Toyota: New RAV4 makes world premiere in Japan

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) unveiled its new RAV4 to the world on May 21, with plans to launch the model in Japan before the end of FY2025.

he RAV4 had its beginnings in 1994, when sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were positioned as off-road vehicles. It pioneered the crossover SUV genre for both on-and off-road driving. Since then, the RAV4 has evolved into a beloved model around the world. For five generations, it has continued to meet the changing lifestyles of the times.

Launched in 2019, the fifth-generation RAV4 was developed to further enhance its unique appeal as a model for new lifestyles. It was developed on the concept of a “Robust Accurate Vehicle with 4 Wheel Drive” as a sophisticated blend of the power and utility of an SUV. It also adopted a new platform based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), Toyota’s structural innovation within the automobile manufacturing process. It delivered responsive driving performance with maneuverability and stability for any road surface.

Under the concept of “Life is an Adventure, this sixth-generation RAV4 seeks to become a vehicle that allows any driver to enjoy an active lifestyle. The unique driving experience of the RAV4, which was further improved in the 5th generation, has been advanced with a newly developed hybrid system that enhances acceleration. The result is an evolved RAV4 that feels like it can go anywhere and do anything, with functionality and cutting-edge intelligent technology focused on ease-of use for the driver. The key to advancing vehicle intelligence is Arene, Toyota’s first software development platform. By utilizing Arene, Toyota aims to achieve a greater level of safety and peace of mind, as well as enrich the mobility experience to make the new RAV4 a companion that fits seamlessly into various lifestyles, whether in urban living or outdoor adventures.

Toyota will successively roll out the new RAV4 to customers in over 180 countries and regions globally.

The details of the new RAV4 are as follows.

• Powertrain
• Design
• Three styles
• Intelligent technologies

Vehicle details

1) A car that feels like it can go anywhere thanks to a powertrain that leads the way in electrification

The new RAV4 comes in PHEV and HEV models, with the PHEV models featuring a newly developed Plug-in Hybrid System that combines a high-capacity drive battery and high-output charger compatible with Toyota’s latest sixth-generation hybrid system, making its first use of the system.

PHEV

• Improved BEV cruising range
  The front axle employs silicon carbide power semiconductors to reduce size and improve efficiency.
  In addition to improved fuel economy achieved by reducing power loss, the drive transmission system offers a BEV cruising range of 150 km^*1, increased from the previous 95 km, thanks to a higher capacity battery.

• Unique RAV4 off-road driving performance
  A combination of the latest hybrid and electronic braking systems aims to deliver customer satisfaction because it is an electrified vehicle, not despite being one.
  With 12% higher motor output, the new RAV4 delivers unique off-road performance for a more exciting drive.

• Improved performance as a power supply
  The new RAV4 offers improved convenience with vehicle-to-home (V2H^*2) support to supply electricity in a range of living scenarios.
  It also comes with an added DC rapid charging system that charges the battery to 80% of capacity in around 30 minutes^*3.

^*1 Development target
^*2 A system that enables the car’s battery to be used as a power source for the home.
^*3 Internal measurement values. Charging time when using fast charging of 50 kW (maximum 125 A) or more.
Actual charging time may vary depending on factors such as the remaining capacity and temperature of the drive battery, as well as the outside temperature.

HEV

Improved motor output thanks to improvements to the transaxle, power control unit, battery, and other components.

In addition to seamless acceleration, the new RAV4 provides agility when starting off and the responsiveness of direct driving power.

2) A design that embodies the feeling of “RAV4-ness”

Exterior design

The new RAV4 design is based on three design elements: (1) “Big Foot” (an emphasis on large-diameter tires), (2) “Life-up” (a reminder of excellent off-road performance), and (3) “Utility” (an easy-to-use cargo space). These three elements express the unique “RAV4-ness” of a car that feels like it can go anywhere.

Interior design

An interior design based on SUV functionality creates spaces for ease-of-use and an entertainment experience.

Specific value proposition

1. Outstanding visibility and easy driving achieved by lowering the top surface of the instrument panel by approximately 40 mm.
2. Evolved and optimally located digital devices with extensive connectivity for smartphones.
3. Improved ease-of-use through storage spaces and other functionality with a modern and simple design.

• Interior concept
  • Island architecture
    Island architecture is a design in which various functions such as displays and shifts are grouped together and arranged like islands. In addition to a horizontal instrument panel that makes it easy to maintain a sense of equilibrium as an SUV, this architecture offers improved usability by arranging the navigation system, meters, and other elements in such a way that eye movement is reduced, and by positioning the registers to be instantly reachable.

• Various tools designed to enhance usability and quality
  • Console
    The console’s design enhances usability with the thoughtful placement of fast-charging smartphone pads and USB ports. It also comes with a reversible console box that can normally be used as an armrest but can serve as a tray when flipped over.
  • Gearshift panel
    The gearshift panel brings together the gearshift lever, electric parking brake (EPB), and brake hold switch in a way that minimizes operations and eye movement while driving. By adopting shift-by-wire technology, the design achieves a simple and clean design, while the piano black finish adds a touch of elegance.
  • Luggage
    While the vehicle size remains the same, the trunk capacity has been expanded from the previous 733L to 749L. By making the rear seatbacks even flatter when folded, the ease of storage for longer items has also been improved.

3) Three styles that satisfy the diverse needs of customers

Core: featuring a refined design that stands out in urban settings

• Expressing toughness through a hammerhead design with a powerful, solid form.
• 3D expression of advanced technology and strength through an integrated bumper and grille.

ADVENTURE: Emphasizing ruggedness that arouses a taste for further adventure

• An expression of SUV-like strength through widened tread, special wheel arch moldings, and a large, relatively tall grille that stands out despite its simple form.
• An off-road feel is emphasized by raising the hammerhead nose peak.

GR SPORT: Expressing functionality together with the fun-to-drive character of the model

The GR SPORT leverages knowledge acquired through motorsports to create a design focused on functional beauty, with enhanced suspension tuning and body rigidity. The result is a sporty model that can be driven with confidence on a wide range of roads, from urban settings to the highway and winding country roads, while also delivering pure driving enjoyment.

• Adopting Evolved Functional MATRIX Grille^*4for the front design.

^*4 Adopts a shared GR grille design with a hexagonal mesh pattern inspired by the letter “G.”

4) A car that feels like it can do anything thanks to intelligent technologies

The new RAV4 uses, for the first time at Toyota, the Arene software development platform, developed by Woven by Toyota, Inc. By adopting Arene, Toyota is swinging its development of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) into full gear. Toyota’s vision of the value that SDVs can provide goes beyond simple entertainment and convenience to also include a safe future that offers peace of mind with zero traffic accidents. Arene has realized two industry-leading functions that enable people to enjoy their mobility with peace of mind and to love their cars even more.

New-generation multimedia system used for the first time by Toyota

The new-generation multimedia system comes with a customizable home screen for improved operation tailored to each individual. It also includes faster and more accurate voice recognition for more comfortable interactions.

Latest Toyota Safety Sense package

Toyota Safety Sense offers advanced functionality with improvements and additions to enable more enjoyable driving with peace of mind.

Improved functions (example)

• Emergency Driving Stop System (EDSS)
  In the event that a driver becomes incapacitated due to sudden illness or other reasons while driving, the system automatically slows down and stops the vehicle.
  By using sensor information to identify a safe place on the road shoulder to pull over, the system has been improved to slow down and guide the vehicle to that safe area.^*5

^*5 This applies when driving in the first lane on a highway or a road designated for automobiles.

Additional functions (example)

• Sudden acceleration suppression
  The sudden acceleration suppression system restrains acceleration when it detects excessive or accidental accelerator input, whether or not there are obstacles.
  Previously offered as a dealer option, Plus Support has been improved and optimized as a standard inclusion in Toyota Safety Sense.

In the future, Toyota will not only improve development efficiency with Arene, but also accelerate the development of safety and peace of mind technologies through software updates.

SOURCE: Toyota