We appear to have moved from the saloon and hatchback to the SUV without really noticing that the modern touring version of many cars has had so much to offer.

The new generation of what we called estate cars are now being called crossover vehicles, where there is a hint of SUV height with all the practical and spacious benefits of an estate car. That’s where the latest Toyota bZ4X Touring, or now more often just called the bZ, finds a new and different home.

This is a new car to the Toyota range that’s fully electric and combines space with a level of practicality in a way that only Toyota seems to be able to do well. The Toyota bZ4X Touring looks strong, with its durable off-road and rugged wheel arch coverings, it wants to portray that it’s ready for all conditions. It’s clearly not a soft car effect and it is practical to a point.

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I drove the front-wheel-drive (FWD) version of the car, which shares a powertrain with its hatchback bZ4X counterpart. It is fitted with a bigger lithium-ion battery pack with a 74.7kWh capacity (gross) and a front electric motor producing 165kW/224bhp and 268.6Nm of torque.

That power pack makes it a lively car to drive, with 0-100 km/hr acceleration in 7.3 seconds. More importantly, Toyota claims a driving range of up to 591km on a fully charged battery.

How suitable any electric car is for long trips depends not only on the rated range, but how quickly the car can charge plays an almost equally important role. Whether an EV such as the Toyota bZ4X Touring is suitable for long trips depends on the battery capacity, efficiency and fast-charging capability.

My fast-charging experience was a 22-minute spot, where I added 125km to the car’s range at a cost of €9.96, and that’s close to what Toyota claims. Home charging at night rate electricity is significantly cheaper.

The Toyota bZ4X Touring is a solid looking all-electric car with impressive boot space and entry prices from €48,381 or £45,995 in N. Ireland.

The gross battery power rating for the Toyota bZ4X Touring is probably a bit enthusiastic, while closer to 500km might be more realistic in everyday driving. And that’s confirmed in the EV-Database rating of 2.5 stars, which is considered to be a reasonably good performance.

As the Toyota bZ4X Touring is an all-electric car, I’ve compared it with some other similar new cars, most especially the new Mercedes Benz EQB and the latest Skoda Enyaq 60.

These three could be considered to be similar electric estate or touring cars, while there are differences in battery size and performance as a result, not to mention price.

The more expensive Mercedes-Benz EQB comes with a bigger battery pack and also more range, while the cheaper Skoda Enyaq has a smaller battery with predictably less range. In terms of electrical consumption, the Toyota bZ4X Touring is more efficient, based on the test results and I found that the car delivered in terms of an acceptable range across some different driving conditions.

The dash on the Toyota bZ4X Touring is similar to the hatchback model, both practical and easy to use.

I also liked the practical fact that when I put the transmission into the Eco mode, it stayed there right throughout the period of my test drive. Too many other cars are defaulting to a less economical Normal mode after each journey. On the inside of the Toyota bZ4X Touring some of those practical touches continue. The central infotainment screen is large with easy controls for the heating and radio.

The test version of the Toyota bZ4X Touring was fitted with Bridgestone Alenza 235/60R18 tyres to give impressive 500mm wading depth.

I found that the smaller display behind the steering wheel was well placed and highly visible without impacting on road visibility as I generally sit high in a car seat. There are two wireless phone charger units and toggle control of the transmission is instinctive with a park button to the front of it. So, I was quickly comfortable in the car.

Rear passengers get a good deal in terms of legroom and space, while the boot is 50% larger than that of the hatchback version.

The Toyota bZ4X Touring is a spacious touring model with good rear legroom and 699 litres of boot space before you fold the rear seats.

The towing rating lets it down at 750kg, while if you opt for the more expensive all-wheel-drive version that doubles to 1500kg.

The Toyota bZ4X Touring is €3,000 more expensive than the smaller hatchback version, and comes with a bigger capacity battery pack, while it is still reasonably competitive. With a practical driving range of about 500km on a fully charged battery, there are no real issues with range anxiety for what is a solid car.

Entry prices start at €48,381 or £45,995 in Northern Ireland, which pitches it more expensive than Skoda’s Enyaq 60, while the Toyota offers more boot space and greater range. Toyota’s 10-year warranty offer also needs to be factored in and that provides the extra appeal to what is a solid and spacious estate car.

Daihatsu mini-trucks a UTV option

At last week’s National Ploughing Championships, a new company Tokyo Trucks (tokyotrucks.co.uk) showed an interesting pick-up truck that could offer a cost-effective alternative to the UTVs that are regularly used on farms.

The Daihatsu Min-Truck range are a cost-effective option to the UTV on farms with four-wheel-drive and a similar payload.

The company, with a base in Galway and Antrim, is offering a small Daihatsu mini truck for €18,000 plus VAT, which is powered by a 650cc petrol engine, matched to a five-speed gearbox that delivers a part-time four-wheel-drive system.

Higher specification options are available, including a higher lift suspension and larger off-road wheels.

The Daihatsu mini trucks are popular on farms in Japan and weigh from 730kg kerb weight. They come with a 350kg payload capacity and offer the comfort and safety of a small van, while taxed as commercial vehicle at €333 per year.