During the 2022 Guangzhou Auto Show, the bZ3 from FAW Toyota was officially unveiled at the FAW Toyota booth. The new car has already started pre-sales, with three versions available at a price range of 189,800 to 219,800 yuan.
The bZ3 is built on the e-TNGA platform. In terms of power, both the battery and motor of the new car are provided by Fudi, a subsidiary of BYD. The battery uses lithium iron phosphate blade cells, while the motor adopts a rear-mounted single motor with a maximum power of 135 kW and 180 kW.
As for range, according to previously released information from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the new car will provide two battery versions of 49.92 kWh and 65.28 kWh, with corresponding CLTC ranges of 517 km and 616 km.
In terms of exterior design, the new car adopts the family design of the Toyota bZ series, with a popular through-type daytime running light design on the front and a strong mecha style.
In terms of size, the bZ3 has a length, width, and height of 4725 x 1835 x 1475 mm, and a wheelbase of 2880 mm, positioning it as a medium-sized pure electric sedan.
From the side of the vehicle, due to the use of a large downward angle on the front, the whole car appears more aggressive. The rear adopts a certain amount of slope design, but still retains a small tail.
The hidden door handle of the new car uses a “recessed” design, which is different from the mainstream pop-up or retractable hidden door handle.
More importantly, the charging port is finally no longer located at the front of the vehicle, but at the left rear, fully considering the habit of Chinese people to back into parking spaces.
The taillights adopt a through-type design, with Y-shaped styling on both sides, and many triangle designs on the inside, making it look more exquisite.
The interior of the new car looks similar to that of the bZ4X, with a flat design for the steering wheel. The instrument panel uses a far layout which doesn’t seem to be large enough, which raises concerns about whether drivers can see the instrument information clearly during driving.
The central control screen uses a vertical screen design, with only a small number of physical buttons below. The shift lever is still a knob-style design, with an operation method similar to that of the bZ4X.
Final Thoughts
From the selling price alone, the bZ3 from FAW Toyota is indeed an earnest product. But combined with the configuration information, there are still some shortcomings of this car.
Low-end configuration has less than 50 kWh of battery with a motor power of only 135 kW. Even for the top-end version, no four-wheel drive version is provided in terms of power, which means that even though this car looks sporty, true performance enthusiasts won’t like it.
Faced with the fierce competition from domestic new and old players in the automotive industry, it is hoped that Toyota and other Japanese brands can truly recognize the current market situation. In addition to giving an honest price, please provide more authentic configurations.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.