GAC Toyota, the China joint venture between Toyota and GAC Group, opened pre-orders for its bZ7 electric sedan today on the first day of the 2025 Guangzhou auto show , aiming to leverage capabilities from local tech companies to compete in the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) market.
GAC Toyota did not disclose the pre-sales price but said the bZ7 is positioned in the RMB 200,000 ($28,120) segment.
Developed primarily by Chinese engineers, the electric sedan is GAC Toyota's second model led by Toyota's China engineering team following the bZ3X.
It features Huawei's HarmonySpace cockpit system and integrates with Xiaomi's (HKG: 1810, OTCMKTS: XIACY) smart ecosystem.
The bZ7 also incorporates an advanced driver assistance system from local supplier Momenta, supporting Navigation on Autopilot (NOA) for both urban and highway driving.
The vehicle measures 5,130 mm in length, 1,965 mm in width, and 1,500 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,020 mm.
It utilizes a motor supplied by Huawei, delivering a peak power of 207 kW (278 horsepower) and supporting a top speed of 180 km/h.
The vehicle is equipped with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries supplied by CALB (HKG: 3931), a leading Chinese power battery manufacturer.
The bZ7 represents the latest effort by Japanese automakers in China's EV market, which have significantly ramped up their presence over the past year after years of relative quiet.
On March 6, GAC Toyota launched the bZ3X with a starting price of just RMB 109,800. Toyota said that was its first pure-electric SUV priced under RMB 100,000.
The aggressive pricing strategy has positioned the model to compete in China's EV market, with the bZ3X securing over 10,000 orders within its first hour of availability.
($1 = RMB 7.1122)
