Toyota RAV4 in India is expected to be priced steeply over Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom) since it will be a CBU import
Speculations of Toyota bringing the new RAV4 to India have been going around for more than a year now. The rumours kicked up pace when a testing prototype of the mid-size SUV was recently spotted on Indian roads.
The latest set of spy pics are credited to Parikshit who has spotted this test mule conducting test trials in Nagpur. Like the previous images, the recent spy shots also show RAV4 wearing no camouflage. The SUV is expected to hit showrooms in India by the middle of this year.
Currently, in its fifth generation internationally, the new RAV4 is underpinned by the Toyota New Global Architecture-K (TNGA-K) platform. This architecture also underpins Camry in India which is brought to India as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) unit and locally assembled at the company’s Bidadi plant in Karnataka.
However, RAV4 is likely to be brought as a fully imported unit via the CBU route. This way the company will be able to take advantage of the new rule which allows 2,500 units to be imported without undergoing local homologation.
Design & Features
Coming to the test mule, exterior styling of the SUV spotted looks in line with the international model on sale currently. It gets a raked profile at the rear windscreen and the tailgate houses a green Toyota logo suggesting that it might be a Hybrid model. Other notable design highlights include a roof-mounted spoiler, shark-fin antenna, 18-inch alloy wheels and twin exhaust pipes.
Inside the cabin, it is expected to sport an all-black theme with a soft-touch material on the dashboard which is flanked by a freestanding 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment unit.
The international version of RAV4 also gets other features such as multiple drive modes, dual-zone climate control, wireless charging, dual-zone climate control, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate and many more.
Powertrain Specs
Internationally, Toyota retails RAV4 in three powertrain options- a petrol-only version, a hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid powertrain. We expect only the hybrid powertrain to be made available in India.
This variant features a 2.5-litre, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder, Atkinson cycle petrol engine which is paired to an electric motor kicking out 218 bhp. Transmission duties are handled by a CVT transmission. It is offered in both FWD (front-wheel-drive) and AWD (all-wheel-drive) configuration, although it is yet to be known which one will be offered in India.
Expected Launch & Price
Since it will be available as a fully imported CBU product, expect the mid-size hybrid crossover to be priced well over Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom). Although it will not have any direct rivals, upon its launch it will take on the likes of Mercedes Benz GLC, Jaguar F-Pace and BMW X3. We believe RAV4 to act as a technology demonstrator for its future products in India rather than a volume generator. Expect the SUV to launch around Diwali this year.
