It is raining trademarks from the sky! After Mahindra went on a spree to register trademarks for its upcoming SUVs, it is now Toyota’s turn to do the same. Recently, we reported that Toyota has registered the name Belta in India which might take shape in the form of a rebadged Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and now, the Japanese carmaker has applied for eleven names to be trademarked in India – BZ, BZ1, BZ1X, BZ2, BZ2X, BZ3, BZ3X, BZ4, BZ4X, BZ5, and BZ5X.
More details
For those unfamiliar with the ‘bZ’ nomenclature, it stands for “beyond zero,” or cars that exceed being “just zero-emission,” according to Toyota.
The first car in this series, which is being called the BZ4X All-Electric SUV Concept, was revealed earlier this week.
Toyota bZ4X
The BZ4X electric SUV is based on Toyota’s e-TNGA platform and is co-developed with Subaru.The bZ4X concept looks quite similar to a Toyota RAV4, but it has a longer wheelbase and a more angular styling. The front bumper looks quite muscular, enhancing the overall presence of the SUV while the unique ridges on the edges of the bonnet allude towards performance.
The new front is part of Toyota’s “hammerhead” look, which will make its way to other Toyota cars. Black wheel arch trim is present on the sides and the roof gets a contrasting colour. The back follows the trend and incorporates a full-width LED light bar with side hugging tail lights.
The cabin, shown in what appears to be nearly production-ready guise, has been designed primarily to give the driver “a sense of direct connection to the road and to important information”. There is also a yoke steering wheel which is claimed to improve visibility. The digital gauge cluster is set back far apart from the steering wheel, again for better visibility and below it Toyota has placed forward-facing cameras for driver assistance features.
The Toyota bZ4X also gets an advanced steer-by-wire system. A large touchscreen extends up out of the centre console, which has a rotary shifter placed in the middle and storage underneath with two USB-C ports. It will also come equipped with a solar recharging system that along with a regenerating system, will add to the SUV’s range.
Technical details of the dual-motor electric powertrain remain largely under wraps, but the system is said to draw on Toyota’s 20-plus years of offering electrified powertrains. With power sent to all four wheels, the bZ4X is said to deliver genuine off-road capability, as well as “peace of mind” in all on-road situations, according to Toyota.