Toyota Raize 2020 detailed: Another Japanese small SUV bound for Australia?

Toyota will capitalise on the booming SUV market with another small-sized crossover dubbed Raize that slots in below the stylish C-HR and family-friendly RAV4.

Sharing the RAV4’s boxy styling, the Raize will launch in Japan before the end of the year, but Toyota Australia has confirmed to CarsGuide that the new model is, for now, off the table for the local market.

According to Toyota, “it caters to the desires of customers who want to drive an SUV, who want to load their cars with lots of luggage, but who also wish to have a car that is compact and easy to drive”.

As such, the Raize measures less than 3995mm in length, making it shorter than the Mazda CX-3, Mitsubishi ASX and just-launched Hyundai Venue.

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Boot capacity extends to 369 litres, while the rear seats can also be folded down to increase volume.

The multimedia system will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

While the Raize wears a Toyota badge, underneath it is actually built on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (a derivative of the Toyota New Global Architecture underpinning the new Corolla, Camry, Prius, C-HR and RAV4), and shares commonality with the Daihatsu Rocky that was shown at this year’s Tokyo motor show.

Power comes from a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, though specific outputs are yet to be revealed.

The brand claims that “the car achieves the torque and driving joy of a 1.5-litre engine, as well as outstanding fuel efficiency”.

Drive is sent to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission, but all trims are offered with an all-wheel-drive option.

Standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, LED headlgiths, 7.0-inch driver display, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay-compatible multimedia system.

In Japan, Toyota is targeting 4100 monthly sales of the Raize, with pricing kicking off at ¥1,679,000 ($A22,319).