Toyota was spotted testing a prototype for a new small car crossover powered by batteries.
The electric crossover is a production version of the Small SU EV concept, which was one of the dozen concepts Toyota unveiled in late 2021. It’s expected to be unveiled in series form late this year or early next year.
It will likely prove too small for the US market. Toyota’s smallest electric crossover for the US will likely be the production version of the compact SUV concept bZ unveiled last November at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The prototype in our spy shots, despite being camouflaged, already looks like a close match to the Small SU EV concept. A similar design will be seen on a redesigned C-HR coming around the same time as this crossover. The US will also miss the redesigned C-HR, which Toyota has confirmed will be offered with regular hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. Toyota got an early look at the new C-HR last month with the unveiling of the C-HR Prologue concept.
Toyota Small SU EV Concept
It’s not clear which platform the electric crossover will use, but one possibility is Toyota’s new E3 design, announced in 2021. The E3 combines elements of Toyota’s TNGA platform for internal combustion engines and the e-TNGA platform for dedicated electric vehicles, allowing it to support both internal combustion engine and electric powertrains. The new C-HR will probably also use this platform.
It’s also not clear what the name of the crossover will be. If it’s part of Toyota’s bZ (Beyond Zero) family of electric vehicles, a possible name is bZ2X. Toyota at the LA Auto Show said it is planning five bZ models, down from an earlier plan for seven.