The Worst Car Name in the Business Might Soon Be Retired

A full rebrand for Toyota's only fully electric vehicle is reportedly in the works.

Photo by: Toyota

By: Christopher Smith

Dec 19, 2024 at 3:00pm ET

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When Toyota announced the bZ4X back in 2022, more than a few people scratched their heads at the name. It sounds like a random designation for a stormtrooper from Star Wars. But there is a method to the madness. At its launch, Toyota explained that bZ stands for "beyond zero" emissions, since it's an EV. The 4 represents its size, like the RAV4, and X identifies it as a crossover. Makes total sense, right?

A name that requires such explaining generally isn't great for brand recognition, and it seems Toyota's finally realized that. The automaker is reportedly preparing a rebrand of the bZ4X, launching at some point in the future. According to Motor Illustrated, Toyota Canada Inc. Regional Director Patrick Ryan recently revealed the news to Canadian Media. No details were provided, nor was a timeframe for the rebrand mentioned.

Photo by: Toyota

Toyota Canada Inc. is the distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Canada, and is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. A Toyota spokesperson declined to comment when reached by Motor1. We'll be sure to update this story if new information becomes available.

You can already configure a bZ4X for 2025, so the earliest this could happen is 2026. That would mark three years of bZ4X production, which might be long enough for an early mid-cycle refresh. The electric SUV is shared with Lexus as the RZ, and Subaru where it has an actual name—Solterra. Subaru also offers its version solely with the dual-motor AWD powertrain. A single-motor FWD model is available from Toyota and Lexus.

Regardless of the brand, the EV uses the same running gear with a range spanning 196 miles for a loaded Lexus RZ AWD, to 266 miles for the FWD RZ on 18-inch wheels. The bZ4X tops out at 252 miles in standard trim.