Peruzzi Toyota Product Blog

For the past couple of entries, we’ve been discussing the evolution of one of Toyota’s most popular vehicles, the crossover RAV4. It has gone through quite a few changes over the years and the 2009 model will be no different.

The 2009 Toyota RAV4 will receive a facelift that should augment the way the vehicle is promoted. It will be freshened up in most North American markets, as it is every few years, and will greet dealerships with a new look that is sure to stun potential customers.

The most noticeable upgrade on the new RAV4 will be a 4-cylinder engine. The 2009 version’s standard 2.5 litre 4-cylinder engine is a low friction design optimized for performance and fuel efficiency. It produces 179 horsepower at 6,000 RPM, along with 172 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 RPM. Pretty impressive, yeah? That’s a significant upgrade on the 166 horsepower and 165 lb.-ft. of peak torque of the previous 2.4-liter engine.

Some of the new exterior upgrades include redesigned head lamps, tail lamps, a new front grille, bumper and foglight trim. There will also be a Limited Edition that will feature a new bumper cover. Extra special features are included in all designs.

The Toyota certified 2009 RAV4 is expected to make some waves in the market and should provide customers with a solid crossover option that is both nice to look at and incredibly fuel efficient.

When the third generation of Toyota’s popular RAV4 hit the streets in 2006, some things had changed.

An all-new platform was utilized to create the new RAV4, shedding some of the skin from the previous generation’s model. The engine was the same foundation, sure, but the output of it was up about five horsepower from the previous incarnation. The North American and Australian 2006 RAV4 featured an optional V6 engine.

The RAV4 for the third generation was also the first such vehicle to be marketed in regular (for European and Asian markets) and extended (for Australian and American markets) versions. As such, the new RAV4 SUV topped the United States in sales for the first time.

The extended length RAV4 offered in American and Aussie markets was larger in interior volume by about 21%. There was also an available third row seat for two small children available in United States and Canadian models.

Most countries sold the four-wheel drive version only, but the United States added a two-wheel drive option.

With a facelift planned for 2009, the Toyota RAV4 continues to be successful in most markets. While sales are moving away from SUVs and crossovers to more fuel-efficient models, the Toyota name has been able to attach some significance to the vehicle. By being Toyota certified, many people associate environmentally-friendly principles with the construction of the RAV4. As such, many are still buying the vehicle.

With oft-reported rising costs of steel and raw materials in Japan, the car companies are buckling under the pressure to apply mild price increases to their vehicles. Case in point: Toyota certified price increases to its hybrids in Japan that follow on the heels of a general price increase in the country.

The price increase by Toyota in Japan is notable because price increases without model improvements have become a rarity. Toyota has acknowledged that the strategy to raise prices is a risky one because of various domestic issues, but many analysts are suggesting that the increase is the only way Toyota will be able to snag more market share.

“Recent further price increases in raw materials have been larger than Toyota’s cost reduction efforts are able to offset,” Toyota said in a statement.

The price increase, while not significant in any dollar amount, is symbolic of the change in Japanese industry. The car industry has long struggled to keep up with the rising cost of materials and many companies have faced much more significant circumstances than Toyota. But Toyota’s reliance on quality and environmentally-friendly production has actually served them quite well. Their quality and attention to detail has minimized the damage that many other companies are feeling.

Other Japanese automakers are expected to follow Toyota’s lead here, as always.

After the success of the first generation of Toyota RAV4 vehicles, a second generation was born. The second generation RAV4 continued on with the foundation of the Toyota Corolla, using the same basis for its construction. The vehicle also still came with front or all-wheel drive options.

The RAV4’s second generation period was from 2001-2005. The two-door option was available in Europe, Australia, and Asia, but the American model only featured a four-door configuration. The engine was a 2.0 litre model, available on all models, that cranked out 148 horsepower.

Some of the RAV4s came with anti-lock braking systems and air conditioning. Electronic stability control was also available, as was cruise control and many of the usual special features.

Toyota offered a sports feature package for RAV4 users. The sports feature loaded the vehicle with a mesh grille, a hoop scoop, a roof rack, colour-keyed door handles, silver sport pedals, sport fabric seats, and fender flares. The sports feature proved to be relatively popular among younger drivers of the RAV4.

In 2004, Toyota performed a slight revision on the RAV4 and optioned some restyling. A 2.4 litre engine was provided as standard equipment, except on some European models of the crossover. Audio controls and steering wheel mounted controls were standardized as well.

Australia really fell in love with the second generation RAV4. Sales were excellent Down Under in 2001, leading to the Toyota crossover leading all SUVs on the market in the country. In 2004, it was the best-selling compact SUV.

The second generation RAV4 was extremely popular among female drivers, as more women chose to drive the Toyota vehicle than any other crossover or SUV in the United States. Only the Volkswagen new Beetle outsold the RAV4 among female drivers in America in 2003-2004.

The Toyota certified RAV4 has continued to enjoy success as one of the company’s top sellers. Next time, we’ll look at the third and final generation of the RAV4 and see how far the crossover has come.

Toyota Motor Corp. is considering raising prices in Japan because of the rising steel costs. With the soaring price of steel impacting production, many industry analysts are suggesting that Toyota is looking to raise the prices on their product line. Toyota has not yet made any final decision, however, and are continuing to look at all of the variables.

Speculation hasn’t stopped, of course. Many are claiming that Toyota will be forced to announce the price increases to dealerships across Japan.

If prices do increase, this will mark the first Toyota certified price increases without a model makeover in thirty years. Japan’s insider marketing experts are claiming that Toyota only has plans to raise prices on some models, such as the Prius, and that the increases will not be significant. The estimated increases are said to be around 1 to 3%.

Whether Toyota goes with the price increase or not, the company still sits at the top of the car sales charts for now. Its attention to hybrid technology has made them industry leaders and their continued approach towards business has integrated them with the best qualities in the field.

A rise in Japanese prices would be a considerable move. Toyota has raised prices in the United States before, of course, and the changes have not drastically impacted the business of the company. With any change in prices in Japan, the automaker could turn the corner on tough steel prices and rising costs of production internationally.

The first generation of Toyota’s RAV4 crossover model debuted in 1994. It was originally based off of a Corolla design and came out offered in both two-door and four-door versions. There were front-wheel-drive options and four-wheel-drive options available, along with a five-speed manual transmission or the option for a four-speed automatic transmission.

The original RAV4 faced its first major re-design in 1998, as Toyota added a soft-top two-door option exclusively to the United States markets. The horsepower was also increased.

By 1999, the two-door hard-top model was dropped from American production, which left the soft-top two-door and the standard four-door models left in North America.

The RAV4 really became an interesting figure in automotive production in 1997 as the RAV4 EV was released. The vehicle was an all-electric zero-emissions car set for street driving. It was released in California in limited numbers to a ready-and-willing set of drivers. The models had a 60,000 mile battery warranty, but rather quickly dropped to obscurity as a result of a combination of factors.

The first-generation RAV4 models faced some criticism as the result of a lack of overall power. The gasoline-powered versions were criticized for a lack of fuel economy, which was important even before environmentalism became cool.

Toyota certified RAV4 EV models still sell for a high price, with a recent sale taking place on Ebay for around $50,000 US.

Get A Greener Life

Today, people are more conscious than ever of the impact their lives have on the environment. Concerns about pollution, trash, and global warming create a great deal of anxiety, and rightly so. Fortunately, there are things you can do to live a more environmentally friendly life.

Get Educated

The first thing you, the owner of a Toyota car, can do to live greener is to get educated. Learn what sorts of things are harmful to the environment. Learn the impact that specific sorts of products and activities have on the environment. Learn about alternative products, or ways to do common tasks that are more friendly for the environment. While knowledge alone isn’t enough to change the world, it’s where you have to start.

Get Moving

Taking action is the first step toward change. Make the decision that you’re going to live a life that has a smaller footprint on the environment. Do the basics, such as recycling. Commit yourself to taking direct action to make the world a better place.

Get Organized

You’re not alone, and there is strength in numbers. Consider joining a community organization that works to clean up the environment and to raise community awareness of environmental issues. If there isn’t an organization like that in your area, look into what it would take to start an organization like that.

Get Equipped

Many of the products that you use on a daily basis just aren’t good for the environment at all. Switch from using some of those products to using products that are better for the environment.

Get Talking

Talk with others about environmental issues. Don’t be judgmental or angry, but instead work to be convincing. Help others to see the impact that their lives have on the environment, and the dangers that can come in the long term from neglecting the environment.

There’s something else you can do to live a greener life, as well. Come see us at your local Royersford area Toyota dealer and see what we have to offer. We have plenty of fuel-efficient vehicles that are much better for the environment than other vehicles.

Last time we talked, we discussed the mild price increase in the brand new Toyota RAV4. Since our conversation, it seems that there’s a darn good reason for the price increase: more power.

That’s right, you heard it here. The newest Toyota RAV4 will feature a new 2.5-litre engine that will replace the existing 2.4-litre engine. Okay, so it doesn’t look like the power increase is anything significant, but that smidgeon of a boost in power can actually prove to be quite noteworthy when the bigger picture is examined.

The RAV4 is currently capable of knocking out 166 horsepower, but with the new engine and the upgrade, the new model will be able to boot 179 horsies. Not sounding so bad anymore, is it? And the overall torque rises from 165 pound-feet on the former to 172 pound-feet on the new one. A new four-speed automatic transmission will also grace the new RAV4 from Toyota, making it a decent upgrade that probably matches the price increase as well as anything.

Of course, if you’re still not convinced that the Toyota certified RAV4 is for you, there’s really only one solution: head on down to your local Toyota dealer, sweet-talk the car salesperson, and take one of these bad boys out for a spin yourself. Something tells me around the third or fourth turn, you’ll be converted.

Toyota is planning on a mild price increase for its popular Toyota RAV4 models.

The increase in price adds up to an average of $224 across the 2009 line-up when it arrives in showrooms. The 2009 RAV4 will range in price from $22,245 for the base front wheel drive model to $28,555 for the RAV4 Limited with four wheel drive and a V6 engine. Prices include a $745 destination charge.

The 2009 RAV4 is an impressive upgrade, getting a redesigned 2.5 litre four cylinder engine capable of 170 horsepower. The new engine uses a new four-speed automatic transmission that is more lightweight and cost-effective than the previous incarnation on the 2008 RAV4 models.

The 2009 RAV4 also features a redesigned grille and a new front bumper with redesigned tail lamps. There is also a “sport” appearance package which lacks the signature spare tire on the back that previous models featured.

Whether or not the new RAV4 from Toyota is worth the extra change is up to you, of course, but I’ve been more than impressed with the model. Not only is it generously fuel-efficient, but it looks great. The RAV4 offers Toyota certified thrills for fans of one of the finest car companies in the world.

So David Duchovny has a Toyota RAV4. Like many other celebrities in the green revolution, the X-Files star has moved forward with trying to help the environment. Getting the plug-in, all-electric RAV4 should be a step in the right direction for the guy, right?

Well, Duchovny is never one to shy away from complaining about just about anything. From whining about the Vancouver rain (that’s ALL it does here, okay?) to complaining about other meaningless crap, the celeb with an aversion to greyness is now complaining about “being tethered” by his Toyota RAV4.

“I’ve had my RAV4 EV [Toyota’s all electric 4x4] for the last four years,” Duchovny told the UK Times Online. “It was supposed to be a prototype for the next generation of cars. But the problem is that the car needs charging every night and the most you can do in a day is 80 miles. It is like being tethered.”

In between tears, Duchovny pointed out that not being able to drive over 80 miles without charging has been a pain in the royal you-know-what. While 80 miles a day is probably a solid enough distance for most of us living in the real world, obviously Mr. X-Files has more to do in the average day. To add a bit more mobility, the 48-year-old actor has purchased a Vespa scooter to cope with the congestion and limits of his electric RAV4.

Nevertheless, David Duchovny continues to drive his Toyota certified RAV4 and will continue, most likely, to complain and whine for quite some time.