The new Toyota bZ is a big improvement over the outgoing model. Only half of the old model's word salad sticks around for another course, but the car's underwhelming range and interior won't. A refresh brings more power, better range, new looks, and more competitive pricing to the lineup. Plus, it's a hint at what's to come for Subaru's Solterra EV too, which shares its platform with the Toyota.
The bZ Is $2,170 Cheaper This Year
Usually, the way this works is as follows: a manufacturer introduces a few improvements to a vehicle, and as a result of said improvements, it raises prices to recoup development costs and pad the margins. This time around, Toyota is cutting prices to go along with improved performance. The 2026 bZ starts at $34,900, or $2,170 cheaper than the outgoing bZ4x.
The above figure applies to the base bZ XLE with front-wheel drive and a 57.7-kilowatt-hour battery that should be good for around 236 miles of range. An extended range, front-drive model with a larger 74.4 kWh battery can push range to a solid 314 miles. Power is up too, with an available 388 horsepower.
2026 Toyota bZ Price By Trim
As you can see from the table below, the bZ is a pretty serious value compared to the outgoing model. That wasn't hard to pull off given the bZ's disappointing range. There's also better charging capability for the new model, with a standard NACS-style port and quicker AC charging (11kW) and up to 150kW of DC fast charging capability.
2026 Toyota bZ Trim | 2025 Price (Range) | 2026 Price (Range) |
XLE FWD | $38,250 (252 miles) | $36,350 (236 miles) |
XLE FWD Plus | N/A | $39,350 (314 mi.) |
XLE AWD | $40,600 (228 mi.) | $41,350 (288 mi.) |
Limited FWD | $43,250 (236 mi.) | $44,750 (299 mi.) |
Limited AWD | $45,330 (222 mi.) | $46,750 (278 mi.) |
What's All This Got To Do With Subaru?
The Subaru Solterra hasn't gotten a price tag yet, but we expect Subaru's take on this shared EV platform and architecture to do a few things: for one, it's likely going to be more expensive, but for good reason: Subaru will include AWD as standard, just like on so many other Subarus. The kicker will be whether Subaru is also able to cut prices.
This will affect range, with a maximum claimed 288 miles on a charge, but even that is better than the most efficient front-drive 2025 bZ4x. So long as Subaru can keep pricing relatively close to AWD bZ equivalents, both brands should have a solid EV lineup that can take on the competition.
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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