New Toyota electric SUV teased with “stylish coupe design”

• All-new electric SUV
• Coupe-inspired design
• Will be revealed on March 11th

Toyota is gearing up for the unveiling of its third all-new electric car, and it’s released this shadowy teaser to drum up some excitement. The new SUV will break cover on March 11th, but there’s already plenty we can infer from the preview image shown here.

From what we can see, the new EV appears to be based on the Toyota bZ Compact SUV Concept from 2022, a design study intended to showcase the future of the brand’s electric family cars. The teaser image clearly shows a car with a similar silhouette, with the same sloping roofline at the rear. Toyota describes this as a “sleek and stylish coupe design”, but don’t expect a sports car – the model in question will be an SUV first and foremost.

How big is Toyota’s new electric SUV?

We expect the new EV to be roughly the same size as the bZ Compact SUV Concept. That car measured 4,538mm long, or roughly the same size as a Volkswagen Tiguan or a Peugeot 3008. Its coupe-like shape will probably fall more in line with the Peugeot, though, but Toyota still promises “surprising space, comfort & versatility” despite the sloping roof.

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That size would also place the new SUV neatly between Toyota’s other two electric cars, the bZ4X and the newly-revealed Urban Cruiser. While the latter is the product of a joint-venture between Toyota and Suzuki, the new SUV is Toyota’s own handiwork.

Also apparent in the teaser image are the short front and rear overhangs of the new car, plus the relatively long bonnet. Both of these are hallmarks of the bZ Compact SUV Concept, along with the narrow, full-width rear light bar we can see. The headlights look to follow Toyota’s recent ‘hammerhead’ design language – as seen on the Prius and C-HR – which would align it with the brand’s current lineup. Unlike the C-HR, the new model in the teaser image appears to have conventional door handles, rather than the flush items that help boost aerodynamic efficiency. 

What batteries and electric motors will it have?

It’s a bit early to say at this stage. Toyota hasn’t revealed anything about the technical underpinnings of its new SUV – we’ll have to wait until March 11th for that – but we assume it will use the same electric-only platform as the bZ4X. 

That could mean both single-motor and dual-motor models will be available, giving customers the choice between rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Again, we expect more to be confirmed following its unveiling, but Toyota has hinted that the new model will deliver “elevated driving dynamics”, so make of that what you will.

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