The Toyota RAV4 has become significantly
bigger over the years. So, a new Toyota compact SUV is in the works now, a
model that will be positioned below it and go straight against the Jeep
Compass. The Toyota RAV4 has grown so much over the generations now, that it
sits on the same platform as the Toyota Camry mid-size sedan - NGA-K (a version
of the TNGA platform). A new report from Magazine X (May 2020 issue) says that
Toyota is working on a new compact SUV codenamed “地方男子”, which roughly
translates to “local boy”.
The new Toyota compact SUV will be the
production version of the Toyota Tj Cruiser from the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. So,
expect a boxy design with a lot of straight lines and a lot of other
conventional SUV characteristics. Make no mistake, though, Toyota isn’t trying
to go old-school and launch something like a Ford Bronco. If anything, the
company has strongly indicated with the Tj Cruiser that it’s trying to do
something different with this new SUV, but unlike in the case of the C-HR SUV,
something more practical and versatile than competitors. The company had
presented the Tj Cruiser as a "crossover genre" vehicle.
The new Toyota compact SUV, unlike the
aforementioned concept, won’t feature sliding doors. It will sit on the same
platform as the Toyota Prius, Toyota C-HR and Toyota Corolla - GA-C (a smaller
version of the TNGA platform). It will measure 4,410 mm in length 1,815 mm in
width and 1,600 mm in height. Under the hood, there’ll be a 2.0-litre in-line
four-cylinder petrol engine assisted by an electric motor. There should be a
petrol variant also on offer.
The new Toyota compact SUV is expected to
be unveiled in 2022. It’ll probably be a more suitable model for India than the
Toyota RAV4, being smaller and, more importantly, cheaper. We doubt it’d be
manufactured in India, though.
