Toyota has been spotted testing a prototype of a new battery-powered subcompact crossover.
The electric crossover is the production version of the Small SU EV concept, one of a dozen concepts Toyota will unveil in late 2021. It is expected to debut in mass production late this year or early next year.
It may be too small for the US market. Toyota’s smallest electric crossover in the US could be a production version of the bZ compact SUV concept that debuted last November at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The prototype in our spy shots, albeit camouflaged, already looks like a good match for the small SU EV concept. A similar design will appear on the redesigned C-HR, which goes on sale around the same time as the crossover. The U.S. will also miss out on the redesigned C-HR, which Toyota has confirmed will offer both regular hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. Last month, Toyota unveiled the C-HR Prologue concept car, giving an early look at the new C-HR.
Toyota Small SUV EV Concept
It’s unclear what platform the electric crossover will use, but it could be Toyota’s new E3 design announced in 2021. The E3 combines elements of Toyota’s TNGA platform for ICE vehicles and the e-TNGA platform for dedicated EVs, enabling it to support both ICE and electric powertrains. The new C-HR may also use this platform.
It’s also unclear what name the crossover will bear. If it were part of Toyota’s bZ (Beyond Zero) range of electric vehicles, the likely name would be bZ2X. Toyota said at the Los Angeles Auto Show that it plans to introduce five bZ models, up from seven previously planned.