Toyota RAV4 Spied Testing In India, Launch Expected Soon

Toyota Rav4 Plug in Hybrid
Toyota Rav4 Plug in Hybrid

A test mule of the Toyota RAV4 was spied during a road test in India, sparking speculations about the SUV’s launch

Toyota Kirloskar Motors has been planning to launch the RAV4 SUV in India for a long time. Now, the vehicle has finally been spotted in India during a road test. The upcoming Toyota RAV4 will likely be brought to our market as a CBU (Completely Built Unit) import in limited numbers, to take advantage of the homologation relaxations.

In this spy picture, the test model seems to have a ‘Hybrid’ badge above the front wheel arch. With electrification slowly gathering pace in the Indian automobile industry, this seems to be a wise choice by Toyota. Other than that, we also see that the vehicle gets square-ish wheel wells, chrome door handles, and single-tone alloy wheels. The tailgate gets chrome embellishment, and the interior seems to have an all-black theme, with a floating type touchscreen for the infotainment system.

The international version of the RAV4 also gets a semi-digital instrument cluster (analogue dials with a large MID), multi-function steering wheel, keyless entry, wireless smartphone charger, panoramic sunroof, and multiple connectivity options (Android Auto, Apple Carplay, Amazon Alexa).

Toyota RAV4 spied

Toyota RAV4 is underpinned by the TNGA platform and has quite generous dimensions. It has a length of 4,600mm, a width of 1,855mm, a height of 1,685mm, along with a 2,690mm long wheelbase. However, the SUV is only available in a two-row (5-seat) configuration.

The exterior design of the Toyota RAV4 is rather sharp and futuristic, with sleek headlamps, a wide front grille, sleek taillights, etc. However, the side profile is quite boxy, which lends a simplistic silhouette to the car. The interior design is also quite simple, but not at the expense of a premium feel. There are plenty of soft-touch surfaces in the cabin, including the dashboard and inner door panels.

The hybrid version of the Toyota RAV4 is powered by a 2.5-litre petrol engine, which works alongside two electric motors. The combined power output from this petrol-electric hybrid powertrain is 219 HP, and transmission options are limited to a CVT. Upon launch, which is likely to happen later this year, we expect the Toyota RAV4 to be priced somewhere between Rs. 40 lakh to Rs. 60 lakh (ex-showroom).

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