With the bZ4X, Toyota finally enters the EV game with a small crossover aimed at the heart of the market.

Toyota is not known for battery-electric vehicles. Aside from the RAV4 EV models built to satisfy California regulations, Japan’s largest automaker’s quest to reduce emissions has mostly focused on hybrids like the Prius. So, the 2023 Toyota bZ4X is a major shift for the firm.

The bZ4X is Toyota’s first electric car for the North American market aimed at volume sales—and it won’t be the last. The “bZ” prefix stands for “Beyond Zero,” the name Toyota is using for a family of planned electric models. For now, the bZ4X enters a crowded market of small electric crossover SUVs, already populated with a long list of entries like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Ariya, and Volkswagen ID.4, among others.

When it comes to configurations, Toyota keeps things simple. In Canada, buyers can choose between L, LE, and XLE trim levels, and single-motor front-wheel drive (FWD) or dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) powertrains. This bZ4X review is based on our experience with the U.S. equivalent of an XLE AWD model with the Technology package.