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Toyota Reveals RAV4 to be built at New Woodstock Plant

After carrying on with minor revisions for about five years, the Toyota RAV4 has been completely retooled for the 2006 model year. The number one
After carrying on with minor revisions for about five years, the Toyota RAV4 has been completely retooled for the 2006 model year. (Photo: Toyota Canada)
Japanese brand released a couple of snapshots of the upcoming RAV4 SUV yesterday, and announced that it will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in a couple of weeks.

Aside from its fresh new look, Toyota has hoarded any details regarding its mechanicals and features until the Frankfurt event, and pricing will be available closer to its availability.

So, about all that's left to talk about is how it looks... Nyeh (sorry, that's the best I could do for the phonetic spelling of a disinterested grunt)... Toyota seems to be heading for a more streamlined, less clunky appearance, but in so doing the new compact SUV looks decidedly
Toyota seems to be heading for a more streamlined, less clunky appearance, but in so doing the new compact SUV looks decidedly less chiseled and rugged than the current model (shown). (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)
less chiseled and rugged. Gone are the tacked-on wheel arches in favour of bulging fenders that appear sheared off by a giant band saw, to go along with sculpted door sills instead of funky mid-door mouldings.

The way the bulging, curved shoulders meet the rear D-pillar as they approach the taillights slightly resembles to the latest Subaru crossover, one of the more appealing aspects of the B9 Tribeca. Thankfully, Toyota hasn't attempted anything like Subaru's drastic nose job to dissuade customers from returning to Toyota showrooms. Though it shares the latest two-bar grille and big bold stylized "T" logo, it forgoes the all-attitude big chrome surrounds of the latest Toyota pickups in favour of the more civilized flush-with-the-hood look of the Highlander, and its very own flush mounted bumper for a curvy modern look.
And I'm guessing civilized is what Toyota will stress regarding its newfound dynamics and accommodations. When the marketing campaign hits,
Inside the cute ute' looks progressively upscale with a more stylish steering wheel featuring satin aluminum-look accents, and leather grip for the hands. (Photo: Toyota Canada)
expect lots of talk about sporty dynamics without sacrificing a comfortable ride. Surely Toyota will not be afraid to recognize that small, but growing RAV4 families will appreciate more rear legroom over 30-inch approach and departure angles.

Aside from a civilized ride, expect big announcements about a new range of engines. The current base engine, a 2.4-litre four making 161-horsepower and 165 lb-ft of torque, is respectable and fuel efficient, so don't look for too much at the lower end. However, sources indicate that the new RAV4 is built on a larger platform, so a variety of possible V6s could be wedged under the hood, the most likely candidates being the Camry's 3.0-litre unit tuned for over 200-horsepower or the same model's top-level 3.3-litre mill downgraded to more pedestrian numbers.

Inside the cute ute' things look progressively upscale with a more stylish steering
It's hardly a surprise that ECHO sedan sales in the United States suffered as they did after Toyota released the fashionable Scion line amongst much fanfare and an aggressive marketing campaign. (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
wheel featuring satin aluminum-look accents, leather grip for the hands and a hub that appears to be covered in material left over from a Batman suit-nice, soft suede-like rubber. In a total reversal, the gauges are black-faced with blue illuminated numbers. The centre console is bordered with more of the satiny aluminum-ish material, plus slightly revised audio interface and automatic climate control buttons replacing the three standard HVAC *****.

Worth noting here is that the European press site features pictures depicting an interior with a navigation screen, a start-stop button (indicating some sort of keyless ignition system) and buttons for hands-free integrated phone compatibility, so we here in North America are likely to get these amenities as stand-alone options, if at all.



As was mentioned in a recent article, Toyota will be manufacturing the RAV4 at a brand new facility in Woodstock, Ontario (see automotive news archive
Alongside the RAV4 will be another redesigned model, the Yaris, due to replace the ECHO Hatchback next year. (Photo: Toyota Canada)
July 19, 2005: Toyota to Build New RAV4 Plant in Woodstock, Ontario). Currently, production of all RAV4s takes place in Japan. Feeding the insatiable North American appetite for SUVs, the now the more and more popular market for smaller, fuel-efficient models will be divested to the Ontario plant once it is up and running sometime in 2008.

And now back to Frankfurt: alongside the RAV4 will be another redesigned model, the Yaris, due to replace the ECHO, possibly because the capitalization of ECHO did not resonate in the market as well as Toyota thought it would but more likely because Toyota can market a global name easier than one that is now only available
The Echo Hatchback is a regular top-10 seller in Canada, the only jurisdiction to get a Yaris in North America. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)
in Canada. However, it's hardly a surprise that ECHO sedan sales in the United States suffered as they did after Toyota released the fashionable Scion line amongst much fanfare and an aggressive marketing campaign. Then again, there really wasn't much to market for the ECHO aside from it's, ahem, cavernous interior and of course, fuel efficiency. Needless to say, it's now a dead issue, literally, south of the 49th.

In Canada, where no Scion xA, xB or tC is available, we can pretty well guess what to expect from the next generation Yaris. After all, our streets are crawling with the cuddly little ECHO Hatchbacks (the name stamped on Canadian market Yarises), and with good reason. Few other automakers offer a package as tidy, efficient and appealing as the ECHO Hatch, and none with Toyota's vaunted reputation for reliability. So with gas prices solidly into dollar-per-litre territory (and approaching $3 USD per gallon for Yanks, and Rebs if any remain), it only makes sense that more and more people will try to beat the pump prices by buying cars that use less gasoline (people in Texas excluded, because in Texas, as we all know, everything has to be bigger).


As far as its looks go, the Yaris is cuter than a bunny with pink ribbons. It follows the two-bubble formula of many superminis with large googly headlights,
The Yaris interior is as nice as can be expected in a car that will likely try to squeeze in under the $13K price line for its most basic rendition. (Photo: Toyota Canada)
smooth fluid surfaces, wheels at the corners and about as much glass as can be accommodated by its limited size in order to help alleviate any claustrophobic sensations. It's also expected to grow significantly to keep up with European B-segment rivals that have grown considerably over the past few years

The interior is as nice as can be expected in a car that will likely try to squeeze in under the $13K price line for its most basic rendition. The gauge cluster remains over the centre stack for cross-pond cost-cutting, but the three large, vertically stacked ***** for the HVAC system are surrounded by satin-finish faux nickel plastic, a touch of class for bargain basement shoppers.


One mystery is whether Toyota will drop the ECHO name in Canada, as it has become a respectable franchise in the subcompact genre, and is a frequent top-ten seller overall. From a global perspective, though, manufacturing thirty thousand ECHO badges for Canadian-market Yaris trunk lids hardly makes the greatest sense, and Toyota, I'm sure, likes to do things that make sense.

Toyota plans a full North American introduction of both new vehicles at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, November 2. The new RAV4 might already be on sale and on the streets by then as a 2006 model, but the Yaris will only hit showrooms next spring as a 2007 model.

 

i like the new rav4's a lot. I cannot wait till the v6 get's here. for a period of time it and the camry will be toyota's top of the line speed cars. yum yum. and hell when i put the 4x4 4cyl throu the off road test track I built for the ise shows it did quite well.