[Aika car shopping guide original]
If you want to choose an Oscar in the automotive industry, Toyota is undoubtedly a strong contender.
In December 2020, Toyota Motor's head Akio Toyoda made a bold statement to "shell" electric vehicles (previous review). At that time, people only noticed Akio Toyoda's dissatisfaction with pure electric vehicles, but ignored the identity he used in his speech - the president of the Japan Automobile Industry Association. As an industry leader, Akio Toyoda must of course actively speak out and strive for the initiative of electrification transformation for domestic car companies.
Don't forget that Akio Toyoda is still a businessman. As president of Toyota Motor Corporation and the fourth-generation grandson of the Toyota family, Akio Toyoda has countless reasons to carry forward his ancestral business. When it is time to conform to the market, the decision-making level must not be soft. Exactly one year after the "shelling incident", Toyota revealed the electric vehicle plan for the next 10 years and 16 pure electric models that will be launched. Apparently, they had premeditated, but they just wouldn't admit it.
In the field of hybrid and fuel cells, Toyota has long established a leading position. However, when it comes to pure electric vehicles (BEVs, battery electric vehicles), Toyota is still a catch-up for the time being. In Japan, Toyota attaches great importance to hybrids, and the pure electricity business is still in the "urban old man music" stage such as C+Pod. In China, the E-Jinqing and C-HR EV were forced to curry favor with consumers with huge discounts. They're electric cars, but they're also just electric cars. Cross-generational? revolutionary? Sorry, think too much.
In the face of the wave of electrification led by BEV, Toyota has always left a hint of hesitation, which is not unrelated to Japan's energy structure. Fortunately, the situation has ushered in a turning point in 2021 - the bZ pure electric sub-brand has unveiled the mystery. With the release of the bZ4X, people finally saw Toyota's determination to transform. It was trendy enough, ahead of its time, to usher in a new era for Toyota.
The difference between eTNGA and TNGA is a completely different platform. The eTNGA architecture is called an exclusive platform for pure electricity because its vehicle layout is completely BEV-oriented. Since the eTNGA does not need to consider the internal combustion engine system, the overall vehicle arrangement can be made more compact. In contrast, the Yize E Jinqing and C-HR EV currently on sale are "oil-to-electricity" models based on the TNGA architecture - the engine and gearbox are removed, the electric motor and battery are added, and the transformation is completed.
On the exclusive platform of pure electricity, the vehicle layout has been fully optimized, and it is not difficult to create a rear-drive layout. Interestingly, the Toyota bZ4X opted for a relatively traditional drive scheme: the basic version of the front drive, the high-end version of the four wheel drive. It is not impossible to have a rear drive as standard as the Volkswagen ID.4, but this does not meet the product definition of the bZ4X. In rainy and snowy areas, front-drive cars are much less difficult to drive than rear-drive vehicles. For a home-oriented model like the bZ4X, the front drive is a more secure option.
In public, Akio Toyoda seems to prefer to show seriousness and rarely show a childlike smile. Usually, people can only see serious faces in suits, and old boys in racing suits. However, on the day that bZ4X led the unveiling of 16 electric vehicles, the president smiled happily. There is no doubt that the eTNGA has taken Toyota into a whole new area of products. The doubts of a year ago should now turn into clouds and drift away with the wind, right?
Old Boy with eTNGA
In the field of fuel vehicles, strong power is the embodiment of grade. In the field of pure electricity, the new power brand represented by Tesla has redefined the power coordinate system, and strong power is no longer a scarce product. Nowadays, an electric car of about 300,000 yuan can have a 4-second power. Interestingly, many traditional car companies do not believe in evil and maintain the original power level. From Tiguan L/Tanyue to ID.4, there is no essential change in absolute power. On the bZ4X, Toyota has adopted a similar strategy.
The One-Motion Grip steering wheel + ultra-small steering ratio is undoubtedly testing acceptance, but at least the above is ergonomic. You know, the Tesla Model S Plaid with the optional Yoke steering wheel is even dangerous to drive fiercely. If the car is oversteered violently, the Model S Plaid's one-sided steering lap of more than 360 degrees will cause the hands to grasp the air and miss the best time to save the car.
Power, enough is good?
Architectural innovation is of course important, but it is difficult to be noticed by ordinary consumers. To persuade users to pay, superficial effort is sometimes more important than mechanical quality. On this issue, the Toyota bZ4X thinks clearly. From the exterior to the interior, the bZ4X exudes a fresh and enterprising flavor everywhere, and the scale of evolution is surprisingly large. Compared with traditional brand competitors, this may become a magic weapon for bZ4X to stand out.
Editor's comment: Say no, the body is very honest. Toyota ostensibly resists electric vehicles, but shows its true attitude with actions. The eTNGA architecture lays a solid foundation for toyota bZ4X, which is an incomparable advantage of "oil to electricity". Although the bZ4X lacks bright spots in power and endurance, and the intelligent system is probably in the catch-up stage, the 150-degree remote steering is enough to amaze the world. What's more, the bZ4X also has a good ride space, and the practical attributes are leading the competition. The problem is that the 200,000 yuan BEV market is surrounded by strong enemies, and bZ4X lacks the ability to make people fall in love for 1 second. In order to get consumers to abandon Tesla and "Wei Xiaoli", Toyota and other traditional car companies need to re-examine their product strategies.
1800km fell from "sky"