Toyota’s “new SUV” with a novel handle is finally released! Do not adopt round shape ! “bZ4X” and Nissan “Aria” will be released in China soon.
“Toyota’s “”New SUV”” with innovative steering wheel finally launched! No round shape? bZ4X”” and Nissan’s “”Aria”” to go on sale in China soon!
Toyota’s New bZ4X and Nissan’s New Aria to Be Produced One After Another in China
Toyota’s new “”bZ4X”” SUV and Nissan’s new “”Aria”” SUV, which will open a new chapter for the company.
Both of these SUV-type EVs from Toyota and Nissan have been highly anticipated around the world, and we have learned that these two models will be locally produced for the Chinese market.
The new “”bZ4X Custom”” is too black! See the actual car of the too cool and novel custom
The steering wheel of the new “”bZ4X,”” which has a novel shape. The Japanese version is only available in a round shape, but the Chinese version will only have this shape (image: bZ4X prototype).
This information was posted on the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China (commonly known as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology).
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MITI) is an agency that handles the business of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), and in China, before a manufacturer officially announces a new car, it must submit information about it to the Ministry.
This information is then posted on the AIC website around the 15th of each month, so that we can see what kind of cars will be introduced in the future.
The new bZ4X that we have learned about this time is the new bZ4X, which will be manufactured and sold by Guangqi Toyota Motor, a joint venture between Toyota and Guangzhou Automobile.
The new Aria will be manufactured and sold by Dongfeng Nissan, a joint venture between Nissan and Dongfeng Motor.
The new bZ4X is the first SUV in Toyota’s bZ series, which will include seven models by 2025, while the Aria is a concept model that was unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show and will be launched in Europe, North America, and China as a global strategic model.
The new bZ4X will be the cornerstone of Toyota’s EV strategy, and the bZ4X Concept, a concept model in a near mass-production state, was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show in April 2021.
This was followed by the unveiling of a prototype model as the bZ4X Prototype at the Guangzhou Motor Show in November 2021.
Currently, Toyota has two main joint ventures, FAW Toyota Motor with China FAW and Guangqi Toyota Motor with Guangzhou Automobile.
Basically, Toyota in the Chinese market tends to offer one model as a sister model with a different design and name from the two joint ventures.
For example, the Corolla, a compact Toyota sedan, is well-known in Japan as the Corolla, and FAW Toyota Motor Co.
On the other hand, the same Corolla has a sister model with a different design sold by Guangqi Toyota Motor as the “”Levin.
Other than this, the “”Allion/Levin GT,”” “”Izois/C-HR,”” “”RAV4/Wildlander,”” etc., are also developed as sister models respectively.
While this has traditionally been the case at Toyota, the bZ4X is the first time that two joint ventures are selling vehicles with the same design and under the same name.
In fact, in March 2022, the FAW Toyota version of the bZ4X with the FAW Toyota emblem will appear on the Ministry of Industry and Communication’s website. In April, the Guangqi Toyota Motor bZ4X with the exact same design appeared on the same website.
The fact that the two joint ventures are selling the bZ4X and the bZ4X without changing the name suggests that Toyota’s intention is to develop both models as part of the “”bZ series.
The design of the new bZ4X to be sold in China is basically the same as that for other markets.
The new bZ4X to be sold in China will have the same design as the bZ4X sold in other markets, with the FAW Toyota or Guangqi Toyota emblem on the rear left side if it is made by FAW Toyota or Guangqi Toyota, respectively.
As evidence of this, a model with three-lens LED headlights and a model with two-lens LED headlights have been reported separately.
And there are two wheel sizes, 235/60R18 and 235/50R20. In the U.S., the XLE model has twin-lens LED headlights and 18-inch wheels, while the higher grade “”Limited”” has trinocular LED headlights and 20-inch wheels.
As for the drive system, both 2WD and 4WD models are available as well. Incidentally, it can be confirmed from the remarks column that the bZ4X for China will be equipped with a battery manufactured by China’s leading battery manufacturer, Ningde Age New Energy (CATL).
Toyota’s “”New SUV”” with a novel steering wheel is finally launched! No round shape! bZ4X”” and Nissan’s “”Aria”” are about to be launched in China!
bZ4X for China to adopt only novel steering wheel!
Incidentally, when the aforementioned bZ4X concept was announced, the new bZ4X attracted attention for adopting a deformed steering wheel (steering wheel).
However, it was later announced that the Japanese version would adopt a normal-shaped steering wheel instead of the odd-shaped steering wheel.
In the meantime, it has been revealed that both FAW Toyota Motor and Guangqi Toyota Motor models for China will adopt a deformed steering wheel.
The new bZ4X (above) and the new Aria (below), both of which have been reported to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MII), each bear an emblem for China (Image: Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China)
Meanwhile, Nissan is also introducing a crossover EV to China.
The Aria for China will be manufactured and marketed by Dongfeng Nissan, and its exterior design is basically the same as those for other markets.
The Aria is also available with the same drive system: a 2WD model and a 4WD model equipped with the “”e-4ORCE”” system.
In Japan, the B6, with a 66 kWh battery capacity, and the B9, with a 91 kWh battery capacity, are available.
It is not known whether two types of batteries will be available for the Chinese market as well, and the information from the Ministry of Industry and Credit does not indicate the battery capacity, but the vehicle body weights are 2106 kg, 2116 kg, 2245 kg, and 2269 kg, so it is safe to assume that two types of batteries will be available. It is safe to assume that two types of batteries will be deployed.
Incidentally, the manufacturer of the battery to be installed is “”Dongfeng Motor””, which indicates that Aria models for China will also be equipped with a battery produced in China.
The number of Japanese automakers is expected to increase in 2022.
The year 2022 will be the year in which Japanese automakers will launch crossover EVs in the Chinese market one after another.
In addition to the two models mentioned above, Honda also plans to launch the e:NS1 and e:NP1 based on the Vezel.
We look forward to seeing how these Japanese-brand SUV-type EVs will make their presence known in their home market of China.