Toyota full-service lease option for bZ4X

TOYOTA Australia alongside Toyota Finance Australia will offer a full-service lease option on its forthcoming bZ4X battery electric vehicle (BEV) when the model launches in February 2024.

The bZ4X, which was developed with Toyota alongside the Subaru Solterra, is the first Toyota in Australia to be offered under the program, which includes all servicing, registration, and insurance for the life of the lease.

Speaking to media gathered at the Toyota Showcase event in Melbourne this week, Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley, said a full-service lease can help alleviate any potential worry around factors such as charging infrastructure, service and maintenance costs, and resale value, providing additional peace of mind for customers wanting to experience a BEV.

“As a leader in mobility solutions, Toyota is always looking for ways to improve the mobility experience for customers,” he said.

“A full-service lease option gives customers the joy and freedom of driving a brand-new bZ4X, with the best of Toyota bundled into one simple and convenient monthly repayment.

“We recognise that some customers may have concerns about BEVs in respect to ongoing costs and whether a battery electric vehicle suits their lifestyle, so this gives them an option to fully experience the bZ4X without having to commit to purchasing the car outright.”

Mr Hanley said the full-service lease includes a comprehensive list of benefits for customers including vehicle registration, compulsory third-party and comprehensive motor vehicle insurance, scheduled servicing and maintenance, tyre replacement, roadside assistance, and Toyota Connected Services functionality, with running costs “simply bundled into one manageable monthly repayment”.

Customers will also have the option to add to their full-service lease with features including Toyota genuine accessories and a home charger.

As Toyota offers more BEV models, it will also ramp up the number of EV charging stations at its dealers, potentially adding an additional 260 sites across the country for Toyota drivers to charge their vehicle.

“Having infrastructure available and providing good solutions to customers that take the ambiguity and risk out of BEV ownership is important to us,” added Mr Hanley.

“This is a journey for us. We’re not playing a short-term game. It’s a long-term game for Toyota, and we think that we’re launching this car at exactly the right time – and we will progressively step-up models and volume and range as we go forward.”

Mr Hanley told GoAuto that in the spirit of leaving no one behind in the move toward electrification, Toyota will work to ensure buyers looking for a factory-backed low- or zero emissions vehicle would still have access to a near-new model.

“One of the philosophies of our bZ4X process of selling as a full-service lease program is that it will give us opportunities to capitalise on multiple owners. Our Toyota Certified Pre-Owned (program), will cater to other alternative options for people who may not be able to afford new,” he explained.

“When you look at a full-service lease, you’re looking at a full cycle, and you’re probably looking at more than one ownership cycle. That’s how we intend to go forward with the program.

“It may take some time to mature, but we’ve got the strategies, the platforms, and the infrastructure to go forward with it – and we started thinking about this back when we moved the Corolla up (in price) and the Yaris up (in price).

“We knew that the day was coming where there would be a need to be another option for people who just can’t quite get to that new-car price, and that’s where it will fall for Toyota.”

The bZ4X is Toyota Australia’s first battery electric vehicle. Mr Hanley said the importer had worked hard to secure a “solid bank of vehicles for Australian customers with an allocation of thousands available for purchase or lease in the first 12 months of sale”.

The model will vie with the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Subaru Solterra and Tesla Model Y when it goes on sale in February, however full pricing and detailed equipment information has yet to be announced.

GoAuto understands the bZ4X will be available with the choice of single-motor front-wheel drive or dual-motor all-wheel drive configurations, both with the latest Toyota Safety Sense technology and the latest multimedia array.

Powered by a 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery, the bZ4X may be charged using a 150kW CCS2 DC- or 11kW Type 2 AC charger. Front-wheel drive variants output 150kW and all-wheel drive grades 160kW (combined).

All Australian bZ4X grades will be offered with 20-inch wheels, LED exterior lighting, heated front seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with the latest Toyota multimedia system and Toyota Connected Services.

More information on the Toyota bZ4X will be shared closer to the vehicle’s local launch.