Toyota's Total Offensive: Electric, Hybrid, and V12 Luxury

Toyota is in the midst of a full-on offensive: the bZ4X gets a thorough overhaul, the electric C-HR lands in the US at $38,450, the facelifted Lexus RZ is orderable in Germany from €57,100, and meanwhile, the brand is prepping a Century Coupe V12 to rattle Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Oh, and hybrids? Toyota wants even more: a 30% production boost by 2028, according to Nikkei.

"Toyota is targeting a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 plug-in hybrid with over 800 horsepower for its Century Coupe — enough to make some supercars blush under a limousine-SUV body." — Magazine X (Japan), relayed by The Drive and MotorTrend

The Electric C-HR: Good-Looking, Quick, but Not Perfect

When Toyota launched the gas-powered C-HR back in 2016, it was a 144-hp SUV that drove pretty blandly, even if it looked the part. The 2026 electric version changes the game fundamentally.

338 horsepower, standard all-wheel drive, 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds per Toyota — Car and Driver even reckons the Subaru Solterra, a platform cousin, did the same sprint in 4.3 seconds in real-world testing, hinting at even better. The motor is the same as the bZ's, wrapped in a body 2.6 inches shorter and on a wheelbase reduced by 3.9 inches. The result is something that looks sharp on the road and pulls hard out of corners.

Where it stumbles is the dynamics themselves. The steering is precise but lacks feel. There's body roll. And push the pace through a series of bends, and the chassis understeers. Not a dealbreaker for a family SUV, but the "sporty" positioning takes a hit. The Drive sums it up well: it's quick, it looks good, but you're not exactly fighting for a smile behind the wheel.

US starting price is $38,450 for the SE trim, $40,450 for the XSE with synthetic upholstery and a 360-degree camera. The battery is estimated at 67 kWh usable, with a claimed range of 287 miles (about 462 km). That's competitive against a Hyundai Ioniq 5 or a Volkswagen ID.4.

The Facelifted Lexus RZ: Finally, Real Numbers

The Lexus RZ needed a serious refresh. Done and dusted, with an update sharing tech already seen on the revised bZ4X. The battery jumps to 77 kWh gross (72 kWh net), and WLTP ranges are now known: 559 km for the RZ 350e, 493 km for the RZ 500e, 462 km for the RZ 550e F Sport.

The 350e, with its 167 kW on the front axle only, starts at €57,100. The Executive trim climbs to €65,000. The RZ 500e DIRECT4 all-wheel drive with 280 kW system power begins at €63,000, and the 550e — 300 kW, exclusively in F Sport trim — demands €78,700. It's a Lexus, so we expected it, but it still stings compared to a BMW iX xDrive40 or a Volvo EX90.

Revealed in March 2025, the car was supposed to hit German dealerships last fall. It finally landed at distributors on February 14, 2026. Four months late isn't