Toyota RAV4 Indian launch plan, a testimony to TKM’s focus on hybrids

With subsidy, special GST among other benefits, the Indian government may be pushing automakers to jump from ICE vehicles to pure EVs, but Toyota Kirloskar Motor is taking a different path. The company will gradually move to pure EVs by launching self-charging electric cars first – mild and strong hybrids – as it waits for the charging infrastructure in the country to build up. These self-charging vehicles will include a pricey Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

The Toyota RAV4 India launch (petrol-hybrid) will happen in the middle of 2021 (May-August 2021), as per a report from autocarindia.com. The Toyota RAV4 is the world’s best-selling SUV and also one of the top 5 passenger vehicles in terms of sales globally.

Introduced in 1994, the RAV4 has seen a cumulative sales of more than 10 million units worldwide. In March 2018, it entered its fifth generation and adopted a compelling exterior design. The interior design isn’t path-breaking, but it is contemporary and puts an emphasis on function over form.

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid specs

Video Courtesy: CarWoW

The fifth-gen RAV4 (including the Hybrid variant) sits on the GA-K platform that belongs to the TNGA family. It measures 4,600 mm in length, 1,855 mm in width and 1,685 mm in height. So, it’s bigger than the Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Tucson, about the size of the MG Hector and the Tata Harrier. It has 2,690 mm wheelbase, but a six-seat or seven-seat option is not available. While the Toyota RAV4 is available in a petrol variant as well, the Toyota RAV4 India will get is only the Hybrid.

Aspect	Toyota RAV4 Hybrid	Tata Harrier	MG Hector
Length	4,600 mm	4,598 mm	4,655 mm
Width	1,855 mm	1,894 mm	1,835 mm
Height	1,685 mm	1,706 mm	1,760 mm
Wheelbase	2,690 mm	2,741 mm	2,750 mm
Seating Capacity	5	5 (Tata Gravitas – 6/7)	5 (MG Hector Plus – 6)

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is available in FWD and AWD drivetrain layouts. The FWD variant uses the A25A-FXS 2.5-litre engine (178 PS/221 Nm) along with the 8NM electric motor (120 PS/202 Nm) to spin the wheels. The AWD variant adds the 4NM electric motor (54 PS/121 Nm) to the mix, on the rear axle. Up to 80% of the torque is sent to the rear wheels automatically if required.

The net power of the hybrid system is 218 PS in the FWD variant and 222 PS in the AWD variant. Look forward to a promising fuel economy of over 20 km/l in real-world conditions.

On the Toyota RAV4 Price & Features

The RAV4 Hybrid is a compact SUV affordable to the middle class in most countries, but in India, it will be a pricey affair aimed at the rich Toyota aficionados. If the RAV4 is a CKD assembly, the Toyota RAV4 price in India could come down considerably. Either way, TKM may have a sales projection of a few hundred units of the Toyota RAV4 in India in the launch year.

Make-in-India Toyota hybrid car coming

Last month, Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, TKM, confirmed that the company will invest up to INR 3,000 crores this year (financial) and that a part of this investment will go towards electrification. In July, Shekar Viswanathan, Vice Chairman and Whole Time Director, had confirmed that an affordable Toyota hybrid car for India is planned.

By the close of 2022, TKM’s line-up may include a locally manufactured hybrid sedan, possibly a next-gen Maruti Ciaz mechanical cousin, followed by the next-gen Toyota Innova hybrid. The company is likely to localise the Toyota Hybrid System (THS) for these models with the Lithium Ion batteries sourced from the TDSG factory in Gujarat.

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid – Image Gallery

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