- Toyota showed two new EV concepts for the European market.
- The first is a small SUV concept that’s likely too small to come to the U.S.
- The second looks somewhat like the Crown lifted sedan, with an interesting shape that combines sedan, hatchback, and SUV.
Toyota’s EV lineup still only includes one model in the U.S., the bZ4X, but the company likes to remind us that it’s working hard at expanding the bZ range in the near future. The newest concept cars are intended for the European market, but the Urban SUV and Sport Crossover concepts seen here could influence future electric cars that we could get in the U.S.
The chunky-looking Urban SUV concept, at just 169.3 inches long, is likely too small to come to the U.S. in this form. It’s even more diminutive than the Corolla Cross, which is the smallest crossover Toyota currently sells on our shores. But it’s said to go into production for the Europe market soon, with two battery options and either front- or all-wheel drive. The name hasn’t yet been revealed, but we’d wager on bZ2X given its size. Instead of this model, we’re more likely in America to get the similar-looking but slightly larger bZ3X that was previewed by a concept last year.
The second concept, called Sport Crossover, has a more interesting shape, occupying the white space between sedan, hatchback, and SUV. With a long wheelbase, a swoopy rear end, and a relatively low roof, it’s somewhat reminiscent of the lifted Crown sedan. This concept was first shown in China earlier this year and is part of a joint venture between Toyota and Chinese automaker BYD. Given that Toyota is already selling a smaller sedan called the bZ3 in China, it’s possible this model could be called bZ5, but it remains to be seen whether Toyota will bring it to the U.S.
Look for more information to come over the next year or so about Toyota’s upcoming EVs, as the company says it plans to launch six battery-electric models for Europe specifically by 2026. Corresponding U.S. EV launches will likely follow a slower timeline than that, but we are curious to see more of what’s to come.
Senior Editor
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.