Toyota is hinting at what the next electric vehicle (EV) in its lineup could look like, and all indications are that it’ll be anything but boring.
The Toyota bZ Compact SUV concept has serious shades of the redesigned Prius in the shape of its front end, with the same aggressive shape and snarling lights. It’s a short and squat little crossover, with a wide stance and bulging body lines. Nothing about the outside seems too extreme or, more importantly, like it could stand in the way of achieving actual crash-test certification, looking pretty close to production-ready.
The interior is another story altogether, looking impossibly futuristic. Even so, it’s an incredibly clean aesthetic, and one the brand says is made up of sustainable materials. Crazy curved screens – one for infotainment, the other for instrumentation – are ramped at the bottom; for what purpose, it’s unclear, but it’s unquestionably cool.
Otherwise, little is known about the third Toyota to bear the bZ moniker. Short for “beyond zero,” it’s the brand’s mantra for the second phase in its plan to make the planet a better place for future generations by “adding value” beyond zero emissions. The 2023 Toyota bZ4X was the first production vehicle to bear the badge, but the automaker has struggled to get the EV into customer hands after a recall order was issued due to wheels that could potentially come off the vehicle.
