Mitsuoka Buddy

Mitsuoka is known for turning everyday Japanese cars into wannabe vintage cars for a price in the hopes for customers to stand out from the rest of the pack. From the Roadster-derived Himiko, the Corolla-derived Ryugi, and the March-derived Viewt, Mitsuoka knows a thing or two about converting regular Japanese cars into faux classics. Now, they've jumped to the crossover bandwagon by creating their first-ever SUV called the Buddy. What this crossover is based on is quite a surprise.

The 4,697,000 Yen Mitsuoka Buddy crossover is usually a fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 that talks like an American and when you take it everywhere, most people will usually mistake it for a very old American SUV, say an ancient Chevrolet Suburban or a K10 Blazer of some sort but you get the point.

Of course, while the Buddy is mistakenly American on the outside, the interior works and feels just like today's RAV4. It's basically spacious, comfortable, and functional, just like the Toyota crossover it was based on so anyone with such experience will have no problem getting to know its interior that fits all walks of life.

Just like the RAV4, the Mitsuoka Buddy features a rigid unibody chassis, MacPherson struts, double-wishbone rear suspension, shorter overhangs, and increased ground clearance, making driving somewhat a new normal rather than being normal indeed. It's front-wheel-drive by default but the one with the Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD makes it more enjoyable to drive even in the dirt. Going rough roading rather than offroading is what Buddy's capable of.

Under the hood, the Buddy comes with the M20A-FKS Dynamic Force 2.0L inline-four-cylinder engine mated to a Direct Shift CVT and an A25A-FXS Dynamic Force 2.5-liter inline-four-cylinder Toyota Hybrid System II engine with Electronically-Controlled CVT.

In terms of safety, the Buddy comes with the next generation of Toyota Safety Sense, which adds new active-safety technologies and capabilities including Lane Tracing Assist and Road Sign Assist, among many others.

The Mitsuoka Buddy crossover is proven to be quite a stir for the company behind the pseudo-classic commoners and thanks to such demand, the whole inventory's sold out until 2023, which is bad news for those who wanted to buy this pseudo-American RAV4. Anyway, although you can't buy one until 2023, the Buddy is for those who think today's Toyota RAV4 cramps their style. Case closed.

Photo: Mitsuoka Motor Co., Ltd.

Toyota RAV4 PHV

Last year, Toyota brought back the RAV4 to the Japanese market and its comeback is worth the wait because thanks to its TNGA platform, new torque vectoring system, and a choice of petrol and hybrid powertrains, the new fifth-generation RAV4 won the Japan Car of the Year award. Despite its success, it's never over for the RAV4 because, in order to bring out the best of this crossover, they've added the PHV variant for the first time not just for the RAV4 but for Toyota as well.

2021 Toyota RAV4 PHV

With prices starting at 4,690,000 Japanese Yen (around US $47,000) plus additional costs, the RAV4 PHV can be the most expensive RAV4 to buy but it's basically a milestone for Toyota because this is the first time Toyota has made a four-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid vehicle and unlike the Prius PHV, the RAV4 PHV is going to be the most interesting PHEV you want to drive because of what lies underneath.

2021 Toyota RAV4 PHV interior

2021 Toyota RAV4 PHV interior

But first, let's talk about what it feels like to live with the RAV4 PHV although it looks similar to the normal RAV4 of last year, the PHV variant features a unique front face, PHV badging behind, a two-tone exterior paint scheme, exclusive 19-inch alloy wheels, and so on. On the inside, you'll be greeted with the same interior as the normal one such as standard heated front seats, an 8-way power driver's seat, a 7-inch Multi-Information Display, a leather steering wheel, and shift knob, a power liftgate, an 8-inch touch-screen, and smartphone connectivity. It still seats up to five and has up to 490L of boot space, meaning it's practical like every crossover should.

2021 Toyota RAV4 PHV

Now it's time to find out how does this new RAV4 PHV works in interesting ways. First off, it uses the same 2.5L Atkinson-cycle gas engine from the normal RAV4 Hybrid but combined with powerful electric motor generators, the new Li-ion battery mounted under the floor, and the enhanced heat pump HVAC system, it delivers 306PS of total power output and that's about awfully close to the Subaru WRX STi. Nice job, Toyota, but it doesn't stop here because aside from its performance unheard for a crossover like this, it promises a combined 22.2km/L of fuel economy based on WLTP standards.

Underneath it still behaves like a normal RAV4 because of the TNGA platform, reworked dynamics, the same E-Four as the normal hybrid, and the next-generation Toyota Safety Sense. Yes, you can drive it on dirt but I wouldn't recommend taking it for a cross-country scramble because it's just a crossover and it doesn't behave like a real SUV anyway, the E-Four system works rather well even when going under the weather and for the trip home, it feels very civilized and nice. Road trips have never felt so interesting when you're driving one.

The PHV variant adds some electrified power to the hybridized RAV4 to make it feel so alive but by comparison against its main rival, the Opel Grandland X Hybrid4, it won't survive the fight but anyway, the RAV4 PHV is by no means the one to have if you are in the mood for some economical crossovers that does all the right things for you. Love it or hate it, the RAV4 PHV is all about business and leisure the Toyota way.

Available colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Grey Metallic, Emotional Red II, Dark Blue Mica, Attitude Black Mica, Attitude Black Mica/White Pearl Crystal Shine, Attitude Black Mica/Silver Metallic, Attitude Black Mica/Grey Metallic, Attitude Black Mica/Emotional Red II, and Attitude Black Mica/Dark Blue Mica.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

Fifth-generation Toyota RAV4

After years of being absent in the Japanese market while the rest of the world enjoyed one, the Toyota RAV4, the one that started the crossover trend, is back and Toyota promises that the new RAV4 is now better than ever thanks to its earful TNGA platform, Dynamic Force engines, new technology, and that's it. After three years of being absent in Japan, the new RAV4 is ready to pick up where its overseas-only predecessor failed and looks like it's going to be a big one now that it's back for real.

2019 Toyota RAV4

2019 Toyota RAV4

Having debuted at the 2018 New York International Auto Show and then went on sale globally before its comeback in the Japanese market, the new Toyota RAV4, the one that invented the crossover trend, is ready to pick up where its predecessors left off and everything you know about the RAV4 has been restarted back because it now runs on the TNGA platform and Dynamic Force engines with more to come later on.

First off, the design and for starters, Toyota uses the design from the FT-AC Concept as inspiration for this new model, and no matter which variant you're on; the normal or the Adventure variant, the new RAV4 is a sharp-looking crossover that shows its working-class charm, whatever that is. Although this is a sharp-looking crossover, it's hard to squeeze the details of its new design while squinting your eyes to get a closer look at it but once you get the picture, it looks somewhat above average.

2019 Toyota RAV4 interior

2019 Toyota RAV4 interior

Inside the new RAV4, it's surprisingly as spacious as the previous model that never saw the light of day on Japanese roads, and while the digital instrumental panel's nothing unusual on the rather functional dashboard, the creature comfort is about as pleasant as a compact sedan and there's plenty of room for some everyday junk from the thrift store, hunk of metals you're selling to customers or stuff you bought from the grocery, whatever it takes. The new RAV4 is basically a five-seater crossover so while it's not useful to occupy the whole second-row seats with child seats, it works only as a joyriders' car while going out to see some beauty spots. Yes, your little sister would love it more than her old Honda CR-V, that's for sure.

2019 Toyota RAV4

Thanks to its TNGA platform that contributes to its spacious interior, the RAV4 is now a livelier crossover to drive every day and in connection with the more rigid unibody chassis, MacPherson struts, double-wishbone rear suspension, shorter front and rear overhangs, and increased ground clearance, this new model deliver a relatively superior driving experience you can use it for work or for play.

The new RAV4 comes with the M20A-FKS Dynamic Force 2.0L inline-four-cylinder engine mated to a Direct Shift CVT and an A25A-FXS Dynamic Force 2.5-liter inline-four-cylinder Toyota Hybrid System II engine with Electronically-Controlled CVT and while they are rather sluggish to drive in the middle of the Shutokou, their additional AWD systems are rather handy-capable to drive through different road surfaces like the elephant in the room.

That's because the new RAV4 comes with the world's first Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD with Rear Driveline Disconnect which sends half of the torque to the back, then it distributes it to the left or right rear wheel for better handling and in the case of e-AWD on the hybrid models, it increases the overall torque to the back wheels by 30%. This system makes the new RAV4 a lot more enjoyable to drive even while going sandblasting at the beach.

Asked about fuel economy, the 2WD petrol variants can get up to 15.8km/L while 4WD petrol variants get up to 15.2k/L. The hybrid gets 20.6 for 4WD and 21.4 for 2WD. All are calculated under the honest-to-goodness WLTP regulations.

For safety, the new RAV4 comes with the next generation of Toyota Safety Sense, which adds new active-safety technologies and capabilities including Lane Tracing Assist and Road Sign Assist, among many others, making it a certified Safety Support Car or Safety Support Car S (Wide), depending on the variants.

The new RAV4 starts from 2,608,200 to 3,817,800 Japanese Yen (around 1,223,000 to 1,800,000 Philippine Pesos), making it one of the most reasonably priced crossovers in Japan today and that price really means business for the RAV4. Most Japanese people are missing out on the previous model while the rest of the world got their hands on it, probably because of such cowardice just like what happened to the Honda Civic and the Toyota Hilux but now that the RAV4's back in the Japanese market, looks like there's a lot of catching up to do for this new model, either good times or bad times.

Available colors:
Ash Gray Metallic x Urban Khaki, Ash Gray Metallic x Cyan Metallic, Ash Gray Metallic x Attitude Black Mica, Ash Gray Metallic x Gray Metallic, White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Sensual Red Mica, Dark Blue Mica, Urban Khaki, Cyan Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, and Gray Metallic.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

Report: Toyota may not sell new RAV4 to Japan at all

Japan won't be getting this latest-generation RAV4 at all...

When the fourth-generation Toyota RAV4 was sold in the world market, we have kept wondering why this latest-generation model isn't sold in Japan, even though its latest facelifted model offered a hybrid model fit for the Japanese consumers. Sadly though, looks like Japan won't be getting this latest-generation RAV4 at all because there's a report told that Toyota will stop selling the RAV4 to the Japanese market this Spring. Take note that only the third-generation RAV4 was still available in Japan as of now.

It is expected that it will be replaced by a new compact crossover derived from the C-HR Concept in a few months' time.

Report: http://www.nikkan.co.jp/news/nkx0420151027aaba.html

Some say: Toyota pushed Japan launch of new RAV4 by 2014

2014 Toyota RAV4

What a predicament...While the fourth-generation Toyota RAV4 is now sold globally, it seems that Japan missed out on those, despite the fact that they made it. So, when will the new RAV4 be coming in Japan? Some say, it should be at the end of this year but now...rumors told that it should arrive in Japan next year.

Perhaps, Toyota might be spawning a replacement for the Toyota Harrier which will be based on the fourth-generation RAV4.

RAV4が欧州プレミア、フルモデルチェンジを実施
新型RAV4が昨年2012年11月に開催されたロサンゼルスオートショーでワールドプレミアを迎えていたが、日本発売の話が進んでいない。日本市場での発売はまだまだ先の2014年末頃になる見込みである。
写真は、今月2013年3月開催のジュネーブモーターショーで欧州プレミアを迎えた新型RAV4。日本を差し置いて欧州でもニューモデルの販売がスタートする。

新型RAV4の日本発売、遅れる理由はハリアー継続のため
トヨタは、RAV4より上級のクロスオーバーSUVとして、ハリアーをラインアップしてきた。ハリアーは海外市場ではレクサスRXシリーズとして販売され、国内とは異なるブランド戦略が取られてきた。2009年には日本市場でもレクサスRXの販売が開始されたが、ハリアーはモデルチェンジを受けずに現在も旧モデルの販売が続いている。
長年トヨタのクロスオーバーSUVのフラグシップとしての役割を果たしてきたハリアーは、日本市場におけるネームバリューがまだまだ高く、車名存続の要望が販売サイドから強くある。それでも次期ハリアーを国内専用モデルとして新型の別車体を一つ用意できるほどの余力は無いようで、次期ハリアーは新型RAV4と車体の多くが共通化されることになる。
新型RAV4の発売が欧米よりも2年程度も遅れてしまう理由はこの次期ハリアーとの兼ね合いがあるためである。ハリアーは2013年の年末にもフルモデルチェンジする見込みで、その1年もしくは1年半程度遅れて新型RAV4の日本デビューということになる見込みだ。
車格や車両価格の関係から新型RAV4は新型ハリアーのダウングレード版という位置付けになるだろう。RAV4はハリアーより格下で後発でなければならないという事情が日本市場における新型RAV4の発売を遅らせているようだ。

URL: http://car-research.jp/toyota/rav4-5.html

Fourth-generation RAV4 to be on Japan this Autumn 2013

2014 Toyota RAV4

Seems that Toyota will retain its previous generation RAV4 in Japan via Netz dealerships because what I found on some spoilerlicious site called car-research.jp, the 4th-generation RAV4 will be in Netz dealerships at the Autumn of 2013...a late schedule for that but anyway, here's how it said...

RAV4のフルモデルチェンジ、日本仕様は2013年秋頃

日本仕様については、2012年12月3日に現行の旧モデルにおける一部仕様変更のスケジュールが入っており、新型への移行は暫く無い。これは旧モデルに対する横滑り防止装置(VSC)の標準化が主な内容で、装備の充実によって現行モデルの販売が継続されることになる。またJC08モード燃費による表記が行われ、FFで12.6km/L、4WDで11.6km/Lとなる見込み。エコカー減税の対象にならないが、モデル末期ということもあり、お買い得な価格提示が期待できそうだ。

日本仕様RAV4のフルモデルチェンジ発売は2013年秋頃となる見込み。日本仕様のエンジンタイプについては、まだ確定的な情報が無い。2.0Lモデルの導入でダウンサイジングと低価格化が行われるという話がある一方で、ハイブリッド専用車となる可能性も指摘されている。ハイブリッド専用車なら駆動バッテリーの生産状況により発売が前後することもあるだろうが、概ね2013年11月に開催される東京モーターショーで新型RAV4のフルモデルチェンジ発表が行われると見込んでいる。

Source: http://car-research.jp/toyota/rav4-3.html

What it said that the all new RAV4 will be in Japan this Autumn 2013 (November's 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, perhaps?) and some say that for this new model, the 2.4L enigne from the previous 3rd generation model will be ditched and be replaced with a 2.0L engine so there's going to be some downsizing here. They're also pondering a hybrid version here...