Video: 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland Off-Road Test: A Subaru in Disguise?

(gentle music) The new Toyota bZ Woodland can go off-road, but should you? (gentle music continues) This is the longer, slightly lifted variant of the standard all-electric Toyota bZ crossover and it's aimed primarily at active lifestylers, like campers and hikers, that kind of stuff. And as such, we've got standard all-wheel drive from dual electric motors. We've got available all-terrain tires, which this one has. A little bit of extra cladding here to keep all the scrapes off. We've got some roof rails there, and we've got some off-road drive modes. Specifically this is actually a Subaru Trailseeker underneath. Yes, really, this is built in a Subaru factory, which means those off-road drive modes are actually Subaru's signature X Mode off-road drive modes. Generally Subarus are pretty good off-road for a regular crossover. Impressive ground clearance and a clever all-wheel drive system is kind of its signature sauce. And seeing as the bZ Woodland is literally built in a Subaru factory, does this rough and ready capability actually translate? Well, mostly. Our off-road route on this First Drive program restricted us to a long uphill dirt road with some moguls and a moderately banked section for a demo. For the most part, the Woodland had no trouble with its solid 8.3 inches of ground clearance and all-terrain tires. Traction is excellent as is the off-road ride composure and power. Nothing crazy, but I definitely would not hesitate to take this down to a muddy lake house driveway or, you know, point it up a snowy mountain pass. You know, if you found that display kinda underwhelming, I gotta say, I think this has way more capability than what your average bZ Woodland owner is gonna put this thing through. And it is perfect for environments that see a lot of severe weather. I wanna take this thing camping.