Featured 2026 Toyota CH-R+ EV (and refreshed bZ4X)

I like it at $25,000.

 

A friend said to me a while ago, "How come all the new cars coming out look the same?" She was referring to this type of car. The lack of creative/artistic talent at Toyota when it comes to new vehicle design has never been lower. I guess after they made the Gen5 Prius look pretty they fired everybody again?

 

It’s all about aerodynamics and efficiency these days, as it should be I suppose

 

But then they couldn't complain that nobody is interested in their $60K EV and $45K hybrids are what people really want. : -)

I bet the Gen2 Prius is more aerodynamic than these ugly crossovers that all look the same.

 

You could be right, the cd’s are probably available somewhere

 

My hybrid fuel cost is now up to 7.3 cents a mile. My wife's hybrid sedan is even less.
Both insurance and depreciation costs are less than most EVs.
Tires cost less.
OTOH, my maintenance costs are much higher.
But no range anxiety.
No fueling delay or doubt. No need to route predicated on fueling available.
Less acceleration.
Noisier Rav4 but not her Avalon.
More utility for the Rav4 than most EVs.
More range for both cars than most EVs.

Life is a series of tradeoffs.

 

Toyota should swap every Miri for these cars . . . or give at least a deep, 50% discount.

Bob Wilson

 

Can't help think that at least here in the USA - cars are getting so much bigger - which may not do much for Its sales popularity.
This summer, we might just push our garage out an extra four feet just so we can navigate around the big honkn suckers we now have parked in there.

 

FYI: Approximate Specs on C-HR+ and updated bZ4X from the following links:
Toyota updates the battery-electric bZ4X for faster charging, more power and longer range
World debut of the all-new battery electric Toyota C-HR+

For the C-HR+ it is available with:

• FWD w/57.7 kWh battery - 123 kW (165 hp) output
• FWD w/77 kWh battery - 165 kW (221.3 hp) output
• AWD w/77 kWh battery - 252 kW (338 hp) output

For the bZ4X it is available with:

• FWD w/57.7 kW battery - 123 kW (165 hp) output
• FWD w/73.1 kW battery - 165 kW (221.3 hp) output
• AWD w/73.1 kW battery - 252 kW (338 hp) output

Range for C-HR+ and I would assume FWD w/77 kWh battery is 600 km (373 miles) WLTP roughly equals EPA 471.6 km (293 miles)
Range for updated bZ4X and again I assume FWD w/73.1 kWh battery is 573 km (356 miles) WLTP roughly equals EPA 450.4 km (280 miles). EPA equivalent was factored by comparing bZ4X FWD range WLTP to bZ4X FWD EPA and came out to subtracting 21.4% from WLTP estimates. For comparison the current bZ4X is available with a 72.8 kW battery for the AWD version and 71.4 kWh battery for the FWD version. The current FWD bZ4X version with 18" wheels gets 406 km (252 miles) EPA so the updated bZ4x gets 11% better range.

The updated bZ4X, in Europe at least, can now tow 1,500 kg (3,307 lbs). No info about wheel selection.

 

But the reason your costs are so low is becasue the true costs of your fuel have been externalized. As in you don't have to pay for the trillions of dollars in damage to the planet and human infrastructure that's already occurring and will continue to worsen in coming decades. The stupid low price of fossil fools is much like how billionaires spend pennies to make millions through corruption and exploitation.

 

Why has everything gotta be a damn crossover SUV?

Aerodynamic is efficient. That's where you get the range, not trying to push a brick through the air.

 

It's like all the different design of vehicles is suddenly not their concern and they just want to make one specific type of car and the customer is told that's where the demand is. But that's just the demand of active people who need a nice rig to go places, not people who want a car the fits their personality for mostly around town driving.

It's always been like this, like the loophole that classified SUV as trucks, which made bigger profits for auto makers then regular passenger cars so we were all convinced that everyone wanted SUVs and automakers made more money that way.

What's worse, all those SUVs kept flipping over shorter guard rails and k-rails on the highway so we spent hundreds of billions replacing every last one of them to make them much higher.

 

Because of the utility of an SUV.

Yes of course a sedan is more aero efficient but every vehicle has trade offs where something is emphasized and something else is sacrificed.

 

hycam is about 6 cents per mile

bolt is about 8 cents

 

Certainly that leaves room for a few to not be a SUV.

I've got a pickup, and I use it for truck things. It sits in the driveway 99.9% of the time. I take the Prius when I want to go somewhere almost all of the time. I'm not one of these that believes I've gotta have one vehicle do it all. That only means a 4x4 pickup or SUV that does little more than drain my wallet 99.9% of the time. That's why I bought my first Prius.

It's more like @PriusCamper said - car manufacturers (and CEOs) can't make enough money selling cars if it's not $100K SUVs or Pickups. That's bankrupting the auto consumer.

 

Everybody's situation is different when it comes to Transportation modes, that's why we don't all ride bicycles.

Not everybody is as fortunate as those who can afford multiple cars.
As for $100k land barges, especially those that are only used as a grocery getter -
1- no one's holding a gun to their head for them to make their purchases.
2- having a massive car or boat or plane or house doesn't make someone a 'victimizer'. Some of the wealthiest proportionally give more then those who are just doing mediocre.
....
just sayin' ..... (at least for me) it's way too easy to get judge-ie over stuff like this, as though thinking that way is going to better Society.

 

Mid-Cycle update (bZ4X 2026 refresh):

• battery-cell count from 96 to 104 = range increase
• Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductor = range increase
• next-gen eAxle = range & power increase
• pre-conditioning (navigation & manual) = faster DC charging
• charge-curve improved = faster DC charging

 

Didn't those become available on the Lexus RZ?