New-look Toyota RAV4 arrives

Toyota has today announced the Australian arrival of its updated RAV4, boasting a sporty new front-end design riddled with LEDs, renewed interiors, more safety features and improved ride comfort.

The bidding opens at $27,990 plus on-road costs for the entry-level GX 2WD petrol manual ($500 more than before) and tops out at $49,490 for the top-shelf Cruiser AWD diesel auto – up $1000.

As you can see in the table at the bottom of this article, the Japanese importer has raised prices by up to $2000 for some diesel models, but pricing for the most popular models – petrol engines with automatic transmissions – have remained unchanged.

The range will continue as previously with three models grades: GX, GXL and Cruiser. Two petrol engines are offered, an entry-level 2.0-litre (107kW/187Nm) for front-wheel drive models and a 2.5-litre (132kW/233Nm) unit for all-wheel drive versions.

There's also an AWD-only 2.2-litre turbo-diesel (110kW/340Nm) rounding out the RAV4 line-up.

The 2WD RAV4 is fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox or Toyota's Multidrive S continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that also provides a sporty, sequential seven-speed mode.

Petrol AWD variants are fitted with a six-speed multi-mode sequential-shift automatic while diesel AWD RAV4s offer the choice of the six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes.

Toyota has added a range of safety features to the new-look RAV4, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), auto high-beam, adaptive radar-based cruise control, lane departure, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert systems.

These systems are standard on Cruiser and cost $2500 as part of a technology pack for GXL models. However, it's understood these potentially life-saving features are unavailable for the cheapest GX models.

Toyota's updated RAV4 features a reworked centre console that now accommodates 'mugs with handles', says the company. Slight visual changes to the interior on GXL and Cruiser models have been made and the latter model is offered with leather accented seats in three colours -- black, tan or beige.

Three new exterior colours join the regulars too: Hazel, Blue Gem, and Deep Red mica metallic, which replaces Wildfire.

Toyota says all models get quieter cabins via improved sound damping materials, which are claimed to 'reduce road, tyre and exhaust noise'. A third 12-volt socket has been added for back-seat occupants, while recalibrated suspension (dampers and springs) is said to enhance ride quality.

The RAV4 started life in Australia as a small SUV in 1994 and has since grown into a medium-sized SUV. So far almost 250,000 RAV4s have been sold here, with six million sales globally.

The current fourth-generation RAV4 has been a popular car for the 'Big T' brand in Australia, and is the second-best selling vehicle in its class thus far in 2015 with 16,805 sales -- up by 2.5 per cent on last year's tally. It's second only to the Mazda CX-5, which has sold 23,219 units in the same period, January to November 2015.

Toyota's executive director of sales and marketing, Tony Cramb, said the new RAV4 caps off "a sustained roll-out of new or refreshed Toyota vehicles in 2015".

With upgraded vehicles such as the Camry, HiLux and Corolla hatch – which together total three-quarters of Toyota Australia sales or 150,000 registrations — Cramb states that Toyota is in an age of renewal "that is delivering motorists more choice, quality and driving enjoyment while underpinning Toyota's sales growth into 2016".

2016 Toyota RAV4 pricing (plus ORCs):
Petrol 2WD
GX manual — $27,990 (+$500)
GX auto — $29,990 (no change)
GXL manual — $31,990 (+$500)
GXL auto — $33,990 (no change)

Petrol AWD
GX auto — $32,990 (no change)
GXL auto — $36,990 (no change)
Cruiser auto — $44,490 (+$500)

Diesel AWD
GX manual — $35,990 (+$2000)
GX auto — $37,990 (+$1500)
GXL manual — $39,990 (+$2000)
GXL auto — $41,990 (+$1500)
Cruiser auto — $49,490 (+$1000)