FAW-Toyota has closed the year with the launch of the bZ3 Smart Home Edition in China, introducing a lightly refreshed version of its all-electric sedan with added technology and two new variants. The updated model went on sale on December 31, offered in Joy and Pro trims, priced at 109,800 yuan (around RM73,800) and 129,800
The Smart Home Edition builds on the bZ3 that first entered the Chinese market in 2023, followed by an update in 2024 that brought Level 2 driver assistance without lidar. This latest version goes a step further by adding lidar hardware and Toyota’s new Momenta 5.0 advanced driver assistance system, along with subtle design tweaks inside and out. Despite growing competition, the bZ3 managed sales of 2,118 units in China in November, showing steady interest in the model.
Visually, the Smart Home Edition remains close to the 2024 bZ3, retaining Toyota’s “hammerhead shark” front design and slim, full-width headlight arrangement. The most obvious change is the addition of a roof-mounted lidar unit. At the rear, the continuous taillight strip remains, but the former Y-shaped lighting elements at the ends have been replaced by a cleaner horizontal layout. Flush door handles are still part of the design, and buyers can now choose a new Dark Cloud Green exterior colour.
The biggest update lies in the technology. The bZ3 Smart Home Edition comes standard with the Momenta 5.0 system, which supports more than 30 assisted driving functions, including urban and highway navigation on autopilot as well as remote parking assistance. The system relies on a comprehensive sensor setup comprising one lidar unit, five millimetre-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors and 11 cameras, all backed by a computing platform capable of 544 TOPS.
Dimensionally, nothing has changed. The bZ3 remains a mid-size sedan measuring 4,725 mm long, 1,835 mm wide and 1,475 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,880 mm, keeping its proportions familiar to existing buyers.
Power continues to be sent to the front wheels via a single electric motor. The Joy variant uses a 181hp motor paired with a 49.9 kWh BYD Blade lithium iron phosphate battery, delivering a CLTC-rated range of 517 km. The Pro version steps up to a 241hp motor and a larger 65.3 kWh Blade battery, extending the CLTC range to 616 km. Under DC fast charging conditions, both versions can recharge from 30 to 80 per cent in as little as 27 minutes.
Inside, the cabin has been modernised with a new 15.6-inch horizontal infotainment screen, replacing the earlier 12.8-inch vertical display. This is paired with a slim, rectangular instrument cluster and a conventional steering wheel layout. Ambient lighting and an AI-based voice assistant round out the updated interior, giving the bZ3 Smart Home Edition a more tech-focused feel to match its new driver assistance capabilities.