Ian Lamming shrugs off the vagaries of modern driving in the latest Toyota EV
THIS is probably a good time to point out that it is not illegal to overtake, though by the reaction of some road users it is a cardinal sin.
We are all different; we have varying driving styles; we operate to bespoke timetables. So it is important to have a bit of empathy with fellow motorists – not try to kill them by being obstructive.
On the morning in question I am working not out for a leisurely drive in the countryside. I have to be somewhere by a particular time. The three cars ahead, who have been happy to crawl along behind a camper van for the past 12 miles, are on a different agenda. Despite countless opportunities for the car immediately behind the sedate meringue to overtake it takes no action to get by. For me, three cars and a van would be too much to attempt safely so I wait.
When the road finally straightens and we remain on different clocks I take the decision to go for an overtake. The new fully electric Toyota bZ4X has more power and brilliant regenerative brakes making it the ideal tool to pick off traffic and safely use the gaps – until curmudgeonly motorists decide I shouldn’t use those gaps and tailgate the car ahead instead.
The road is clear, the white lines are broken and the convoy is travelling so slow there’s no need to speed, yet still the manoeuvre is greeted by horns and flashing lights. Like I said, it is not illegal to overtake so get over yourselves people.
In a petrol-powered motor I might have struggled and that would have been on the conscience of inconsiderate motorists.
But the new bZ4X comes with a lump more power and laughs in the face of road rage motorists. It is by in a flash, back on to the correct side of the road and I don’t even have to brake as lifting off the throttle does that for me, pumping power back into the larger battery as an aside.
The latest bZ4X has more power, 218hp, and all-wheel-drive and the difference is marked. The lower powered two-wheel-drive version is great but the 4WD is noticeably stronger and grippier – it’s fab.
On the road is has poise and performance aplenty and with well thought out ergonomics and a super-modern steering wheel is the perfect driving experience. It is just so good to drive whether you are on the boring straight stuff or heading cross-country. You can punch out of bends using the enormous torque and equally stunning levels of grip. It also has brilliant ride for comfort and control. Joyous.
It makes light work of just about every road condition and slaps a big fat smile across your chops. It is lightning off the mark and immense in the mid-range.
It’s also economical, 4.1 miles per kW which equates to 164 mile per gallon if you were driving a petrol. Recharging is a breeze whether you plug it in at home or at the supermarket.
The front is sleek and minimalist with no great need for gaping, air-sucking grilles and a signature “hammerhead” look, with unnecessary decoration removed and distinctive slim LED headlights.
The bZ4X is not an adaptation of an existing model, it is wholly original and the first of what will be a series of different bZ electric vehicles.
The interior is certainly original and throws me back to the future, of 1960s Supermarionation, Gerry Anderson’s Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds, so it’s modern and retro in one fell swoop and I love it.
The centre console has two decks, a lower one for storage the upper for drinks, phone charger and, instead of a conventional shift lever, a new dial control which you depress and turn to the left or right to select drive or reverse. The P (Park) setting is a one-touch button.
Passengers are spoilt too with the open and spacious cabin offering home-like comfort. The floor is flat and legroom particularly generous in the rear.
Even the boot is well thought through with a two-level deck board and an underfloor space that can add an extra 71mm to the load height. It will swallow three 82-litre suitcases or two mountain bikes.
The bZ4X takes the stresses out of and puts the pleasure into driving on our increasingly dodgy roads. No wonder I’m unaffected by the antics of road rage motorists.
Fact file
Toyota bZ4X
Motor: twin 80kW electrics, Lithium-ion battery
Power: 215bhp
Max speed: 100mph
0-62mph: 6.95 secs
Transmission: CVT, all-wheel-drive
Range: 257
CO2 g/km: 0
Price: £51,410.00
