2009 Toyota RAV4 sneak preview
August 27, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
Toyota’s popular compact SUV is scheduled for a facelift and our Toyota insider has given us a sneak peak of what we should expect from the new model.
New updated models of the new RAV4 are currently being built with the Australian release expected in late September.
Changes are aplenty. As per current model RAV4s an airbag package including front side and curtain airbags is available as an option on 4-cylinder CV grade, and is standard on all other models.
The new additions mean the option pack now includes driver’s knee airbag and front dual zone climate control air conditioning.
Toyota has dropped the moonroof as an option on 4-cylinder Cruiser grade, but it’s now standard on Cruiser L, SX6, and ZR6 variants. Three new exterior colours are also available. Graphite, Liquid Bronze (new to the Toyota range) and Sandstone. The three will replace Storm Grey, Dune and Mist Green.
For the facelift Toyota has updated pretty much everything, although from the photos above, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what has changed. Our source says there has been revisions to the front bumper, headlamps, exterior mirrors, rear bumper, radiator grille, front fog lamps, rear combination lamps as well a range of new alloy wheels.
The headlamps now make use of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) as the light source for each of the tail and stop lamps, meanwhile side turn signal lamps have been fitted to the exterior mirrors (moved from the front fenders)
The overall length of the car has increased slightly to 4625mm while kerb weight has also gone up slightly. The interior also receives a new dark silver brushed metallic finish.
A new scuff plate for the upper side of the rear bumper has also been added to prevent scratches.
New wheels for the updated RAV4.
Safety has also been improved with VSC (vehicle stability control), Toyota’s version of ESC, now standard across the entire RAV4 range. Another standard feature is Hill-start assist control. Downhill assist control is also available on all automatic four-cylinder and all V6 models.
Power from the 2.4-litre four-cylinder 2AZ-FE engine now rates at 125kW and 224Nm of torque. The V6 manages 201 killer-wasps and 333Nm of torque.
Official information from Toyota Australia is expected within the next few weeks.
Print it: 
I will keep reminding everyone of Toyoda’s exclusion from the WRC and how the case about theft from F1 Ferrari.
Toyota arguing the stolen software should not be returned because Toyota has improved the original. At the time I suggested it was like someone had stolen your car, but you could not have it back because the thief had added a really nice set of wheels, “Pimp my Ricer” anyone.
That is what Toyota’s lawyers have said in defence. It sounds to me like a confession though, of course, a statement given to the media by a firm of lawyers cannot be regarded as a confession. If it looks like a duck, has webbed feet, goes ‘quack’ and can swim, I’d say I was looking at a duck.
Angelo Santini and Mauro Iacconi will have sung their hearts out. Everything was on computers and you cannot argue with that. The more difficult business is moving away from that hard evidence. Gustav Brunner, former Chief Designer at Toyota Motorsport, René Hilhorst, formerly chief aerodynamicist, and Ove Andersson, once the team principal, are all charged under German (commercial) competition law.
I could name a fourth man, still at Toyota Motorsport, who must be having restless nights. He’s the guy who, in May 2003, sent an internal e.mail to all personnel telling them to destroy all Ferrari material. I know this for a fact, but I could never prove it.
There is an annual test for car mechanics in Japan and what does Toyota do? cheat of course, I have no idea how these exams are perceived in Japan, but basically people on the examining board gave Toyota mechanics, working in Toyota dealerships, all the answers via the Internet.. they seem to cheat as a matter of principle.
Toyota is the world Number One maker of cars. It long ago passed General Motors as a maker of cars, 60% of the General’s business in the States is with trucks. Toyota achieved that position because marketing personal are paid big bucks to gain top position, just like your shelves at Coles or Safeway, company’s like Coke receive prime position so you can see it without looking and easier to grab for convenience, Funny that HUH !!!!!!! “Money speak’s in volume”.
Toyota has been up to its tricks in NASCAR a few times, DaimlerChrysler had won US$6.5 million against Bill Davis Racing which was found guilty of developing a Toyota Tundra Truck for use in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2007 while still under contract to run Dodge Intrepids in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup.
I cannot fathom why Toyota cheats, yet cheating is endemic in its corporate culture.
Toyota has sadly made a mockery of motor sport throwing all of its own values out the window.
Joe Gibbs’ Toyota Teams Go From Leaders To Laughing stock in Cheating Scandal..
Two Joe Gibbs Racing teams have been busted for defrauding the post-race inspection in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. For their dyno run, they installed shims and magnets on their throttle pedal stops to prevent the No. 18 and No. 20 cars from being run at wide open throttle, thus disguising the Toyotas’ actual horsepower numbers.
First, a bit of background on what’s been going on with Toyota in NASCAR racing this season, and why their latest cheating fiasco matters. Being a relative newcomer to NASCAR’s top two series, Toyota is enjoying the benefit of a much newer engine platform, with more up-to-date internals than the other manufacturers, who are running an older drivetrain. Keep in mind that the whole point of NASCAR racing is for the cars to start out more or less equal, so that what’s showcased is the skill of the teams in setting up, pitting, and driving the car. Toyota, however, has for the entire season been reaping an advantage of anywhere between 30 and 50 horsepower over the other teams, right out of the box. But since Toyota has been pouring such massive marketing funding into NASCAR (doesn’t it seem like every second race is “brought to you by Toyota Tundra”?), discussion of this problem has been discouraged at every level within NASCAR’s organization, including the broadcasting level. More…
As the “open secret” of Toyota’s advantage started to become an embarrassment, NASCAR finally hauled in some engines from all the manufacturers for some comparative dyno testing—and subsequently acknowledged that yes, Toyota was running “slightly” more hp than the rest. Amidst much crying from the Toyota teams, NASCAR ordered them to run an intake spacer plate that would knock down their numbers by about 15 hp, putting them a little closer to other cars in the field. Publicly, members of the Gibbs teams have been griping and sulking about unfairness of the situation, but nonetheless installed the new throttle shims so they could disguise from the inspectors how much of a horsepower advantage they were actually still running. Obviously, the teams have an interest in denying their advantage, in order to avoid further restrictions that’d put them more on par with the rest of the field.
I understand that money is a huge factor in racing, and it’s not as though cheating is anything new, but the extent to which everyone associated with Toyota seems to feel perfectly entitled to buy themselves the Championship this year is a little over the top. The truth is that they’re the only manufacturer who can afford to pour megabucks into their NASCAR effort right now, and when Toyota’s huge gobs of cash predictably score them a technical advantage, they simply pour so much more money into marketing and advertising that NASCAR finds it easy to look the other way. It’s all a little corrupt, and the entity who gets stung the worst by it all is Toyota itself—after all, aren’t they sending the message that in order to make a Camry win in NASCAR, they pretty much have to cheat?
The reason Toyo-da cheat is easy, they are so desperate to win, it will kind of give them a fake licence to invade and beat Americans or Australian’s at thier own game again, just like the Japs have done in the past with (War’s) etc.
The Japenese are excellent at what they do, but for who’s interests, they may supply some offshore job’s, but not genuine local heritage or important history.
Good “ONE” Toyoda for cheating the system, I guess you have to be experts at something..
“Lazybones – shallow, that would have to be you to a ‘T’”
Firstly, you know nothing about me. And secondly if your incapable of holding a conversation without name calling. Then really the only argument is to grow up first, then talk to me”
“(Nick and Seumas are both Dingo, everyone)”
Not again! Well that would answer a few things, nothing like a split personality to get the party started.
Hey someone beat me to a headline there. Yes I read that about magnets and cheating by Toyota. Seems like you touched a raw nerve to the Dron-go!
Shame to Toyota team, but who cares, people cheat all the time in all sorts of sports. Mclaren Mercedes recently did it and we don’t hold a grudge on Mercedes.
Marion Jones and Tim Monty for USA Track and field, because they represent the US, we dont automatically generalise the USA as a land of cheaters do we? Similar goes with Toyota, if the team did it, its the teams doing.
IMMUNITY IS NOT SPREAD TO FORD AND HOLDEN JOB LOSSES AND A SLIDE IN SALES………..
Toyota to reduce production at UK plant as sales continue to skid.
Great story on fortunes of Toyota….so much for those immune ones who think Toyota will never go backwards!
Looks the same as the current fugly model, why bother toymota? It doesnt cost much to change the plastic bits, if ya gunna do an update do it properly or dont bother!
Falcodore – Toyota is one the who is profitable, has money in the bank and in a strong position to move forward. General Motors and Ford are the companies making mass losses, closing factories, retrenching workers and on the verge of bankruptcy.
Who do you think has the formula that is working ??
Maybe GM and Ford should have a long hard look at thier structure and learn a lesson or two from Toyota on how to stay strong.
Toyota is not the one hanging onto a lifeline, but we all know who are.
Tahu is Dingo, everybody. Don’t bother.
That may be so Tahu yet it all depends how willing Toyota Execs are to continue with F1 only to end up finishing [on average] 4th – given the millions of dollars and resources they’re sinking into it.
I mean you would have thought that with all Toyotas money and resources they would have been able to dominate a sport with only 4 other major manufacturers within one or two years.. in the the same way they have [supposedly] dominated various markets with the same number of manufacturers [and in some cases the exact same manufacturers] that are with them in F1
Sure Toyotas philosophies and smart marketing decisions etc have seen them become the worlds wealthiest car manufacturer However; F1 could pprove to be their undoing.. Whilst they may be winning in the showroom F1 could well be their undoing..
What is it they say one generation makes money the next wastes it
Only time will tell – it all depends on what they consider to be an acceptable level of performance .. and given the Japanese ideology of perfection spending so much and getting very little return could be seen as an embarrassment
Wheelnut Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Golf – everbody to you is Dingo, get over it and get a life.
The above comment is obviously you Dingo..
I [along with many other regular bloggers on this site] am actually rather good friends with Golfie..
He knows that I would never say anthing like that to him because I respect him he knows what hes talking about and can talk about things other than his beloved VWs
Yet because he; as you have guessed is CAs online moderator and has deleted so many of your inane abusive offensive comments you now have a serious vandetta against him more intense it appears than the one you do against anyone who likes any other car other than your beloved Toyota.
Why do you [and the rest of yout crue] find the need to start impersonating other regulars on this site?
For instance on a Holden Blog TP impersonated me trying to make it appear as though I had 98% of my brain removed and all of a sudden was as obsessed with Toyotas as you are.. when most people on here know I prefer Holdens.
I mean You haven’t gained any respect on here by using your other aliases – do you really think this is going to work? If anything I suspect they will be deleted just like your other comments..
This is the worst thred i have read on any automotive website in the world.
My god can we get a login happening to sort the wheat from the chaff! these comments above are so lowest. the flames the flames.
I have no idea why certain idiots here are attacking this vehicle for minor changes. Its not an entirely new model, its just an updated model and as a result its not going to have wholesale changes. Its also ironic that the Ford idiots are the one attacking it on these grounds given the fact that the FG Falcon which IS a new model shares to many similarities to the outgoing model.
TP – Changes to the RAV4 is merely cosmetic whereas the numerous reviews on the FG say that its the best Falcon in years.. mainly due to things suvh as a new revised steering system making the car responsive; theyve made further improvements to the blade suspesion system to improve handling as well as a roomier cabin with particular attention to easier rear seat access., Ford have addressed virtually every minor issue customers had with the BA-BF they’ve even madi it look more modern and sportier…
What have Toyota done with the their cars – they aren’t perfect either yet given that they’re the wealthiest car company they have more resources to make more substantial improvements to their cars than what Ford and Holden have done with both the FG and VE
Unlike the FG where the differences over the BF are noticeable [as they are with the VE compared to the VZ] Toyota have given their customers no real reason to bother buying the new car or even upgrade as its essentially the same as the previous model which is wrong when you consider that even a subtle change to the headlights would still cost a fair bit of dosh.
Again it appears that Toyota are happy to rest on their Laurels; as they have with the Corolla.. sure they may be number one in a number of markets but their rivals are making more imporvements to their cars and the gap to Toyota is gradually closing.. If Toyota keep it up they will be passed by a lesser rival such as Tmazda – the same way Toyota overtook GM..
remember as they say in motorsport its easier to chase
than it is to lead – because by chasing you’ve got something to aim for whereas when youre leading you got to try harder to keep the competition behind you and in terms of product development by making subtle changes Toyota aren;t really doing enough to stay there
Wheelnut, you really surprise me with your stupidity sometimes. Get over yourself. Get a life would be better.
Realcars impersonator aka Dingo,I think your the one in need of a psychiatrists. Realcars If your on here tonight send me a PM on the Forum and we will keep you in the email loopy of Dingo!!!!!!!!!
8.07pm is not me but CA is currently in the process of sorting this out.
hahaha nice one Dingo but it is me…………..I have to log on as me Realcars as Bavarian on the Forum so Dingo cant do this on the Forum,hes too much of a coward to join.
Plus Realcars you will see when I joined,not long after Alborz invited me and before the Forum was up cause we were mates,Dingo you have lost the battle and the war,give up.
BM I thought you had found some other ‘better’ site. Go back to it.
OH Didums Paul……………I’m still on that too! But was told that there will be some heavy culling of Dingos comments to remove him permanently from this site,so Im back!
Geeez, this site atracts the smartest people Ive ever listened too. bunch of wankas
When will this be available locally?
Next month I believe…
Hi Fenno, what’s your basis, may I ask?
Ring a dealership and ask them. I did.
If you can’t affor this Rav4 V6, better just comment rather than saying bad to it. Get a life.
I just got the new Rav4 Edge…what a caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!!!!
Roof Rails
Carpet Mats
Privacy Glass
6 CD Changer with Bluetooth
Reverse Parking Sensors
Alloy Wheels (5)
and tons and tons of space and cup holders(front and back), secret compartments ;) even a sunglass holder!, two levels of boot space!!!
WOW!!