Toyota’s new bZ7 appears to have got off to a brisk start in China, with Chinese media reporting that the large electric sedan logged more than 3,100 confirmed orders within its first hour on sale.
The figure was attributed to GAC Toyota sales vice-president Peng Baolin.
That early number gives Toyota a useful win in a market where its electric-car push has looked uneven against fast-moving Chinese rivals.
The bZ7 is built by GAC Toyota and sits at the top of the joint venture’s EV line-up in China.
Toyota had previously said the car was developed locally by GAC, GTMC and its China R&D arm, signalling how much of this project is tailored for the mainland Chinese market rather than simply adapted from a global model.
The bZ7 starts from 147,800 yuan (RM87,000) after limited-time incentives, or from 156,800 yuan (RM92,000) in pre-sale pricing announced earlier this month.
At launch, GAC Toyota said pre-sale orders had already exceeded 10,000 units, and the car was available for immediate delivery in China.
The bZ7 is a mid-to-large sedan with LFP battery options of 71kWh and 88kWh, offering claimed CLTC range figures of 600km and 710km.
It packs a Huawei HarmonySpace 5 cockpit, links into Xiaomi’s in-car ecosystem, and uses Momenta driver-assistance software, underlining how heavily Toyota is leaning on local tech partners for this model.
The bZ7 is not just another Toyota EV. It looks more like Toyota’s latest attempt to speak China’s language in software, cabin tech and pricing, rather than relying on badge strength alone.
