Toyota Introduces All-New RAV4 In Japan – With Torque-Vectoring AWD

Exactly three months after showcasing the car at the 2019 Singapore Motor Show, Toyota has unveiled the all-new fifth-generation RAV4 in its home market in Japan. The company aims to sell 3,000 units of the all-new RAV4 per month.

For the Japanese market, the all-new RAV4 will be available in six variants. Petrol-powered variants of the all-new RAV4 feature a Dynamic Force 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that outputs 171 PS and 207 Nm, hooked up to a Direct Shift CVT-type automatic.

Similar to the North American market RAV4, Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD is also available on selected variants of the all-new RAV4. In short, this intelligent AWD system not only varies the torque split of the front and rear axle, it also varies the torque split from side-to-side on the rear axle. The new rear differential operates by using a pair of left and right clutches to control torque, which improves response time and ultimately allow for much better cornering performance and agility. 

Toyota is also offering hybrid variants of the all-new RAV4, powered by a Dynamic Force 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to the second generation Toyota Hybrid System. Similar to the regular petrol-powered siblings, hybrid variants of the all-new RAV4 can be had as a front- or four-wheel drive model. The latter features Toyota’s E-Four electric all-wheel drive system.

Under the WLTC test cycle, the all-new Toyota RAV4 consumes between 15.2 km/L (four-wheel drive, petrol) to 21.4 km/L (front-wheel drive, hybrid).

All variants of the all-new Toyota RAV4 are fitted, as standard, with the latest Toyota Safety Sense driver assistance system, now added with:

• Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with Lane Tracing Assist
• Road Sign Assist
• Pre-Collision Safety System

Also standard is the T-Connect service, whereby owners will be able to enjoy a complimentary three-year subscription to the service. 

In terms of pricing, the all-new RAV4 gets a base price of 2,608,200 yen for the X variant, while hybrid variants of the all-new RAV4 are priced from 3,202,200 yen. 

Two plants are responsible for assembling the all-new RAV4 - Takaoka and Nagakusa. 

Closer to home, Toyota is expected to introduce the all-new RAV4 in Malaysia after sitting on the sidelines for the past couple of years, watching other segment rivals such as the Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail, and Mazda CX-5 capture a share of the SUV market.