Toyota’s electric vehicle strategy is on a tear after being labeled as the industry’s laggard for years. After making two new announcements this week—the heavily upgraded 2026 bZ and the sportier C-HR—Toyota is adding a third EV, the bZ Woodland, an off-roader that's mechanically similar to the Subaru Trailseeker EV that we saw (and loved) at the New York Auto Show.
The world’s largest automaker by sales volume is no stranger to making off-roaders. But one that appeals to the tree-hugging audience was missing from its line-up, until now. The 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland will now join Toyota’s legion of TRD Pro and Trailhunter editions of the 4Runner and Tacoma, but with some sweet battery-powered oomph.
Gallery: 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland
To be clear, this is not the production version of the bZ5 Fieldgo Concept shown at the Shanghai Auto Show back in April. The bZ Woodland is still the 2026 bZ underneath, but the off-road upgrades are not small. It gets everything that the 2026 bZ offers—a larger battery, more range and more powerful motors—and then adds some trail-friendly chops.
It starts with standard all-wheel drive thanks to dual electric motors that now use silicon carbide semiconductors. The combined output is 375 horsepower. Toyota didn’t mention performance stats like a 60 miles per hour time, but as this is mechanically similar to the Trailseeker EV, expect that to be around 4.4 seconds, give or take a couple of tenths.
That makes it faster in straight-line acceleration to the GR86 and brings it within half a second of the Supra. Toyota isn't pulling any punches here.
It is six inches longer than the bZ, with the extra length on the rear overhang enabling 30 cubic feet of cargo space. It has 8.3 inches of ground clearance—one inch more than the normal bZ—and it can tow 3,500 pounds. It will also get unique 18-inch aluminum wheels with removable covers, but strangely, all-terrain tires aren't standard. At least they're available for buyers who spend more time off paved roads.
Adventure junkies will appreciate the X-Mode—which the standard bZ also gets—that alters the brake control and power delivery at the wheels for better traction. And a part of the X-Mode is what Toyota calls Grip Control, which modulates the e-motor output to maintain a constant speed to prevent slipping on rough roads. Think of it as the EV equivalent of a low-range gearbox and locking diffs.
Design tweaks include black body cladding, roof rails and front and rear skid plates, similar to the Trailseeker’s rugged aesthetic. Because of the added off-road chops, range has taken somewhat of a hit, with Toyota estimating 260 miles on a full charge. The front-wheel-drive bZ is estimated to go 314 miles. But the bZ Woodland also gets the Tesla-developed NACS charging port right from the factory, so finding charging stations should be easy.
It gets other goodies such as plug and charge, battery preconditioning and route planning—all of which should vastly improve the charging experience compared to the current bZ4X. The maximum charging speed is 150 kW, with 10-80% taking 30 minutes. That said, expect to have a better charging curve compared to its mechanical predecessor.
The 2026 bZ will be available to order in the U.S. in the second half of this year. The C-HR and the bZ Woodland will go on sale early next year. Prices will be announced closer to launch, but one thing is clear: Toyota’s EV game is no longer stuck in neutral.
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