Toyota RAV4 2010 News

Australia’s best-selling SUV is being recalled due to faulty seatbelts, but the fix won't arrive until June.

This will go down in automotive history as one of the weirdest automotive recalls of all time.

Toyota has issued a global safety recall on 6.58 million vehicles, with the impact hitting the popular Hilux ute, RAV4 SUV and Yaris small car.Statements issued by Toyota Australia today said that 179,000 of the Hiluxes built between April 2004 and December 2009 have been recalled for a defect that could see a cable between the steering wheel and  column sustain damage when the wheel is turned, activating the airbag warning light and preventing the driver's airbag from deployingA separate safety recall on 118,600 of the Yaris hatches and sedans built between June 2005 and May 2010 is to fix a defective seat track spring on the driver's and front passenger's seats. The statement says the spring can break and become stuck, giving the false impression that the seat is properly locked in place.In the meantime, the Yaris can still be driven but if there is any difficulty in locking the seats in position, owners should contact a dealer to arrange an inspection. The repairs will take about 1.5 hours for the five-door hatch and sedan, and about three hours for the three-door hatch in which the front passenger seat will also have to be removed.The number of RAV4s being recalled is not yet confirmed. Toyota says neither of the problems with the Hilux and Yaris have resulted in any accidents or injuries in Australia. Vehicle owners are being contacted by Toyota, but can get more information on the brand's campaign helpline on 1800 643 242. 

The three companies with Australia in their sights - Great Wall, Chery and Geely - are all expected to unveil new value-driven compacts and SUVs at the country's biggest annual motoring event.  Great Wall is the only brand with vehicles already in local showrooms, a dual-cab ute and SUV, but Chery and Geely will both hit the road down under before the end of 2010.BYD, a technology leader for China, is also planning to reveal its first plug-in electric cars in Beijing although it currently has no plans to sell overseas.  All 47 of China's manufacturers are expected to have something new at the show, with a move away from the copycat designs of the past - everything from the Rolls-Royce Phantom to the BMW X5 was either parodied or duplicated - to unique Chinese designs."They will all show their new export cars," says Ric Hull, the Ateco Automotive executive responsible for the Great Wall and Chery brands.  Hull says the Chinese car industry is advancing so rapidly it is hard to keep tabs on the new-model action."I think everything has to be seen in the context of the market. The Chinese made and sold about 13.6 million vehicles last year, and the US was 10.4 million," he says.  "They have not only eclipsed the US, they have gone way beyond them. In good years the US is 17 million, but the Chinese are there already."In the first quarter of this year, they have sold 4.6 million vehicles. So you're now talking 18 or 20 million a year. It's just gone bezerk.  "The thing that fascinates me most is how anyone can lift production to those levels. I don't believe the Japanese could do it, or even the Koreans."Hull says Ateco is already on track with additions to the Great Wall range including a single-cab ute, with Chery to hit first with a compact SUV.  "We'll launch Chery in August. It has just been an agonizing process to get the compliance issues in place, but it will be fine."I'm hoping to launch a RAV4-kind of vehicle at a really good price.  "Great Wall are talking about a 1.5-litre car that we'll introduce before the end of the year. They are getting there and getting there awfully, awfully quickly."Hull says he is expecting rapid improvement in Chinese vehicles, with quality and safety as top priorities.  Great Wall is just about to face its second ANCAP crash-test barrier in Australia and, following the miserable two-star result for the ute, Hull is hoping for a four-star rating for the brand's SUV."We took a hammering from NCAP on the utes but Great Wall reacted and they have made a lot of changes," Hull says.  Car sales in China are so important that all the world's major makers will be displaying in Beijing.Even though many skipped last year's Tokyo Motor Show, previously the world's equal number one with Frankfurt every two years, no-one can afford to miss the biggest motoring event in China.  There were more than a dozen world previews at the last Beijing show and a lot of the action is at the upmarket end of the business in 2010.Ferrari is unveiling its new go-faster flagship, the 599 GTO, and Mercedes-Benz will reveal an update of the $1.5 million Maybach ultra- luxury limousine.

The new 200 Series LandCruiser wasn't the only new Toyota model launched at last week's Australian International Motor Show.The company's little RAV4 SUV got a big kick in the grunt department with the addition of a V6 to its range. The four-cylinder option still remains.The RAV4 V6 now packs a 201kW punch that Toyota is hoping will bring plenty of new compact-SUV buyers into the market via a Toyota showroom.The 201kW of power arrives at 6200rpm and 333Nm of peak torque at 4700rpm, Toyota is claiming 10.5 litres/100km for an ADR fuel-consumption figure.The engine is shared with the Aurion, Kluger and Tarago; a 3.5-litre all-alloy quad-cam V6 with dual variable valve timing; and delivers 76kW and 109Nm more than 2.4-litre RAV4 four-cylinder unit.Toyota says it's the most powerful naturally aspirated engine it offers in Australia and the RAV4 V6 is the most powerful compact SUV.The entry-level RAV4 CV6 starts from $39,990, with the mid-spec SX6 priced from $43,990 and the flagship ZR6 carries a $49,990 price tag.The new CV6, SX6 and ZR6 models all use five-speed automatic transmissions and have power steering, filtered airconditioning, reach'n'rake steering adjustment, cruise control, power mirrors, power windows, 17 inch wheels and six-speaker MP3-compatible sound system with wheel-mounted controls.The SX6 adds dual-zone climate control, six-CD changer, leather-bound steering wheel and gear knob, alloy wheels, fog lamps and roof rails.The ZR6 tops the list with leather-trimmed seats and door inserts, heated driver's seat with power adjustment and sat-nav.Toyota says the braked towing capacity has risen by 400kg to the 1900kg.Toyota Australia senior executive director, sales and marketing, David Buttner says the V6 launch is the most significant step for RAV4 since its Australian launch 13 years ago.“The addition of the 201kW V6 models significantly alters the dynamic of RAV4 and the profile of people who buy it,” he says.“Compact SUV buyers who have had a connection to RAV4 styling and Toyota brand values but wanted extra performance now have that option available with the RAV4 V6.”The sales figures show compact SUVs are the fastest-growing SUV segment, with a 19.1 per cent sales increase year-to-date. Small torqueRAV4 V6: from $39,990Engine: 3.5-litre DOHC 24-valve alloy V6.Power: 201kW at 6200rpm.Torque: 333Nm at 4700rpm.Transmission: Five-speed automatic; all-wheel drive.Economy:10.5 litres/100km, tank 60 litres.Emissions: 246g/km.Performance: Top speed 210km/h, 0-100km/h 7.4 seconds.Brakes: Four-wheel discs, ventilated front, with ABS, EBD, BA, traction and stability control systems. In its classFord Escape XLT Sport V6: $37,190.Mazda Tribute V6: $36,900.Land Rover Freelander: 3.2 Si6 SE, $49,990.Mitsubishi Outlander VR:, $38,490.Suzuki Grand Vitara V6: $30,990.Hyundai Tucson V6: $30,990.Kia Sportage V6: $30,990.Subaru Outback 3.0R: $46,990. 

The countdown has begun for Toyota's push into Ford and Holden's heartland. The new TRD contenders will be in showrooms within four months and the Aurion V6 and HiLux have been out for final verification work, as they are prepared for battle against SS Commodores and XR Falcons. More signs are also pointing to a V6 RAV4, that shares its 3.5-litre engine with the Aurion, becoming the third TRD model. The two confirmed starters are familiar to anyone who has been to a major motor show this year, but still the HiLux looked impressive when photographed last week. The TRD operation is now moving from test and development into full-scale assembly work being done in Melbourne by Prodrive, which also holds the rights to fast Ford road cars in Australia. The Aurion will be out first and, even though the HiLux is confirmed for November, Toyota Australia is still trying to keep full details secret. The car is likely to be available from September; the press preview drive is scheduled for late August. “The car is coming in the third quarter. At this stage, that's all I can say,” Toyota spokesman Mike Breen says. “It's all done. It's ready to go. You have basically seen it at the motor shows. It's supercharged V6 et cetera.” The first TRD Aurions have already been ordered, Queensland police taking 11 for highway patrol work. They will join a batch of regular Aurion Sportivo V6s already in police paint. The HiLux is more subdued than that unveiled at the Melbourne Motor Show in March, but still promises plenty of go with a similar supercharged engine. “The HiLux is in November,” Breen says. “It is undergoing final testing. It's the 4.0-litre petrol engine, supercharged.” Toyota has confirmed the TRD Aurion is quicker than expected, using a new Eaton twin-vortices supercharger packaged in Melbourne by Harrop Engineering. “Total engine performance is one of the key positives of the TRD Aurion package,” TRD Australia chief engineer Stephen Castles says. “The TVS unit has performed really well and definitely helped deliver the engine performance we need.” Work on the engine has also been done by the Orbital Engine Company in Perth, which focused on testing and component development.