Toyota’s electric SUV could soon get a fresh start. The Toyota bZ4X, following a tumultuous launch, is poised to undergo a rebranding effort by 2026, adopting a fresh moniker.
Toyota is rebranding its electric SUV as simply “bZ4X”, abandoning traditional naming conventions in favor of a more modern and minimalist approach.
Following its launch in 2022, Toyota’s inaugural electric SUV, the bZ4X, encountered a rocky start in the marketplace.
Despite its initial success, Toyota has since faced challenges in regaining its competitive edge. Through the initial nine months of 2024, Toyota acquired 13,577 units of its bZ4X model in the United States market. Despite being more than double the approximately 6,500 units sold during Q3 2023, this figure still accounts for less than 1% of the company’s total 1.7 million vehicles sold through September.
Given concerns surrounding Toyota’s brand reputation, a complete rebrand of the bZ4X appears necessary. At a recent automotive press event in Quebec, a regional director for Toyota Canada revealed that the company is poised to rename its forthcoming bZ4X model.
As part of a strategic plan, Patrick Ryan, Toyota’s regional director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada, announced that the company will undergo an identity change over the next 12 months.
Toyota recently unveiled the 2025 bZ4X, suggesting it will likely debut as a 2026 model year offering. The starting price of the 2025 Toyota bZ4X in the US is $37,070, a $6,000 decrease from its predecessor. The FWD model boasts an estimated range of up to 252 miles, while the AWD variant offers a maximum distance of approximately 222 miles.
Toyota markets its bZ brand as “beyond Zero”, highlighting the eco-friendly aspect of its electric vehicles, which aim to erase carbon footprints entirely. In the meantime, the numerical designation – such as 4 in the case of the Toyota RAV4 – dictates the model’s format, while the letter “X” indicates that it is a crossover vehicle.
Within the United States, all Toyota vehicles carry a specific nameplate, except for the RAV4 and bZ4X. A rebranding effort could yield positive results, considering the lukewarm response to the bZ4X’s unique naming convention.
Will Toyota follow suit with the bZ4X after revealing the City Cruiser electric SUV last month? Although its debut as the world’s first three-row electric SUV has been pushed back to 2026, there are whispers that it could herald a completely new naming convention.
