Toyota has led the industry with its gasoline-electric hybrids for decades now, yet the Japanese giant has all but abstained from offering a fully fledged EV. Its only EV offering is a frumpy little crossover named after a fax machine that has yet to impress anyone, the bZ4X. For 2025, Toyota has taken a drastic step to make its sole EV more appealing to potential buyers by dropping its base price by a whopping $6,000. The base front-wheel-drive bZ4X XLE now starts at $37,070, while the base price of the top trim bZ4X Limited drops $5,380 to $41,800. Toyota also introduced a new Nightshade trim splits the difference between XLE and Limited while adding some blacked out trim pieces and wheels.
For the 2025 model year Toyota has increased the bZ4X’s value quotient, though it comes in the wake of the loss of the $7,500 federal EV purchase incentive, so it’s not all that compelling of a deal for folks looking to buy one. Folks open to leasing a bZ4X are still eligible to receive a federal leasing credit of $7,500 which could bring lease prices down, but we will have to wait and see if that’s really the case. Beyond price reductions, Toyota now includes standard traffic jam assist, lane change assist, and front cross-traffic alert in each top trim bZ4X Limited. Additionally, the purchase or lease of a 2025 bZ4X includes a year of complimentary charging at EVgo public chargers through the Toyota app.
Unfortunately, Toyota made no changes to the bZ4X’s drivetrain, so front-wheel-drive models retain the 201-horsepower single motor that can scoot the car from 0-to-60 in 7.1 seconds and travel a maximum range of 252 miles in base XLE trim, and 236 miles in Limited trim. Opting for all-wheel-drive gains a dual motor setup that produces 214 horsepower, allows for a 0-to-60 time of 6.5 seconds, and a maximum range of 228 miles for XLE trim, and 222 miles in both Limited and Nightshade trims.
The new Nightshade edition adds standard all-wheel-drive, black 20-inch wheels, black exterior accents including badges, door handles, and rear spoiler, as well as red stitching on the seats and steering wheel. It is available in Wind Chill Pearl, or Heavy Metal and can be paired with a black roof for either an all-black exterior or a two-tone look if you prefer.
The 2025 updates to the bZ4X are quite minimal, and while the $6,000 price reduction on XLE models is very much appreciated, it still starts at over $37,000 which isn’t all that great of a deal given its low range estimates and lack of any wow factor. Toyota says in its press release that “the bZ4X is a great value for drivers that want a BEV from a trusted brand,” which is really the only reason anyone would buy one. Keep an eye out for lease incentives or financing incentives, since you may be able to find a good deal on a bZ4X, but Toyota could have and should have done a lot more to refresh the model.
