4 December 2023
The Sport Crossover is a brand new proposition for the premium-oriented D-segment
Low-slung fastback takes Toyota into a new class to rival the Hyundai Ioniq 6
Toyota has confirmed that its sleek, low-slung Sport Crossover concept, revealed at the Shanghai motor show earlier this year, will evolve into a production car for the European market in 2025.
It will be one of six bespoke electric cars that Toyota launches in Europe by 2026, going on sale alongside the bZ4X and production versions of the Urban Crossover and Compact Crossover.
The remaining two EVs will be detailed next year, Toyota has hinted.
The Sport Crossover doesn’t directly replace any current model but rather arrives as an all-new proposition and takes the brand into the premium-oriented D-segment, rivalling the likes of the Volkswagen ID 7 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.
Toyota product development boss Andrea Carlucci described it as the “perfect style hero” of the six-strong EV line-up, highlighting that it’s longer, wider and lower than the bZ4X but makes minimal concessions in terms of practicality and comfort.
He revealed that the concept measures 4.9m long at the kerb but that precise dimensions will change for the production version.
“I would say it looks at a different customer,” he said. “We believe that the market isn’t just SUVs. Of course, it is the latest trend and one that will stay a while, but we want to offer solutions for any kind of customer. This could be the solution for the customer that’s specifically looking for something which is stylish.
“We want to deliver something which is closer to the new cues of Toyota – being a bit obsessed with sportiness, especially at the back with the coupé or fastback design.”
The Sport Crossover has been developed in tandem with Toyota’s Chinese-market joint venture partner BYD, which is also likely to supply its batteries, as it does for the bZ3 saloon in China, but Toyota wouldn’t confirm if European cars will be made in China.
Further technical details are likely to be revealed in around a year’s time, when Toyota reveals the final showroom-bound car and gives it a name.
Alongside the reveal of the Sport Crossover earlier this year in China, Toyota also showed the Flexspace concept, a family-focused SUV that aims to provide a “cosy home” environment, together with a “reliable” cruising range and a raft of advanced safety functions.
It’s possible that a production version of this car could follow its sleeker sibling into Europe by 2026.