Toyota Unveils bZ3C and bZ3X Electric Crossovers in Beijing, One of Them Is a "Cozy Home"

The Japanese company is looking to diversify its line-up as far as the Chinese market is concerned, with a focus on intelligence, electrification, and diversification. These new models are meant to highlight Toyota’s “creation of new value”, with a clear focus on mainstream EVs, as opposed to ultra high-performance expensive ones.

To be fair, details such as pricing or specs have yet to be revealed, but we don’t expect either the bZ3C or the bZ3X to cost anywhere near what Chinese buyers might pay for a similar product that features a premium badge – like a Mercedes EQA or an EQB.

Speculation aside, here’s what EVP and Chief Technology Officer, Hiroki Nakajima had to say during the presentation in Beijing: “What kind of BEV would bring smiles to the faces of our Chinese customers? Working with our partners in China, this quest led us to the bZ3C and bZ3X.”

This goes to show that both EVs were specifically designed with the Chinese market in mind. Also, in case they look familiar, that’s because they were showcased at last year’s Auto Shanghai event in concept form. They were known as the bZ Sport Crossover Concept and the bZ FlexSpace Concept, and looked a tiny bit more futuristic than they do in production form (but not by much).

Details such as the hidden door handles on the bZ Sport Crossover Concept (now the bZ3C) or the hidden rear pillar on the bZ FlexSpace Concept (bZ3X) were abandoned in favor of a more traditional layout.

The bZ3C was jointly developed by Toyota, together with BYD Toyota EV Technology, FAW Toyota Motor and the Intelligent ElectroMobility R&D Center. It was designed around the concept of a “reboot”, and thanks to its distinctive styling, it is meant to appeal to younger Generation Z customers, meaning mostly people under the age of 30.

Meanwhile, the bZ3X was jointly developed along with Guangzhou Automobile Group, GAC Toyota Motor and IEM by Toyota. This is more of a family-friendly SUV, featuring a large interior space based on the idea of providing customers with sort of a mobile “Cozy Home”. Its interior is clearly very roomy, with an open layout and a simple dashboard design.

The bZ3C’s cabin, on the other hand, is a lot more dynamic-looking. The carmaker used the term “fun personal space” to describe this crossover’s interior, and we can certainly understand what they meant.

Both of these new EVs are said to be equipped with the latest driver-assistance systems. As for whether we can expect to see them land in the U.S. any time soon, that would be unlikely seeing as how they’ve been tailor-made for Chinese buyers.