Toyota says the introduction of a diesel variant to its new RAV4 range has led to a sales surge that has exceeded the company’s expectations.
RAV4 variants fitted with Toyota’s 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine have accounted for almost 30% of the new model’s total sales, compared with the long term forecast of 20%.
The diesel is available in all-wheel drive (AWD) only and has been responsible for almost half of the new RAV4’s AWD sales – 46%.
Tony Cramb, Toyota Australia’s executive director sales and marketing, says the figures demonstrate the appeal of the turbo-diesel engine for RAV4 customers wanting both performance and fuel economy.
“Diesel SUV sales rose 37% last year, so the introduction of the RAV4 turbo-diesel has enabled Toyota to compete for the first time in this growth area of the medium SUV segment,” says Cramb.
“Even better, Toyota Motor Corporation has just approved an increase in the RAV4 diesel’s official braked towing capacity to 1000kg from July production.
“Our engineers here in Australia have worked closely with their counterparts in Japan to secure this increase.
“This change can only broaden the RAV4’s overall appeal.”
Cramb adds that Toyota has increased its supply of diesel variants following early reports from dealers that demand was likely to be higher than expected.
He says dealers were also selling a richer model mix than planned, with top-spec Cruiser AWD variants accounting for 19% of sales – almost double the level expected.
Mid-range GXL was running at almost 40% – about 10% higher than forecast.
Entry-level GX was also nudging 40%, compared with early expectations it would account for at least 60% of total sales.
Turbo-diesel RAV4 variants are listed from $35,490 – a keener price than most diesel rivals in the medium SUV segment.
The overall range starts from $28,490 for the two-wheel drive 2.0-litre petrol GX manual.
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