2026 Toyota BZ XLE Plus Review: Less Letters is Better
Lose letters in your name, and you’ll gain more. That’s what this 2026 Toyota bZ XLE Plus did. To start on the outside, the front has be Prius-fied with it’s faux headlight design on top, and the actual headlight on the lower section of the bumper. Toyota’s Heavy Metal color is a nice dark gray that has a lot of metallic shine to it, and it looked great on the bZ. I was surprised to see that the 18-inch alloy wheels are not what you see, because they actually covers or how I grew up to know them as hubcaps. I honestly didn’t mind them as it was a nice design that made them look like the actual wheel. Then you have the fenders which are now body colored and not the black that made them look like a mismatched junkyard replacement.
Getting in the bZ, there was a lot of similarities and some new things. I wanted to love the steering wheel, gauge cluster, and seats, but the combination of all of them, just didn’t work for me. The wheel sits really low and had an awkwardly large column behind it. The wheel itself is nice feel but the big button, although functional, are a bulky grouping. Then the gauge cluster that has a nice positioning on its own, till the steering wheel is basically covering the bottom half. I would move the wheel down, but because the seat is mounted high, my leg would hit it. I am about 5’6” and if you’re taller, you may want to make sure you can be in a comfortable position in the bZ.
The big interior upgrade from the bZ4X was the rearranging of the center console. Thankfully the large space the previous wireless charger used, was designed to actually accommodate two wireless chargers. You still don’t get a glovebox, so you’ll need to put your manuals in either the space below the chargers, or in the arm rest storage area. I was hoping this would change as the space underneath the chargers is uncomfortable to get to, and the armrest storage can be used for other items.
Under the hood, this had the single motor option, delivering 221 horsepower, and 198 lb.-ft. of torque. The power goes up because this is the front wheel drive Plus option, that also bumps up the range to 314 miles. With the range crossing the 300 mile range, it becomes more attractive to those that are worried about range anxiety. On the side of the power, the drivability was incredible at delivering enough to get moving, but not give you the nauseating acceleration you get with some EVs.
Overall, the 2026 Toyota bZ XLE Plus is a step forward in the right direction from the previous bZ4X. With the exterior changes, the interior tweaks, and the added range, this makes a great EV offering.
