Toyota lifts RAV4's safety standards

TOYOTA Australia has upped safety specifications and standard equipment levels across its RAV4 range, excluding the flagship Cruiser variants, with price rises of up to $2350 corresponding with the update.

The entry-level manual 2.0-litre petrol two-wheel-drive (2WD) GX grade receives a $900 price boost to now kick the range off from $29,450 before on-road costs, but also adopts safety systems previously only available on its higher-spec siblings.

Adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, automatic headlights, blind spot monitoring, pre-collision warning and rear cross-traffic alert are now included in the base RAV4 as standard, as well as satellite navigation, digital radio and a 4.2-inch infotainment system.

According to Toyota, the additional equipment is valued at $3800, representing a $2900 saving for range-opening GX buyers.

Continuously variable transmission (CVT) versions of the 2.0-litre petrol 2WD GX also rise $900 to $31,490, while the price of the automatic 2.0-litre 2WD GXL has increased by $100 to $35,490, with both grades gaining the same safety equipment boost.

New to the 2WD GXL grade however, is an optional 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats and leather-accented interior for $2500.

All aforementioned RAV4 variants are powered by a 107kW/187Nm naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.

Paired exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission, the 132kW/233Nm 2.5-litre petrol four-cylinder-equipped all-wheel-drive (AWD) GX and GXL RAV4s cop a $840 and $40 price hike to $34,490 and $38,490 respectively.

However, oil-burning AWD RAV4s – powered by a 110kW/340Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine – receive the largest increases in price, with the GX moving $2350 upstream to $39,060 for the manual and $41,100 for the automatic, while the GXL automatic rises $1575 to $45,125.

Range-topping Cruiser variants are the only grades to not receive a price hike, with the 2.5-litre petrol-powered versions dropping $910 to $44,490, while pricing for the flagship oil-burner remains unchanged at $50,500.

Cruiser variants retain the same level of equipment as before, including 18-inch wheels, 11-speaker JBL sound system, power-operated bootlid and moonroof.

For the first nine months of the year, Toyota has found 15,604 new homes for its RAV4 crossover – a 4.5 per cent increase over the same period last year – making it the third most-popular model in the sub-$60,000 medium SUV segment behind the Mazda CX-5 (19,187) and Hyundai Tucson (18,981).

The RAV4 holds a 14.2 per cent share of its market, while outselling rivals including the Mitsubishi Outlander (12,935), Nissan X-Trail (13,691) and Kia Sportage (10,598).

2017 Toyota RAV4 pricing*

2.0-litre petrol FWD
GX	$29,450
GX (a)	$31,490
GXL (a)	$35,490
2.5-litre petrol AWD
GX (a)	$34,490
GXL (a)	$38,490
Cruiser (a)	$44,490
2.2-litre diesel AWD
GX	$39,060
GX (a)	$41,100
GXL (a)	$45,125
Cruiser (a)	$50,500

*Excludes on-road costs