New Models / 17 February 2026 / Michael Taylor

Toyota’s first electric cars coming to South Africa – What to expect

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has officially unveiled its product lineup for 2026, which is shaping up to be one of the company’s busiest years in recent memory.

The Japanese carmaker’s local division highlighted its strategy for the South African market, which will follow a “multi-pathway” philosophy designed to address the needs of different customers.

In practice, this means Toyota is placing a renewed emphasis on its new-energy vehicles (NEVs), advancing a mix of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen, and battery-electric options.

This was on full display at TSAM’s ninth annual State of the Motoring Industry (SOMI) event, where it pulled the covers off all of the new cars South Africans can look forward to this year.

Two of the models unveiled are the Toyota bZ4X and the Lexus RZ – the first fully-electric cars for their respective brands – which are set to make their local debut later this year.

Better late than never

Toyota bZ4x at the 204 State of the Motoring Industry Address.

This is not the first time we’ve heard that the bZ4X is coming to South Africa, as Toyota has been teasing the car for several years without committing to a launch.

All the way back in 2022, TSAM confirmed to TopAuto that the electric crossover was “under study for local introduction” and that it would make “a more detailed announcement on Toyota’s NEV roll-out” at the 2023 SOMI event.

That same year, IOL reported that Toyota said it would confirm the specifications and pricing for the bZ4X by the end of 2022.

This did not come to pass, and the next time we saw the car was at the 2024 SOMI event, where it was one of the headline products alongside other nameplates like the Prado and Hilux GR-Sport.

It also showcased the Lexus RZ, which is built on the same platform as the bZ4X.

The electric Toyota was originally penciled in for a 2025 release date; however, at the 2025 SOMI event, the company revealed that the launch had been delayed and that it would now launch in 2026.

Similarly, it confirmed that the Lexus RZ will arrive in early 2026, after initially being in the pipeline for 2024.

More recently, TSAM showcased the bZ4X at the Naamsa AutoWeek in October 2025, and Reuters later reported that the automaker would launch three electric cars in South Africa in 2026.

All of us brings us to the 2026 SOMI event, where the bZ4X and RZ were two of the headline models in the brand’s NEV announcements, indicating that the two cars are finally coming to South Africa – for real this time.

It’s worth keeping in mind that TSAM can’t afford to delay the launch of its first battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) for much longer, as it risks losing the segment to rapidly-growing Chinese brands like BYD, Chery, and GWM.

Toyota has yet to provide an official breakdown of each car’s specifications and model selection, but we know from other markets that the bZ4X is available in front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD).

The FWD units have a single electric motor producing 150kW, while the AWD models have an e-motor over both axles generating a combined 252kW.

It also has a 73.1kWh battery that affords a range of approximately 450km.