Toyota has officially delivered the first example of its bZ4X electric SUV in Australia to a couple in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
Ali and Nafiseh Lashkari opted for the flagship Toyota bZ4X AWD variant which is currently priced from $74,900 before on-road costs. Mr Lashkari previously owned a Camry and RAV4 Hybrid.
Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley and bZ4X chief engineer Masaya Uchiyama were present at Canberra Toyota to hand over the first Australian-delivered bZ4X to the owners.
“This is about choosing the car that aligns with my values, and this car basically aligns with all the vision and values I was looking for,” said Mr Lashkari.
“I wanted a sustainable solution which is an electric car, and I was looking for a manufacturer to give me the confidence that this car will work for me for a long time, so I was happy to wait for Toyota to bring this car to market.
“I wanted to have the opportunity to buy a Toyota bZ4X, because as I mentioned, I am a loyal customer to Toyota due to good experiences and my previous purchases.”
Mr Lashkari works as a civil engineer and plans to daily drive his bZ4X and charge it at home.
As recently reported, the Toyota bZ4X is available locally in two different variants – a front-wheel drive variant and an all-wheel drive variant.
They’re currently priced from $66,000 before on-roads and $74,900 before on-roads, respectively.
The front-wheel drive bZ4X is $600 more expensive than the Tesla Model Y RWD, while the all-wheel drive bZ4X undercuts the Model Y Long Range by $3500.
Under the skin, the bZ4X is a mechanical twin to the Subaru Solterra. The front-wheel drive option unique to the bZ4X – the Solterra is all-wheel drive only – helps drop the starting price by $3990, despite a pre-launch price cut to the Subaru.
Toyota Australia will be offering the bZ4X with a subscription-style full-service lease through Toyota Finance, along with its more traditional purchase methods.
Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, confirmed Toyota has more than 122 orders and 7000 expressions of interest.
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