2026 Toyota bZ

Toyota's first EV seemed phoned in when the bZ4X debuted for 2023. Meager output and uncompetitive range made the midsize electric SUV feel as unfinished as its bare black-plastic fenders made it look. For 2026, Toyota has completely overhauled the vehicle, even shortening the cumbersome name to simply bZ. The bZ is more powerful than the 2025 bZ4X and has significantly greater range and a lower base price, too.

The old bZ4X's underwhelming specs made it hard to respect, but the 2026 bZ's top-line figures are more appealing. The new base trim, the small-battery XLE, is the only bZ with a less powerful motor than last year. It generates just 168 horsepower but can travel 236 miles, just 16 miles shy of the 2025 bZ4X's longest-range configuration. A larger battery is standard in the rest of the lineup and catapults the front-wheel-drive XLE Plus' range to 314 miles, 62 miles better than last year. The all-wheel-drive XLE's range increases from 228 miles to 288 miles. The Limited's range grows from 236 miles to 299 miles with FWD and from 222 miles to 278 miles with AWD. Front-wheel-drive bZs other than the small-battery XLE now make 221 hp, a 20-hp improvement from last year, and AWD models leap from 214 hp to 338 hp.

The Toyota bZ's strongest competitors are the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 twins, along with the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Chevrolet Equinox EV. However, along with the redesigned bZ, Toyota debuted some in-house competition this year in the form of the 6-inch-longer bZ Woodland. Subaru updated its bZ twin, the Solterra, for 2026 as well. Its version of the Woodland, the Trailseeker, generates 375 hp versus the all-wheel-drive bZ's 338 hp.