s not hesitant. It’s smart.
What It Is
The BZ Woodland is the latest iteration of the bZ EV that made its debut in 2023. It’s basically a mid-sized, two-row crossover with an electric drivetrain rather than a gas or hybrid gas-electric drivetrain.
The current model got a facelift in 2026, along with a bit more ground clearance and available all-terrain tires. As the Woodland name suggests, it’s an EV with off-road pretension – and some capabilities. It has 8.4 inches of ground clearance, standard AWD and is available with all-terrain tires. The chief problem with the idea of an off-road EV is that there aren’t usually places to plug in where there’s no pavement – and this EV only has 281 miles of fully charged driving range. That means about 140 miles out is about as far as you can drive before you’ll have to head back – assuming you can’t find a place to charge someplace in between.
On the upside, this EV can leave tracks on paved roads. It’s capable of getting to 60 MPH in about 4.5 seconds.
Prices start at $45,300 for the Base trim – which is something if a misnomer given this “base” trim comes standard with rain-sensing wipers, heated outside mirrors, synthetic leather upholstery, heated first and second row seats, heated steering wheel, dial zone climate control, hands-free powered liftgate, a six speaker stereo, 14 inch LCD touchscreen, ambient interior lighting and twin wireless phone chargers on the center console.
The $47,400 Premium trim adds a panorama sunroof, radiant lower body heating (kind of like radiant floor heating) and a nine-speaker JBL audio system.
Both trims come standard with the same electric drivetrain, which consists of front and rear electric motors driving all four wheels that together make 375 horsepower and 396 ft.-lbs. of torque.
This EV also has a twin – the Subaru Trailseeker. These two EVs are basically the same EV, with common drivetrains and other parts, styled and priced a little differently. The Trailseeker is the less expensive of the two – it’s base price is $39,995 to start because it’s a bit less lux to start – which means you can get a Bz for less at a Subaru store.
What’s New For 2027
There are no major changes for the new model year.
What’s Good
Accelerates like a Corvette – looks like a family crossover.
Increased ground clearance and available all-terrain tires should make it a great snow-day vehicle on road.
“Base” trim comes loaded.
What’s Not So Good
Significantly more expensive than the mostly the same Subaru-badged Trailseeker EV.
Modest range; you can’t go very far before you have to stop – and wait.
Increased ground clearance probably increases aerodynamic drag, which probably shortens the driving range; the increased rolling resistance of the optional all-terrain tires absolutely will.
Under The Hood
The Bz is an EV – and EVs often have frunks, with nothing (other than storage space) under their hoods. The Bz’s electric motor – one of them – is under the hood, along with the 12V battery EVs still have, too. The main battery pack that powers the electric motors – the one up front and the one out back – is spread out under the seats (under the floorpan). It’s a 74.7 kWh battery pack that can store enough electricity to propel the Bz a claimed 281 miles. The word is italicized to make a point about EV driving range claims. The actual range can and often does vary considerably, depending on how hot (or cold) it is out because that will affect the efficiency of the battery pack and also because it takes power (electricity) to power the thermal management system that keeps the battery from getting too hot or too cold – and also to power the heater and AC that keeps you from getting too cold or hot.
Toyota says it takes about eight hours to fully recharge a discharged Bz battery at home, using a 240v Level II outlet – which if you haven’t got will entail having to get it wired up. You can also charge up at home – more slowly – by plugging in to a common 120V household outlet, which every house already has. Toyota supplies a dual-voltage charging cable that allows you to go either way – which is a small nicety. A number of other manufacturers of EVs – such as VW and Acura – do not include a home charge cord; you have to pay extra for one. Some EVs cannot be Level 1 charged at all. You have to use either the 240v Level 2 set-up or a commercial fast charger.
The Bz’s electric drivetrain touts 375 horsepower and 396 ft.-lbs. of torque – which is why, even though this electric crossover weighs 4,442 lbs. empty, it can still shoot from a dead stop to 60 MPH in 4.5 seconds. That’s only an eye-blink behind a current Corvette, which makes the same trip in a tick over three seconds.
AWD is standard.
On The Road
The Bz is explosively quick – and almost completely silent.
The first time you floor it – if you’re not ready for it – you might get whiplash. That is not a joke – and it is a compliment. There’s not the slightest moment of gathering steam before the launch, either – as you’d experience in a very powerful gas engined car, because – for one thing, an engine does not make all of its torque at once. It must rev up into its powerband, which gives you a moment to prepare for the whiplashing (and cinch down tight). EV electric motors make all their torque immediately, so as soon as you floor the accelerator pedal, the acceleration is instant – and (int his case) brutal.
In a good way.
It is something close to being a god in that you feel you have unlimited power. The Bz can explode past a slowpoke and be around and ahead of him before the slowpoke’s mind can even register the pass you just made. That it does this silently – no screaming engine or booming exhaust sounds – is also surreal until you get used to it. The immediate punch you’ve got on tap is also partly a function of the direct drive – as in, there’s no transmission in between. The high-torque electric motors directly spin the wheels. Ever try to hold onto the head of a powerful electric drill and then pull the trigger?
The real fun, though, is that this crossover is a sleeper. An electric Corvette-killer in grocery getter clothing. It does not stand out in a crowd – unlike a Corvette or any other known performance car. This makes it stealthy, which means you can use what it can do more often – and with much more plausible deniability.
It’d be much more practical, too – if it weren’t for its short-leash range and long recharge times. A new Corvette only seats two and you can’t carry much – but it can be driven about 296 miles in city driving and 462 miles on the highway (so about 379 miles in mixed-use driving) and it takes less than five minutes to fully refuel at any gas station.
Toyota says the Bz can be driven about 281 miles on a fully charged battery, which isn’t too bad. The catch is that it does not take less than five minutes to fully (or even partially) recharge it and you cannot easily just charge it just about anywhere, because EV fast chargers are not nearly as common as gas stations – especially once you drive far away from urban/suburban areas – and there is always the possibility that the fast chargers may not be working. This is a fairly common problem for EV owners and it is a particular problem for an EV like the Bz, which is marketed at least in part as an outdoorsy/adventure kind of crossover – because it’s something of a risk to travel into the . . . woodlands when you might not make it back, because you ran out of range and there was no place around to charge.
At The Curb
The Bz is interesting aesthetically – because it does no look even remotely as fast as it is. If you didn’t know how fast it is, you’d probably see it as something like a Subaru Soltera (which is also ferociously quick) or just another mid-sized crossover, which is of course exactly what they both are. The main difference between the Bz and the Soltera is that Subaru doesn’t yet offer an outdoorsy iteration of its electric crossover (as it does with the Wilderness versions of the Forester and Impreza crossovers, which of course are not electric).
Already mentioned is the fact that the Bz – unusually, for an EV – doesn’t have a “frunk,” or storage space under the hood. But that’s ok – in the sense that it’s not a problem – because there’s plenty of space to store stuff elsewhere. Such as as behind the rear seats, where there’s 33.8 cubic feet of space. Like other crossovers, there’s more space available – 74.3 cubic feet – if you fold the rear seats down. The Soobie Trailseeker specs out about the same, wrapped a little differently. 
The Bz only comes one way – which is loaded. It’s kind of funny that Toyota calls the “base” trim that given it comes standard with everything except the panorama sunroof, which you may not want anyhow.
Subaru offers its version of this EV in three (rather than just two) trims, each with a slightly different roster of standard equipment.
One thing you may want – that is also very unusual – is the radiant lower body heating system that comes standard in the Premium trim. There is a kind of heating pad thing (the best way I know to describe it) that is molded onto the lower portion of the steering column (as well as other areas that are body adjacent) and what you feel is a cozy-day warmth emanating from this that’s very pleasant, in the manner of a heated blanket on a chilly day. This probably also uses less electricity than a hot air system that uses a fan to blow the heat outward into the cabin.
The Rest
One thing you may not like about the Bz is that it comes standard with an eye movement monitor – ostensibly to alert you if the system thinks your attention is wandering (or you’re getting drowsy). The monitor is built into a little pod on top of the steering column. If you look to the left or right or in the rearview for too long – according to the parameters of the system – you will get hit with a chime intended to get you to look straight ahead (and even to sit up straight – so that the “eyes” can track your eyes). This can get annoying – especially if you’re the kind of driver that scans their driving environment rather than taring straight ahead like a blinkered horse.
Unfortunately, all 2027 model year vehicles have these eye-movement monitors because it is a federal “safety” requirement that they have them.
The good news is that a little piece of tape over the “eyes” ends the chimes.
The Bottom Line
The Bz is an electric wolf in sheep’s clothing. Just be careful about going too far into the . . . Woodlands.
. . .
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