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- Toyota brings two small EV concepts to the automaker’s annual Kenshiki forum in Brussels, previewing electric models it intends to launch before 2026.
- The Urban SUV concept, positioned below the bZ4X in size, previews a four-door electric model with Toyota’s latest angular exterior design.
- The Sport Crossover concept is a four-door sedan hatch, first revealed at Auto Shanghai earlier this year, and is intended to be produced by Toyota’s joint venture with BYD in China.
Perhaps sensing some nervousness from its European dealers, Toyota brought two electric concepts to Belgium this week, previewing a duo that could join the automaker’s lineup in this crucial and still growing EV market.
The first concept, dubbed simply Urban SUV, imagines a boxy but compact four-door model, wearing the same angular exterior design we’ve seen from the automaker in the last couple of years.
The Urban SUV concept is actually quite small, shorter in length than the last-gen Ford Focus hatchback. But it could be the right size for European EV shoppers.
Admittedly, it’s tough to get a sense of scale of the SUV in these photos, but it is not large. The concept measures just 169.3 inches from bow to stern, making it over three inches shorter than a last-gen compact Ford Focus hatchback.
One curious detail is that the Urban SUV concept, in production form, is promised to be “the most compact and accessible” model Toyota plans to launch in Europe, which means there won’t be anything smaller planned for this market in the near term. This could effectively rule out the debut of the Corolla-sized bZ3 sedan in Europe, after its debut in China last year.
The automaker promises front- and all-wheel-drive layouts for the production version of the Urban SUV, as well as a choice of two batteries. But just how much range these two batteries could offer, and how affordable they will be, remains to be seen.
We are expecting such a model to start just under the 35,000 Euro mark, which should make it competitive with other pocket-sized electric crossovers working their way through automaker pipelines.
It certainly helps that there aren’t many competitors in this segment at the moment in Europe, but this will soon change.
The second concept presented by Toyota this week previews something less easily categorized, but in keeping with its latest trends.
The Sport Crossover concept previews a sport utility sedan of sorts, with a fairly generous ride height, intended to be positioned above the bZ3 in Toyota’s lineup.
The Sport Crossover concept is a four-door hatchback sedan of sorts, with generous ground clearance giving it a taller ride height. If you’re immediately reminded of the curious Crown sedan, that model certainly seems like an inspiration. Toyota seems eager to explore this niche, dusting off the Sport Utility Sedan (SUS) category in the process.
Both concepts were revealed at the automaker’s annual Kenshiki forum in Brussels, with Toyota aiming the Urban SUV for production next year.
The Sport Crossover concept, meanwhile, made its first European appearance after being revealed earlier this year at Auto Shanghai. The model has been developed with both European and Chinese markets in mind, and is slated to be built by a joint venture dubbed BYD Toyota EV Technology Co. Ltd. in China.
The sedan concept, which will likely receive a bZ nameplate, will be joining the smaller bZ3 electric sedan currently on sale in China, giving the Middle Kingdom’s domestic market two battery-electric sedans in a rather short span of time.
The Urban SUV and Sport Crossover concepts, as presented in Brussels, are part of Toyota’s plan to launch six new EVs in Europe by 2026—plans that are now quickly approaching delivery time.
Should Toyota offer a small electric crossover positioned below the bZ4X in the US, or is such a model not needed here at the moment? Let us know in the comments below.
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
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