Preview: New 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland Electric SUV - Consumer Reports
The bZ Woodland expands on Toyota’s electric offerings, providing a slightly larger SUV choice to the recently updated bZ (formerly known as the bZ4X).
The “bZ” nomenclature stands for “beyond zero,” signaling it is a zero-emissions vehicle in Toyota parlance. The name “Woodland” may be familiar, as Toyota has applied that moniker to the RAV4 and Sienna as an adventurous trim designation. Here, those terms combine to signal an all-new model developed alongside the similar Subaru Trailseeker.
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The name is a bit challenging for those familiar with the bZ4X. Toyota’s first home-grown electric vehicle was a disappointment, as it had less driving range and weaker performance than rivals, an odd interior design, a slow charging rate, no route planning features, and no glove box—clearly it wasn’t ready to throw down the gauntlet... Ultimately, the bZ reinforced our perennial advice to not buy a first-year model, as improvements tend to be rolled out over time. Reborn for 2026, the renamed bZ looks to be both more competitive and appealing.
The bZ Woodland benefits from many of those hard-learned lessons from the get-go, plus it layers in more standard equipment, increased interior space, and more power. All told, it sounds quite promising.
One pause is the range. Toyota estimates that the bZ Woodland can drive up to 260 miles on a full charge—that is on the shy side of the latest electric vehicles. This matches Subaru’s estimate for the Trailseeker.
Ultimately, much of the appeal will depend on pricing, especially as the bZ Woodland will be built overseas.
The bZ Woodland strikes at the midpoint between a station wagon and an SUV. It is reminiscent of the Crown Signia hybrid and looks very much like the Trailseeker.
Like the regular bZ, it has a flush, essentially grille-less front fascia with horizontal lighting. The front fender arches are black, giving it some off-road-inspired character. Sweeping accents in the side sheet metal add character, looking equal parts like waves or lines from frosting a cake.
However, the Woodland’s body extends about six inches longer than the bZ, and the roof is about an inch higher toward the back, giving it more cargo room. Roof rails are standard, making it ready to secure a rack for bikes, a surfboard, or a kayak.
The bZ Woodland is initially offered as a single trim, but the Premium Package adds a panoramic roof and interior upgrades.
The bZ Woodland interior is quite similar to that of the updated bZ, with an instrument panel display near the windshield base, 14-inch infotainment screen, and center console with twin wireless Qi phone-charging mats.
A six-speaker stereo is standard, and there is an available upgrade to a more powerful JBL system with eight speakers plus a subwoofer.
The stereo has dual Bluetooth capability, allowing two phones to be connected simultaneously. It also comes with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The seats are upholstered in synthetic leather.
The Premium Package features a nine-speaker JBL stereo with a subwoofer, panoramic roof, memory driver seat/sideview mirrors, front radiant heat to warm the lower extremities, ventilated front seats, and a digital rearview mirror.
The bZ Woodland comes with several trial memberships to connected services, such as Intelligent Assist, which issues plain-language voice commands to program the navigation system or adjust the climate settings. Cloud Navigation downloads the latest data and mapping for route guidance. WiFi Connect allows the vehicle to serve as a mobile hot spot.
The bZ Woodland comes in a single configuration with 375 horsepower and all-wheel drive. The 74.7-kWh lithium-ion battery enables a Toyota-estimated 260-mile driving range. (The optional all-terrain tires may adversely affect that range.) The Woodland has a 3,500-pound maximum tow capacity.
The bZ Woodland has a preconditioning function that can bring the battery up to optimal temperature prior to arriving at a public DC fast charging station. This can be manually activated or programmed in advance to engage based on location, such as a frequented public charging station. Each bZ Woodland comes with an NACS charge port, making it compatible with Tesla Superchargers. An adapter will be needed to connect a Tesla coupler to a conventional charge port on the car’s end.
The bZ Woodland comes with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, featuring automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. In addition, it has standard blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, and a safe exit assist system, which monitors for passing vehicles before it allows passengers to open the doors.
It includes a five-year trial for connected safety services with an SOS button for emergency assistance, automatic crash notification, and a stolen vehicle locator.
Jeff S. Bartlett is the managing editor for the autos team at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2005. Previously, Jeff served as the online editorial director of Motor Trend for 11 years. Throughout his career, Jeff has driven thousands of cars, many on racetracks around the globe. Follow him on X: @JeffSBartlett
