Toyota poised to unveil sleek new VW ID 7 rival
Production version of svelte Toyota Sport Crossover concept to break cover on 11 March, with a production version expected to follow...
Like buses, you wait ages for an electric Toyota, then six come at once – with a production version of the Sport Crossover concept following the bZ4X and new Urban Cruiser, and three more are to come by the end of 2026.
A teaser video shows the new, as-yet unnamed car will be largely unchanged from the silver Sport Crossover concept (pictured above) which was shown at the Shanghai motor show in 2023. The production model will be the largest model in Toyota’s electric car range so far, counting the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Volkswagen ID 7 among its key rivals.
And like those sleek models, Toyota bosses say the new car will become a “design icon” for its electric car line up. It is conceived as a stylish alternative to an SUV, despite its loftier ride height, and pushes Toyota’s electric car range in a more upmarket direction.
According to our sister title, Autocar, the 2023 concept is longer, wider and lower than the Toyota bZ4X, yet sacrifices little in terms of practicality, although those dimensions could change when the car reaches production.
The five-door hatchback has a large boot, generous rear leg room and a versatile interior, although Toyota is yet to provide any hints as to what it’ll look like inside, or how it will compare to rivals.
There's no word on battery sizes or range so far, but it will need more than 74kWh useable capacity to match the Ioniq 6 and ID 7; those models are capable of at least 322 and 384 miles between charges according to official figures.
The Sport Crossover concept was jointly developed for the European and Chinese market by Toyota and BYD in a move that is intended to achieve carbon neutrality. It’s likely that BYD will supply the batteries.
Toyota is expected to reveal the name alongside technical information when the car is fully revealed on 11 March. Similarly, there’s no word on pricing, but a £50,000 starting price is likely, given its positioning against the Ioniq 6 and ID 7.
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