Toyota Unveils New bZ Sport Crossover & bZ FlexSpace Concept EVs

Held at the world’s leading EV manufacturing hub, China’s Auto Shanghai 2023 motor show comprises a slew of new EV model and concept launches, ranging from ultra-luxury ones and even the relatively affordable ones. 

Apart from a slew of local Chinese and European EV brands, automakers from the Far-East also won’t miss on the action to take centre stage in one of the region’s biggest auto shows, previewing concept models that will trickle down to production models in future’s time.

Toyota’s ‘sudden’ shift in their EV adoption plan saw the automaker now unveiling two new EV concepts, with both carrying the marque’s bZ EV branding. Dubbed as the Toyota bZ Sport Crossover and bZ FlexSpace, these two new EV concepts are built and catered for the ever-growing Chinese EV market.

Starting off with the sportier model of the two, the bZ Sport Crossover posits itself as a coupe SUV with sporty stance, aimed for the younger demographic. Riding on a massive set of wheels, the bZ Sport Crossover looks somewhat familiar with the American-bound Toyota Crown crossover, while boasting some similar design cues as its bZ siblings like the hammerhead-like front fascia.

On board, the bZ Sport Crossover features a minimalist cabin design, primed with a curved central infotainment display that crowns above the front dash. Drivers, on the other hand, will get a steering yoke instead of the conventional steering wheel, plus a digital instrument cluster equipped with “intelligent features such as driver assistance and automatic parking” that can be updated via over-the-air (OTA) software update.

Details on the model’s underpinning and powertrain setup are yet to be disclosed, but we’d expect the bZ Sport Crossover will share few of its underbones with the newly-launched Toyota bZ3 EV saloon, as both models will share the same assembly line at FAW Toyota Motor’s plant in China.

Moving on to its more ‘practical’ twin, the Toyota bZ FlexSpace concept sports a more typical SUV silhouette, granting it with a roomier cabin space. Though Toyota has yet to specify the car’s exact dimensions, we can clearly see that the bZ FlexSpace is bigger than the bZ4x, with a bulkier stance and less sporty styling.

And just like other bZ models, the bZ FlexSpace sports a grill-less front fascia with hammerhead-like look, plus the C-shaped full-width LED headlights.

Inside, the bZ FlexSpace boasts a futuristic-looking cabin that is headlined by the transparent-style screens for both the infotainment and digital instrument cluster. Also present on board are the light-hued upholstery, touch-sensitive central console area, as well as illuminated light bars around the interior.

As its moniker suggests, the bZ FlexSpace offers a “cosy home” atmosphere, befitting for its target demographics of small to medium-sized families. And just like the bZ Sport Crossover, Toyota has yet to unveil additional specs for the SUV, but promised “ease of use, advanced safety, a reliable cruising range, and various intelligence functions.”

Unlike the bZ Sport Crossover, the bZ FlexSpace is borne out of Toyota’s collaboration with GAC Toyota China and Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing China (TMEC). The production version of this spacy SUV will come later in 2024, with production set to take place at GAC Toyota Motor plant – the same plant that produces the bZ4X SUV for the Chinese market.