Toyota bZ4X EV coming to Malaysia in 2023 – all-electric SUV with up to 460 km range, around RM250k?

While there will be no shortage of new electric vehicle (EV) models heading our way now that the government’s move to offer fully-imported EVs complete exemption from import duty and excise duty for a period of two years from January 1, 2022, has begun, not everything is arriving this year.

Those looking intently at the Toyota bZ4X will have to be patient – we already know that the sharp-looking all-electric crossover is slated for Malaysia, but it will only be arriving sometime in 2023, with the Lexus UX 300e due to arrive first later this year.

The five-seater model, the first in the automaker’s bZ series of electrics, is available in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations, but there’s no word on which version will make it here. In its FWD guise, the vehicle features a single motor with 204 PS (201 hp or 150 kW), while the AWD has two 109 PS (107 hp or 80 kW) units offering a combined output of 218 PS (215 hp or 160 kW).

Both versions feature an identical 71.4 kWh battery, which supports AC charging at up to 6.6 kW and DC charging at up to 150 kW. Performance figures include a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 8.4 seconds for the FWD, and 7.7 seconds for the AWD. As for range, the bZ4X can travel up to 460 km on single full charge.

As for how much it could go for here, UK pricing provides an indicative estimate of what Malaysian buyers can expect. The bZ4X will be available in four grades for that market, with prices starting from £41,950 (RM238,000) for the Pure variant, which puts it right up against the likes of the Ford Mustang Mach-E RWD SR over there. The next grade is the better-specified Motion, which goes for £45,750 (RM259,000), so Malaysian buyers could be looking at a price tag at around the RM250k mark.

More info on what we can expect in terms of specifications and trim should be provided by the model’s arrival in Thailand later this year.