2026 Toyota bZ Woodland First Drive Review: Rugged Family Fun

OJAI, CA—Toyota is being sneaky, and I for one am here for it.

Not even two years ago the company launched the Crown Signia. Categorized as a crossover/SUV on the official website, we all know what it really is: a wagon.

Now Toyota has a longroof sequel. The vehicle known as the bZ Touring in other, less wagon-averse markets, the 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland is an all-electric take on the segment that the Subaru Outback almost single-handedly popularized: the rugged family car.

After Toyota gave the bZ4X a serious glow-up for this year with much better stats and a 50-percent shorter name, it has now gone about expanding the family. On the smaller side is the reborn C-HR, available exclusively with the dual-motor AWD setup of the bZ—stay tuned for all my thoughts on that lil’ guy tomorrow.

On the other end is the Woodland which, unlike other Woodlands in the Toyota lineup, isn’t simply a trim but an entirely separate model. The entire vehicle is about half a foot longer (190.2 inches / 4,830 millimeters in total), slightly taller, and reinstates some prodigious plastic cladding.

Unique to the Woodland (and its Trailseeker cousin) is a more powerful rear electric motor, matching the one up front and resulting in 375 combined system horsepower, with 396 pound-feet of torque. The same 74.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack remains, with an estimated 281 miles (452 kilometers) of range on the standard all-season tire, and 260 mi (418 km) on the available all-terrain rubber. Like the rest of the Toyota EV lineup, the Woodland now uses a standard North American Charging Standard (NACS) port.

From up front, and so long as it’s painted in a dark hue, you’d be hard pressed to tell the Woodland apart from the regular bZ. It does have a unique skid plate-esque lower lip garnish, like a teenager proud of their first few facial hairs. The rest of the face has clear modern Toyota DNA with the clean, hammerhead design that tucks the main beams down in the corners. Move around to the side and there are strong shoulders, ample cladding, and pronounced roof rails, with a long greenhouse suggesting excellent visibility.

The back is where the Woodland distances itself from the regular bZ, with a clean, full-width taillight bar and none of those faux air vent slashes. It has much more in common with the C-HR in this regard, though it of course wears its own, more rugged rear bumper design.

The extra power the bZ Woodland lords over its other EV siblings isn’t immediately noticeable. Delivery is the same: typical of electric models, the Woodland has near-instant responses and plenty of shove from a standing start well into highway figures. It’s only against the clock does one realize this unassuming wagon is something of a hot rod; the only new wagons beating the Woodland’s 4.4-second run to 62 mph (100 km/h) all cost over six figures, and in fact the only Toyota capable of doing so is the GR Supra.

Like the bZ and C-HR, the Woodland does offer multiple levels of regenerative braking, though all are pretty weak. Don’t expect full one-pedal operation here, though the most aggressive amount does a good job of matching the off-throttle response of an ICE car. For someone making the move, it should be smooth.

With the mountain roads of the test route taxing Woodland in one direction and benefiting the battery in the other, my brief drive suggested a functional range close to Toyota’s estimate. Note that the weather was essentially perfect, mind.

Towing capacity is capped at 3,500 pounds.

Tipping the scales at a reasonable (for an EV) 4,497 pounds (2,040 kilograms), the bZ Woodland is a tidy and predictable steer. The small steering wheel can be set low and is appropriately weighted (read: light). Visibility is also good thanks to that long greenhouse, making this an easy car to place on the road.

Nobody will mistake the Woodland for a sports car, but it nonetheless puts down power cleanly and with a friendly balance. A canyon road might seem a better match for the C-HR, but the extra power of the rear motor affords the Woodland with a little more mid-corner adjustability. It’s entertaining.

Most of my day is spent with a Woodland rolling on the standard 18-inch all-season tires, which has the sort of limber, well-judged ride you’d expect of a slightly ruggedized family hauler. Body motions are generally kept in check, though speed bumps do introduce more vertical movement than I’d like. The Woodland is reasonably quiet at highway speeds, with tire hum being the most prevalent outside noise.

Naturally, that hum increases with the all-terrain tires. I drive that very briefly to the trail Toyota has prepped for the program. It’s nothing too challenging, but also represents more than what most buyers will likely put their fancy new EV through. Switching over to X-Mode and letting Grip Control do its thing over uneven bumps is a painless and straightforward experience: once on the move, pick a setting and the car will maintain a set speed over obstacles—at least ones it’s 8.4 inches of ground clearance can beat. It can pause on slipperier spots to figure out the optimal power delivery, but eventually scrambles over in a controlled manner. Downhill descents cause quite a bit of noise from the system but again, the pay-off is incredibly consistent (low) speed.

Seat comfort is great in both rows, with good lower thigh support and an appropriate level of bolstering, plus a wide range of adjustments. Both head- and legroom are ample; the official measurements are a little less than the Crown Signia, but it feels all but identical. Storage space is a big advantage here: 33.8 cubic feet with the seats up, and a huge 74.3 cubes with the second row flat, providing a large, flat surface.

The Woodland cabin is essentially a BZ cabin with some different trim pieces, and that’s great: it majors on functionality if not necessarily style. The straked dashboard material is appropriate, while a dark brown interior color option adds a healthy dose of rugged color. A large center console houses a pair of wireless chargers and a sizeable lower cubby, while the doors can hold large water bottles. There are USB-C ports in both rows to keep everyone’s various devices healthy, too. The large pano roof eats into headroom but the payoff is much more natural light.

Material quality is good, but not great; the door tops are brittle but everything in front of the driver is well-judged.

Toyota’s deep-set instrument cluster is divisive. I personally enjoy it, as it negates the need for a head-up display and allows folks to place the wheel nice and low. Shorter folks may find it difficult to get properly settled, however.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Toyota’s current infotainment system is a fine but unexceptional example. The big 14.0-inch screen means everything is clear and easy to select, but the native system is fairly barebones. The plus side here is none of the menu-diving you might need to make with other systems. It also means the standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are almost mandatory—at least they’re easy to set up. Since this and the C-HR are launching after the new RAV4, it’s odd Toyota hasn’t included that vehicle’s improved operating system.

Other important features include a sharp 360-degree camera (with “see-through” capability) and power liftgate. The Premium trim adds front ventilated seats, a memory driver seat, auto-tilting mirrors, digital rear view mirror, pano roof, and a fine but unremarkable JBL nine-speaker sound system.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard across the bZ family, including automated emergency braking, lane keep and trace assists, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, and full-range adaptive cruise control.

In America, the bZ Woodland starts from $46,750 including destination, which puts it right alongside the Crown Signia. This gives buyers two distinctly different choices: a swankier but less powerful hybrid-powered wagon or a muscular, more rugged electric option. The Premium trim is a $2,100 upcharge; all-terrain rubber is available on both trims as a no-cost option.

Canadian buyers also have two available Woodland trims, with the standard model ringing in at $61,830 CAD and the Premium trim carrying a $66,830 CAD sticker (both prices include destination). The all-terrain rubber is still a no-cost option, but only available on the Premium.

The 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland checks a whole lot of boxes for modern families. It’s comfortable, stylish, easy to drive, and relatively affordable. While wagons are in short supply these days, Toyota now (essentially) offers two: one with internal combustion and one to munch on electrons. If you can make the latter work with your life, the bZ Woodland is an incredibly appealing option.

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