Toyota has launched its third EV in China: the bZ5 coupe SUV. Using BYD’s Blade Battery and Toyota’s own e-TNGA platform, the bZ5 has been developed as part of the brand’s joint venture with China’s FAW. Positioned as the brand’s third EV on sale there, the bZ5 is priced from 129,800 yuan (approximately A$27,800) in its home market.

While the bZ5 uses Chinese tech, it very much looks like an all-Toyota product with the brand’s latest “hammerhead shark” design language featuring proudly all over – the headlights, for example, are very similar to its bZ4X sibling.

Inside the bZ5 is also a similar layout to the bZ4X, with a huge 15.6-inch touchscreen and digital driver’s display sitting underneath the windscreen like its sibling.

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Underneath the bZ5’s body is the same e-TNGA platform that underpins the bZ4X, though the bZ5’s 200kW/330Nm electric motor the 65.28kWh and 73.98kWh LFP batteries sourced from BYD.

According to the lenient CLTC cycle, the bZ5 has a range of between 550km and 630km, depending on battery size.

According to FAW Toyota, the bZ5 supports 90kW fast charging, with a 30 to 80 per cent charge time of 27 minutes.

The bZ5 measures 4780mm long, 1886mm wide and 1510mm tall with a 2880mm long wheelbase, making its dimensions more lifted sedan-like than a true SUV, similar to the Polestar 2, and longer than the bZ4X.

Available features in the bZ5 include 21-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic glass roof, a 10-speaker JBL sound system, up to nine airbags, 256-colour cabin ambient lighting, nap modes for in-cabin resting and over 30 active safety features, including a LiDAR unit in upper-spec models.

While China has become an EV-dominated new car market, Toyota’s global multi-layered approach to reducing vehicle emissions continues as before with CEO Akio Toyoda recently claiming that EVs are “dirtier than hybrids.”

So far, Toyota Australia only sells one EV: the bZ4X SUV, though the recently-revealed bZ4X Touring will join it in 2026 . The new Urban Cruiser small electric SUV co-developed with Suzuki will go on sale in some markets soon as well, while the new C-HR+ – not to be confused with the hybrid C-HR already on sale – will also be launched in some markets such as Europe and North America with Australian plans for both yet to be revealed.

The Toyota bZ5 is now on sale in China, with global sales plans yet to be revealed.