Articles by Matt Campbell

The second-tier model in the 2019 Toyota RAV4 range is the GXL, which could well be be the pick of the range based on its price and spec, as well as the fact it can be had with a choice of different power options.

Third rung up the Toyota RAV4 2019 model range ladder is Cruiser variant, which adds a little bit of luxury to the mix.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 range is the first from the brand to combine the practicality of an SUV with a broad range of hybrid models - in fact, of the 11 variants in the RAV4 2019 line-up, six of them are hybrid.

The Toyota RAV4 2019 model is the most sophisticated and thoughtful version of the mid-size SUV yet.

Mini has added a new special edition model to its range that celebrates 60 years of the brand - the inventively-named Mini 60 Years Edition.

No, Toyota Australia isn't seriously considering setting up a breakaway brand for its petrol-electric models, but at the launch of the 2019 Toyota RAV4, the company has highlighted just how successful its current crop of hybrid models are.Sean Hanley, director of sales and marketing at Toyota Australia, made the tongue-in-cheek reference to the company's hybrid line-up's success while outlining the strategy for hybrid variants of the new RAV4 mid-size SUV: six out of 11 variants in the range are hybrid-powered."I want you to hypothetically envisage this for a moment," he said of the notion of splitting Toyota hybrid models away from the brand's 'regular' line-up. "Toyota hybrid-electric would be the 14th-largest automotive franchise in Australia right now, at 25,000 cars per year," said Mr Hanley. "That's bigger than Audi. Bigger than BMW and Suzuki. Bigger than the combined sales of Alfa Romeo, Fiat, LDV, Mini, Peugeot, Porsche and Skoda," he said.The new RAV4 hybrid models follow on from a broader introduction of petrol-electric models by Toyota locally, with the brand struggling to keep up with demand for the Camry hybrid and Corolla hybrid, both of which are selling in bigger ratios against their petrol-only counterparts than the company had expected.Indeed, the brand recently celebrated the sale of its 100,000th hybrid model, and if projections are anything to go by, the one-millionth sale will occur considerably sooner than the 18 years it took to get to the recent milestone.Toyota Australia expects the new RAV4 model will see a 40 per cent take-up rate for the hybrid versions this year, though Mr Hanley admits he "wouldn't be surprised if it's even higher than that".And it could well be the case - the brand has announced aggressive pricing for the RAV4 range, and we'll be able to tell you how it drives soon. Stay tuned for our Toyota RAV4 2019 review in the coming week. 

Toyota Australia has struck out at suggestions the brand is rallying against electric cars in our market.Toyota Australia sales and marketing director Sean Hanley made the statement at the launch of the 2019 Toyota RAV4, which is launching with six out of 11 variants being hybrid-powered."I want to dispel any myth that anyone believes Toyota is against full electrification," said Mr Hanley."We're just not - we're making significant investment in battery technology in both China and the US right now. Significant investment. In some ways we're leading that charge - no pun intended."What we say at Toyota is that we're not closed to any of these options going forward. Will there be a plug-in hybrid at Toyota going forward - there certainly could be. Are we confirming one here today? No. But do we have the options to get one if we need them? Yes," said Mr Hanley, leaving the door open for a potential plug-in hybrid model in the near future.Mr Hanley further stated that the launch of the original Toyota Prius back in 2001 deserves to be marked as a moment of great change, even if the brand has only just celebrated 100,000 hybrid vehicle sales a full 18 years after that original model launched."We launched hybrid 18 years ago, and hybrid with petrol is a credible option right now, as we transition to the ultimate EV of fuel cell environment," Mr Hanley said."I would say that customers at this stage, like us, understand the need to reduce CO2 footprint, and the trends in buying motors are definitely indicating that now," he said.Mr Hanley said that Toyota Australia expects the new RAV4 hybrid model to account for 40 per cent of sales this year, though he admits that may be a conservative estimate based on the success of hybrid versions of the Camry and Corolla."We're always evaluating and reviewing our product line-up, and assessing what models and powertrains are indeed right for our market," he said."Rather than considering one single powertrain as a silver bullet option - like plug-in electric or other types of full electric vehicles - we believe in a holistic approach that includes a number of powertrains," said Mr Hanley."When we talk about electrification we consider it to include the our hybrid petrol that we have now in the market. We consider fuel-cell vehicles of the future as electrification. We consider full plug-in hybrids, and indeed full EVs as an option of the future."

The all-new, fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 2019 model range has arrived on sale in Australia, with the brand hitting hard at the hybrid factor this time around.

The Toyota RAV4 will be the first model from the Japanese brand to be offered with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto - but it won't be available from launch.The all-new RAV4 is on sale as of today, but customers who want the added usability of smartphone mirroring technology will have to wait until the fourth quarter of 2019 to get it. That's when all RAV4s sold here will have CarPlay and Android mirroring tech.But customers who decide to buy a RAV4 before then will be eligible for retro-fitment of the tech when it becomes available - and it will be done at no cost.And in a good move by consumers who have recently bought other Toyota products, the brand will also offer a retro-fit Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the Corolla hatch and Camry sedan. The move brings Toyota in line with Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Subaru and Mazda in offering the system in its biggest-selling models.Toyota says “Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be rolled out progressively as a standard feature across select Toyota models from the fourth quarter of 2019 onwards”, and more information is set to be provided on the retro-fitment and standard fitment of the technology later in 2019. 

If your natural habitat is the urban jungle you'll need transport to help you survive its tight A-to-B challenges. We've compared four city-sized hatchbacks, in their entry-level form, to determine which one best meets the less-is-more brief.