- The Toyota bZ5 is the latest comeback by a joint venture automaker in China after the Nissan N7.
- The Toyota bZ5 is available in four variants in China, with starting prices of RMB 129,800 ($18,070).
Toyota’s joint venture in China has launched a new electric vehicle (EV), marking the latest comeback by a joint venture automaker in China.
FAW Toyota officially launched the bZ5 coupe SUV today, which, like the bZ3 mid-size sedan, uses BYD‘s blade batteries.
The bZ5 is available in four variants in China, with starting prices of RMB 129,800 ($18,070), RMB 139,800, RMB 159,800, and RMB 159,800.
For a mid-size coupe SUV, this pricing appears competitive, as Toyota seems to be following the lead of another Japanese automotive giant, Nissan.
Nissan’s joint venture in China, Dongfeng Nissan, launched the N7 pure electric sedan in late April, with a starting price of just RMB 119,900.
The FAW Toyota bZ5 is built on Toyota’s e-TNGA platform, with dimensions of 4,780 mm in length, 1,866 mm in width, and 1,510 mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2,880 mm.
The model is a single-motor front-wheel-drive vehicle, with a peak motor power of 200 kW, accelerating from 0 to 50 km/h in 3.4 seconds.
It comes standard with a 65.28 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack from BYD, offering a CLTC range of 550 kilometers.
The bZ5 has an energy consumption of 13.5 kWh per 100 kilometers, which is a solid figure for an SUV.
FAW Toyota offers a larger battery pack option with a capacity of 73.984 kWh, increasing the CLTC range to 630 kilometers.
The model supports fast charging, enabling it to charge from 30 percent to 80 percent in 29 minutes. This charging speed is average, considering that many domestic EV manufacturers’ models can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in less than 15 minutes.
The Toyota bZ5 is the latest counterattack by joint-venture automakers in China following the Nissan N7, after they had largely been sidelined in the highly competitive EV market over the past few years.
The Nissan N7 has achieved initial success, securing over 17,000 firm orders within a month of its launch.
($1 = RMB 7.1845)
China’s smart NEV market has been dominated by local brands, but global auto brands have caught up, said Deutsche Bank.
