Toyota bZ4X Touring is rugged electric wagon you can take off road
Toyota has revealed a stretched, off-road focused variant of its bZ4X electric SUV, that brings more space and more power.
The bZ4X Touring will arrive in the UK next spring, and – as the name suggests - it is a off-tarmac estate version of the three-year-old EV, which adds 140mm in length, 20mm in height, and a host of rugged design elements.
Clearly a sibling of the new Subaru Trailseeker - which both use the same e-TNGA platform – the Touring gets more boot space than its standard SUV sibling, increased by 148 litres (or 33%) to 600 litres. This takes it above the likes of the similarly sized Volkswagen ID 5 and BYD Sealion 7 to make it one of the most cavernous on the electric car market.
What's more, thanks to Subaru's push for the Trailseeker to feature two identical motors on either axle for better off-road balance (going against Toyota's previous philosophy of a bigger rear motor) the new Touring outputs 376bhp, up from the SUV's 338bhp. This cements it as the most powerful electric Toyota available. A 221bhp single-motor setup is also offered.
Power for that is drawn from a new 74.4kWh (net) battery, up from the recently updated car's 73.1kWh pack. A range figure has yet to be given, but the standard car offers up to 318 miles in its most efficient form.
Visually, the Touring is more of a rugged proposition to the standard SUV. While adopting the new front-end look of the recently updated bZ4X SUV, the coupé adopts the Trailseeker's thicker rear light bar and chunkier rear bumper. It also gains roof rails, blackened wheel arches and an exclusive Brilliant Bronze paint job.
Inside, the Touring adopts the same interior as the recently updated bZ4X, which features a new centre console and 14.0-inch infotainment screen. For the Touring, a City Moss colour has been added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
How plug-in solar panels could help Britons save 30% on energy bills
Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Britons could soon buy cheap solar panels which can be put on balconies, sheds and terraces to cut their energy bills. The plan, using so-called plug-in solar modules which typically cut bills by 30 per cent in countries where they are already used, has been announced by the government as part of a broader plan to step up solar power access. Using balconies for solar panels is already common in Germany, where 1.5 million homes use the technology. Locals have named it Balkonkraftwerk, or balcony power plant. Using solar panels this way is a lot cheaper than installing them on a roof, where scaffolding and hiring specialist workers means that even a modest eight-panel array will cost about £5,000. It will also unlock solar power for many of Britian's 5.4m households which rent. Presently, only homeowners can opt to fit solar panels unless they agree a deal with their landlord. Even then, if they moved, they would lose their panels. The proposed system is portable. This so-called plug-in power plant also means no expensive fitting is required. Instead, the panels are attached to an inverter, which steps up the voltage to the 240v used by your home's mains supply. It is then attached by a regular plug. To avoid electric shock, the inverters detect when they are unplugged and isolate the plug and its exposed electrical pins. open image in gallery Rooftop panels still produce the most ebergy but they are expensive to fit ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) The government is investigating whether a similar safe system can be deployed in the UK. Unlike a full rooftop solar system, no power can be sold back to the grid with plug-in panels. Instead, the aim is to cut electricity bills during the day from appliances like fridges, freezers and computers used by home workers. The panels also probably won't face upwards for the best power generation, since roofs are still the best for that. But plummeting solar panel prices and climbing prices for having them fitted to a roof mean that balcony panels are now a more attractive option than in previous years. Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband said solar 'is one of the cheapest and quickest to build power sources we have.' He added: 'We will push ahead on a solar rooftop revolution, while tackling the barriers of planning, grid, supply chains and skills.' In Germany, a pair of 400-watt panels could save €120 to €240 a year in electricity costs, according to consumer website Finanztip, which could be 30 per cent off a smaller flat's usage, according to manufacturer estimates. Panels can last 30 years if looked after well, and the €540 they can cost can be recouped in a few years, depending on usage.
The Guardian
21 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘It's never too late for an MBA': how a skills development programme supercharges careers
Tech consultants are key figures in the modern economy, advising every size of business from startups to some of the world's biggest organisations on deploying new technologies and helping to implement gamechanging innovations. It's a fascinating and rewarding career – bringing together both tech and business expertise – that requires constant upskilling. For Korusha Pillay, a senior manager in AI and automation at EY, the opportunity to deepen her knowledge in areas such as leadership and business skills has been invaluable in boosting her career and widening her prospects. She took advantage of the free EY tech MBA to broaden her knowledge of key technologies and explore new opportunities. Just weeks after moving to the UK to take up a role at EY in 2020, Pillay's life was turned upside down as she found herself in lockdown. 'I'm incredibly goal oriented' she says. 'Without something to aim for, I hit a slump.' So when she saw an announcement on an internal EY newsletter about the newly launched tech MBA, she jumped at the chance. On the same day, she drafted a detailed plan to complete the entry requirements and never looked back. To qualify for the course, Pillay completed the EY digital badge programme, which offers training in broad aspects of technology, leadership and business. The learning and development programme is available to all EY people globally, with training covering an extensive range of topics. A bronze badge is typically awarded after 15 hours of study, a silver badge after 30 hours, and more intensive study leads to gold and ultimately platinum badges. Pillay completed 21 badges in subjects such as AI, machine learning, leadership and digital transformation. This gave her the accreditation to join the MBA, where she focused on business, leadership and technology. The course culminated in a number of written research papers and a final project undertaken with other EY people on the course. Her team tackled employee turnover at EY, developing a prototype app inspired by dating platforms to match colleagues with internal opportunities, a project that received a 100% mark in the final assessment. The MBA was a transformative experience for Pillay. It gave her life direction during lockdown, but it also helped her develop contacts across the organisation and learn a range of useful interpersonal techniques. She found she could apply the lessons she learned to her daily work. And crucially, she says, it taught her to be more aware of the limits of her knowledge. 'Sometimes you're in this bubble and think you know everything, but a course like this that stretches across so many boundaries made me realise how much more there is to learn.' The MBA helped her develop her knowledge in areas such as managing clients, resolving conflicts and leadership skills. As one of the first to take the course, she was invited to many presentations, panels and learning events at EY to discuss her experiences. Career opportunities have grown exponentially, she says, 'since I put MBA at the end of my name'. She says the MBA is so appealing as it is free, online, and involves study at your own pace. The course is open to people at different stages in their careers, 'it's never too late', she adds. Run in association with Hult International Business School, the EY tech MBA is available to some 400,000 EY employees in 150 countries regardless of their role or position. For Peter Capsalis, an AI and data senior manager at EY, gaining a deeper understanding of how clients view technology projects has been a major benefit of taking the tech MBA. A chemistry graduate with a master's in data science, Capsalis found the MBA's focus on leadership skills, business strategy and understanding the client's point of view helped with the business side of his role. 'After coming from a developer, technology and data science background, EY's tech MBA gave me more formal organisational knowledge and a better understanding of business strategies and how clients think,' he says. His MBA covered three areas: transformation in a digital age; digital leadership; and competitive business simulations. The last one 'really framed some of the new advances in technology and what that means for an organisation', he says. He has learned practical leadership skills, which has enhanced how he manages his own global teams, which operate across different time zones, and his ability to carry out ideation sessions virtually. And the tech MBA has helped him apply this learning when advising clients on how to manage their global teams. Learning programmes are part of the EY commitment to people development and its employee value proposition, which promises to help employees to 'shape your future with confidence'. The organisation also offers an MBA in sustainability and has a range of other development programmes for staff. Even more ambitiously, EY intends to have a positive effect on the lives of 1 billion people by 2030 through EY Ripples, a global corporate social responsibility programme that will work with entrepreneurs around the world to scale innovative solutions to global problems. More than 1 million people across EY member firms and their communities will be mobilised through the programme, driving the adoption of business models that protect the environment, while unlocking economic opportunity. The programme will ensure the next generation of EY people will develop the skills to find and sustain meaningful work, such as bringing affordable energy to off-grid families and providing safe sanitation for low-income communities. As technology-fuelled business disruption continues to reshape the world, learning and development opportunities and corporate social responsibility programmes such as these are essential for tech consultants to achieve their full potential. To transform businesses and drive sustainable growth around the globe, tech consultants need to constantly re-invent and transform their knowledge. Building and maintaining market-leading skills is key for consultants as they find new approaches to develop transformative solutions for some of the world's biggest organisations. Discover more about tech consulting careers at EY. Join our online talent community to read more career stories and receive all the latest news
The Guardian
21 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘We educate and advocate': how a workplace network is helping women thrive in tech
Helping women thrive in technology is personal for Lulu Isdory, who grew up in a low-income household in Tanzania. 'Working in this area wasn't something I even could have dreamed about before getting a scholarship to study in the UK,' says Isdory, who joined EY as a technology consultant last year. Now Isdory, who specialises in projects that use SAP software to manage business operations and customer relations, wants others to benefit from her experience. She is on the committee for the EY Women in Technology network, an inclusive initiative that supports girls and women to excel at EY. Belonging to the network brings access to resources, training courses and people. 'We connect women across different service lines, such as audit, tax, consulting or support and operations, and across different levels of the business. The idea is they can mentor each other or build strong relationships that will help them to connect, upskill and learn from each other,' Isdory says. 'Our main aim is to ensure we have more women in this space because as of now there aren't that many in the sector and there are even fewer black women with the same background as me. It's about fostering greater levels of diversity across the industry,' she adds. Caroline Morton, senior manager and chair of the Women in Technology network, says the group is 'a space to explore and grow yourself with a network of like-minded people'. Despite the name, anyone can join. 'We educate and incubate, and we innovate and advocate,' she adds. 'Being in tech can sometimes be lonely. People often feel everyone else is the expert and that they can't become the expert themselves. But our network provides the space [for that to happen],' says Morton. The 'multi-service line' approach makes the EY Women in Technology network an ideal space for people – and future recruits – to prosper, she adds. 'You can move across service lines and get a different perspective on something. If a tax transformation project required an IT element or a tech solution, we would have the expertise in the subject matter in terms of the tax area as well as in the consulting and transformation space.' The network also has a big focus on learning and development. In 2024, about 1,300 members took part in an initiative to gain a qualification, 'an EY badge' in AI, accredited by Hult International Business School. 'If you wanted to follow up and do a tech MBA, you could,' adds Morton, who says half of all participants gained an AI badge. In keeping with the ethos of development, Morton herself won bronze in the EY Global Women in Technology Community Leader of the Year Awards this June. The network provides a good place for new recruits to connect or expand their business relationships. Activities range from speaker talks to informal chats over coffee and vary from in-person events to virtual ones. 'A speaker might share her journey to inspire other women, while also talking about any challenges she faced and things that worked for her which might help others,' says Isdory. Belonging to the group can open doors to new opportunities. 'If you're part of the network, you're able to quickly access advice, experience and insights from other members who span the whole business. There is a multiplier effect from what everyone of us knows,' says Morton. As well as being a place to discuss challenges, the group is also somewhere to celebrate – and create – victories. 'I was recently nominated for an external award because of the work I've been doing for the Women in Tech network,' says Isdory, who has won a number or prestigious awards, including most recently a WeAreTheCity Rising Star 2025 Award. Above all, Morton wants her members to be more confident. 'Sometimes you have to remind people that you're just as good as the person standing next to you and that you will bring diversity of thought as well as outcomes to their project.' She recently followed her own advice ahead of taking on a new brief. 'I put myself in a vulnerable position and said: 'Why can't I be the programme director when you look at all the skills I'd bring?'' And guess what? She was. Discover more about tech consulting careers at EY. Join our online talent community to read more career stories and receive all the latest news
