Tested: 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland Packs a Surprising Punch
Appearance: At first glance, I almost thought it was a concept car
To be honest, I was stunned when I first saw it-Toyota is finally not conservative this time? The sharp enclosed grille on the front of the car is equipped with blade-like headlights on both sides, giving a "Don't mess with me" expression. The exaggerated black wheel arches and thick anti-scratch strips on the side of the car body are for off-road, but the ground clearance is actually a little higher than the normal version. But that matte dark green car paint with orange embellishments, emmm... how to describe it? It's like a fitness instructor wearing a jacket, he can fight well. There was also a "Woodland" badge posted on the trunk door, which was a bit careful. In short, the rate of turning heads when parked on the roadside is definitely higher than that of the Model Y, but the car wash guy may scold me-there are too many gaps!
Motivation: What about the promised grocery truck? Why did you kick me in the back with a switch?
Here's the point-this bZ Woodland uses a four-wheel drive with dual front and rear motors, and the comprehensive power is said to be about 300 horsepower? I didn't memorize the parameters, but when I actually drove it, the feeling was: Fuck. The normal mode is still docile, with a gentle step on the switch and the power is linear, like a lazy golden hair. But once you switch to Sport mode, it feels like you press a switch, and the whole car instantly becomes a chicken. During the test drive, I tried a kick of floor oil on the open road-after a brief squeal of the tires, the feeling of pushing my back directly pushed my stomach into my throat. The official didn't mention zero-hundred acceleration, but I guess it was about 5 seconds? For a "forest-themed" SUV, this is completely unethical! What's even more funny is that the motor whistle was deliberately adjusted to a rally-like roar-Toyota engineers, did you secretly put the CD of Guns Roses in the inverter?
Control: Low center of gravity? No, it's ridiculously low!
The advantage of laying the battery under the chassis is that this product does not look like an SUV at all when turning corners. I tried it on a winding mountain road-the suspension was a little soft at the beginning, and when it pressed over the road joints, there would be a muffled "gurgling" sound, like chewing a compressed biscuit; but once the corner was quickly attacked, the outer suspension suddenly burst out after being compressed, and the body roll was terrifyingly small. Although the steering wheel doesn't have much sense of the road, it's pointing a little fake, just like turning on an auxiliary cord when playing a racing game. The only thing I have to complain about is the feeling of the brake foot-the virtual position in the front part is too big, and the rear part suddenly becomes tight. Every time I stop at a red light, I have to play the game of "Guess whether this is the last 5 centimeters" with it. But overall, the dynamic performance of this car made me grin several times, really.
Interior: Surprise and madness coexist
When the car door was pulled open, the huge floating central control screen stole the show first-the response speed was more than twice faster than the previous generation bZ4X, and the interface was finally no longer the style of an elderly mobile phone. Moreover, Toyota actually added a solid wood cover to the co-driver's glove box, which still has texture to the touch. This operation is a bit healing. But! But ah! That steering wheel-still a stupid touch button! I could accidentally touch the ACC's following distance by turning up the volume, and almost scared the driver in front of me to have a heart attack on the high speed. The seats are a mix of fabric and imitation leather, with twigs embroidered on them, which conforms to the Woodland theme, but the cushions are too hard, and the buttocks start to protest after two hours. The space in the back row is quite spacious, but my head is not pressed by the slip-back shape-I still have one punch left when I sit straight with a height of 180. There is a small storage compartment hidden under the trunk floor, just right for the charging cord and picnic mat. The details are well received.
Cross-country ability: Don't take it too seriously, but it's wilder than you think
Since it's called Woodland, you must have some skills in forestry, right? Toyota has added off-road mode to it, and the electronic system simulates the effect of a differential lock. I tried it on lightly gravel roads and slopes-the suspension stroke was long enough, and when the left front wheel was suspended, I could clearly feel the system giving force to the adhered wheel. The reaction was quite quick, unlike some opponents. Wait for three seconds before working. However, the 20-inch road tire with a large foot will slip crazily when it encounters wet mud. So the conclusion is: It's okay to go to the campsite and walk on the grass, but don't expect it to accompany you to climb rocks. By the way, the optional panoramic sunroof at a premium allows you to lie in the woods and look at the canopy, provided that you can endure the sun in the summer.
Battery life and charging: endure it, but don't be complacent
The nominal battery life under EPA conditions is about 450 kilometers (I guess, the official has not yet announced). My actual test this time shows that I can run close to 400 kilometers in moderate driving, but if I frequently puff on the full throttle like me, the battery life will drop directly to 320 kilometers. The fast charging power is up to 150kW, and it takes about 35 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%. In today's era of 800V flying all over the sky, this speed can only be considered a pass. However, Toyota cleverly gave a "forest mode": after turning on, the air conditioner will turn into circulating air supply, and the seat heating and steering wheel heating will automatically adjust the power, which is said to save 10% electricity. After driving for ten minutes, I found that... it is true to save electricity, but it is also true to have a cold back. In short, if you often travel long distances, remember to plan a charging station; if you just commute to the city and go to the countryside on weekends, it will be enough.
Price and complaint: Toyota, should you be more sober?
Finally, talk about money-this top-notch Woodland four-wheel drive version is estimated at around US$50,000 (domestic estimates start at 400,000). It's almost $8000 more expensive than the regular version of the bZ4X. The extra things are an exterior kit, off-road mode and some forest decoration. Is it worth it? Reason told me it was "not worth it", but emotionally-the adjustment of the powertrain, the acceleration feeling like a madman, the controllability that wasn't like an SUV in corners, made me press the rational part into the trash. The only thing I can't bear is that in 2026, Toyota is still using that anti-human door handle design-you have to press on one side with your thumb and then use your finger to open it from the other side. The first time I got on the bus, I had to dig five times in the rain before I succeeded. I was like a car thief. Engineers, why don't you go and try other people's cars? Please.
