Toyota Raize Reviews

Toyota appears to have given us a peek behind the curtain at just how it would plug-in power its hybrid HiLux workhorse, with reports firming that the new mini HiLux will debut PHEV tech in the brand's ute space.Reportedly codenamed Project 150D, and designed to take on everything from the BYD Mako or Shark 5 to the Ford Maverick, the monocoque ute will reportedly adopt a version of the plug-in hybrid system from the brand's Prius.That would pair a 2.0-litre petrol engine with two electric motors for a total system output of 166kW, while the e-CVT is joined by a second electric motor to enable eFour all-wheel drive.Toyota is reportedly targeting the first half of 2027 for the launch of the mini HiLux.Toyota opening the door to its passenger range for its commercial plug-in options gives the brand some interesting choices for the long-expected plug-in hybrid HiLux, chief among them being the powertrain from the new RAV4 PHEV GR Sport.That model develops a total 227kW, with a 2.5-litre petrol engine joined by two electric motors, which also delivers AWD grip.Toyota has previously confirmed work is underway on PHEV technology that would suit the user case of HiLux, with the brand's former VP of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley saying "you'd never rule it out" when asked at the unveiling of the 2026 range.“Battery technology evolves, and it's evolving quickly. If we can get to a situation where a PHEV has the capability of doing 200-plus kilometres on BEV alone — so in other words, if I've got a HiLux I can just go around town, I can run that on BEV and be carbon-neutral pretty well, providing I'm using renewable energy to do it," Mr Hanley has also previously told CarsGuide.“Now the issue is of course can it tow? Can it take a heavy load? Well, to be able to flick a switch and say, well, for those moments where I'm going out off-road or for those moments where I need to tow a heavy load, I've got the convenience of going to a normal hybrid engine and I can get 500 or 600 kilometres and it's convenient, then I see a role for PHEV in that space.“I think that's some years away, to be honest, that battery technology. But when it comes, PHEVs will have a renewed engagement with the market because they'll go from what I call the ultimate inconvenience to the ultimate convenience.”

JD Power, the US-based industry analytics and consumer research specialist, has released its 2026 Initial Quality Study, a much-anticipated (and often feared) annual report looking at the way cars are built and how they operate.And despite a “sharp rise” in overall vehicle quality, this year’s study has highlighted connectivity as a significant stumbling block for manufacturers and consumers.As its name implies, the Initial Quality Study is based on responses from purchasers and lessees of new vehicles (this year 78,514 people) surveyed after 90 days of ownership.The quality audit is split into eight market segments and covers 10 categories - Multimedia, Features, controls & displays, Exterior, Interior, Driving assistance, Seats, Powertrain, Driving experience, Climate and Unspecified (unclassified gripes). Issues are rated according to Problems Per 100 vehicles (PP100).In 2026, fewer problems were cited across nine of the 10 categories, with Multimedia the exception, where “connectivity issues continue to strain customer experience with new-vehicle quality.”Introducing the report, JD Power Senior Director of Auto Benchmarking Frank Hanley said, “As more technology is introduced into vehicles, keeping the experience simple matters more than ever.“The biggest gains in quality come from features that are easy to use - simple controls, less-intrusive driver assistance and software that works the way customers expect.“When technology becomes too complicated, the likelihood of customers experiencing a problem rises considerably,” he said.The total number of reported problems with new vehicles improved to 175 PP100, down from 192 PP100 in 2025, which JD Power said is the best year-on-year improvement since 1997 and the fourth-best performance in the 40-year history of the survey.But Multimedia saw an increase of 1.4 PP100 in reported problems - typically issues with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity and touchscreen displays - for a total of 44.4 PP100 across mass market segments and 38.3 PP100 in the premium groupings.Porsche was the highest-ranking brand overall with an initial quality score of 138 PP100, ahead of Genesis (151 PP100) and Lexus (156 PP100).Toyota Motor Corporation’s Kyushu 1 plant in Japan, which manufactures the Lexus NX and Lexus UX, received the Platinum Plant Quality Award which is based on detected defects and malfunctions.

BYD wants to take its crown but Toyota isn’t going down without a fight.Toyota has flexed its muscles hot on the heels of BYD Chairman Wang Changfu stating the automaker will be the world’s largest in five years.The Chinese carmaker’s bold statement comes as it aggressively expands into international markets after Chinese sales struggle.Now Toyota has shown the jewel in its crown that BYD and other Chinese carmakers are not allowed to catch a glimpse of… the US market.Toyota has been swamped with orders for the new RAV4 Hybrid family SUV, according to US industry bible Auto News.According to reports Toyota has tapped out its Canadian and Japanese production of the RAV4 and is bringing more US production on line to feed the insatiable hunger for the RAV4 in the US.The new plant is expected to add 40,000 vehicles this year to the pipeline of new RAV4s.Wait lists in Toyota's biggest market are ballooning and nearly every RAV4 on the ground is getting gobbled up by buyers with dealers holding no stock. That’s an impressive feat considering the more than 1200 dealers nationwide, which shows it's a hit all over.This additional US production that helps free up global production is surely part of the reason Toyota Australia recently announced it had secured a greater supply of RAV4 this year, which are built in Japan.Toyota Australia said it had secured 10,000 additional vehicles, which includes the RAV4, HiLux ute and bZ4X electric SUV.The lion’s share of these will surely be RAV4s, as ute sales tail off and hybrid mid-size SUVs are all the rage.Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas said there had been strong demand for these vehicles Down Under.“This increase in supply is great news for our customers and dealers. It reflects the strong partnership we have with Toyota globally to prioritise the Australian market,” said Pappas.“Vehicles like HiLux remain essential for many Australians, while RAV4 continues to lead the SUV segment thanks to its versatility, drivability and efficiency.“We will continue working closely with our global production teams to secure additional supply where possible and ensure we are meeting the needs of Australian customers today and into the future.”The popularity of the new RAV4 shows just how hard a job BYD has in toppling the Japanese giant.BYD and other Chinese carmakers are locked out of the US market, which will make it hard to get close to the Japanese maker that sells more than one million vehicles there annually.

Fuel prices in Australia are about to rise again. The federal government has announced the Fuel Excise cut will continue at a lower rate until the start of August.The original 50 per cent discount equated to 32 cents per litre off fuel prices, but this was due to end on the 30th of June.The government will now extend a smaller discount of 16 cents per litre until the 2nd of August. This announcement means fuel prices will increase across the board in addition to any other fluctuations from external factors. A 16 cent increase will see diesel fuel prices increase back above the $2 per litre mark across the country, having been more than $3 per litre at times over the past few months. The diesel-powered Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux utes remain two of the best-selling cars in Australia.E10 petrol will also creep up towards the $2 point as a result of this decreased discount. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not ruled out further extensions to the Fuel Excise discount in the future if circumstances require it. "Of course we do live in a volatile world. Were there to be a massive global shock, my government will always respond,” Mr Albanese told Sky News. The news comes as rumours of an end to the Iran war heat up, with the conflict being the key driver of high fuel prices. There is still no freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz - the key gateway for many ships carrying oil globally.It has seen electric vehicle uptake in Australia soar, with budget Chinese options like the Jaecoo J5 EV and Geely EX5 growing by more than 200 per cent between May and June 2026. Tesla experienced a record-breaking month in May, shifting 6433 units - its highest sales number since the Electric Vehicle Council started collecting data. The government will also increase the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge to 16 cents per litre, with it being free since April. 

Toyota’s new CEO has only just stepped into power but is already looking to streamline the brand’s line-up of vehicles in a bid to reduce costs.As reported by Automotive News, Toyota CEO Kenta Kon officially joined the board on June 17 and has been touring facilities and looking for areas to improve efficiency.“We’ve become increasingly able to identify things that don’t seem quite right, areas where operations have become somewhat inefficient, or where the amount of work that doesn’t directly add value has increased,” said Mr Kon to Automotive News.“We’re now at the stage where we can really start addressing them – making corrections and implementing improvements.“If you go to a development division, you see issues such as an increasing number of different specifications and variants being created, which in turn is driving up costs.“If there are areas within those activities that aren’t truly value-adding work, or where work isn’t being done efficiently, then we need to take a closer look at them.“We need to start addressing those issues now and begin making improvements.“Some changes may be relatively straightforward, but honestly, there aren’t many that will be easy. Many of them may take time.”At this stage Mr Kon hasn’t identified any specific vehicles or variants that the brand is looking to cull to minimise costs and maximise efficiency.However, the Japanese carmaker recently scrapped the production version of the Lexus LF-ZC concept, which was an electric sedan. It reportedly did this due to a global slump of electric vehicle (EV) sales.This all follows Toyota losing the title of Japan’s most valuable company by market capitalisation, marking the end of a 22-year streak.Mr Kon was previously the CFO of Toyota Motor Corporation and has dealt with tariff burdens in the US and the threat of new and emerging Chinese carmakers on a global scale.Toyota is also reportedly expecting a 20 per cent drop in operating profit this fiscal year, which will mark the third year straight of declining earnings.In Australia, Toyota is still on top of the sales charts but experienced supply constraints on some of its top-selling models, including the RAV4 and HiLux.It has since locked in 10,000 more vehicles which will reduce wait times.The Japanese carmaker is now expecting to sell a total of 220,000 vehicles in Australia during 2026.

A new front in the ongoing ute wars has opened, with fresh reporting that Toyota and BYD will soon have plug-in hybrid ute options sitting beneath the HiLux and Shark 6.The monocoque, or car-based, ute offerings are taking shape in South America, where manufacturers clearly keen to expand beyond the saturated dual-cab market are plotting their next move.That begins with the Mako, expected to be called the BYD Shark 5 in international markets, which will reportedly nab a different plug-in hybrid powertrain to its Shark 6 older brother.In Brazil, the Mako is a plug-in hybrid producing an expected 175kW, and promising a circa-100km EV-only driving range, along with a choice of two- or all-wheel drive.But the Mako is the ocean's fastest shark, and it seems global markets will be sticking true to the name, upping the power to more like 200kW. The powertrain in question will reportedly be borrowed from the Sealion 6 SUV, pairing a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor. Unconfirmed reports of Toyota's smaller ute offering are now emerging from the same region. The ute, based on the Corolla Cross and currently codenamed Project 150D, will reportedly score its own plug-in hybrid system.In huge news for the brand, reports out of Brazil point to the 150D adopting the powertrain from the Toyota Prius, which pairs a 2.0-litre petrol engine with two electric motors.Total system output would be around 166kW, while the e-CVT is joined by a second electric motor to enable eFour all-wheel drive.According to reports, the smaller Toyota ute will launch in South America in the first half of 2027, while the BYD Mako is expected to launch in the final quarter of 2026, giving the Chinese brand a headstart from a global sales perspective.Australian launch timing is at this point unclear, but both Toyota and BYD have said the door is open to ute models below the Shark 6 and HiLux, so watch this space.

The mini Toyota FJ LandCruiser has been toughened up by the Japanese maker’s aftermarket accessory brand.Modellista, which is part of Toyota, has turned its attention to the mini 4WD to beef up its image and capabilities.It has released a body kit and a range of accessories that make it look seriously mean.The kit includes a new front bumper guard and front and rear under body protection to guard against ruthless off-road tracks.New overfender details, fender garnishes and side mouldings give the FJ LandCruiser more street appeal. There is illumination for the front T-O-Y-O-T-A badging, a bonnet garnish, roof spoiler and Matt Olive 18-inch alloy wheels.Inside, you can kit out the FJ LandCruiser with LED lighting around the dashboard, in the footwells and throughout the cabin.Bad news is the FJ LandCruiser is still off the cards for Australia for now.Unfortunately, the FJ LandCruiser has been ruled out as it is fitted with a petrol engine that does not meet our emissions regulations, according to former Toyota Australia VP of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley.“It’s just about regulations,” he said.“We’re moving to Euro 6 emissions standards. That’s the reality.”The door has been left ajar for the FJ to head our way in the future, though.Hybrid versions are to be built in India for domestic and export markets later this decade, according to reports.Petrol-electric power would put it back on the menu for Australia, and Indian production would likely keep the price below $50,000.

Japan is getting serious about car battery recycling. The Japanese government has drafted a report outlining a policy that would require carmakers to collect used electric vehicle batteries, according to AutoNews.Ministries will "consider policy solutions and timing for the establishment of a recycling system” for EV batteries.Battery recycling initiatives have gathered steam globally in recent years as e-waste becomes a bigger consideration. There will be more EV batteries degrading and becoming unusable as the numbers of EVs on the road increases.Car batteries are often only covered by eight-year warranties, leaving questions to what happens to them after this time.Batteries cannot be recycled in the conventional way because they often contain toxic chemicals, requiring an extensive process to disassemble them safely.Opportunities for recycling car batteries have increased significantly as carmakers and governments seek solutions to the issue. There is already a voluntary scheme in Japan, where up to 22 carmakers participate in collecting used EV batteries, including Toyota and BYD.AutoNews said roughly 13,000 batteries were recovered through the initiative in the 2024 financial year.Japan will use battery recycling initiatives to move away from heavy reliance on rare resource imports.Japan isn't the only place where battery recycling is being pushed.There are increasingly stringent European Union regulations that set recycling mandates for all companies.Under the EU Battery Regulation, there are stricter year-on-year recycling targets. In 2030, 70 per cent of lithium-based batteries must be recycled. Lithium batteries are commonly used in electric cars, so Europe’s rules are designed to directly target the car battery issue. EV batteries and the materials in them can be used for other purposes and are capable of forming part of home set-ups or powering alliances and tools.In Australia, Nissan is using nine NMC batteries from its first generation Leaf small car to power elements of its Victorian part manufacturing plant.Importantly these batteries have not undergone an extensive refurbishment process, meaning their repurposing is cheaper than conventional recycling choices. NMC batteries are more likely to be the target of recycling initiatives than lithium-based alternatives because they contain more rare and expensive metals. 

New car intenders are on the decline in Australia. While Chinese brands such as BYD and Chery are on the up, many of Australia’s most popular brands are struggling. Total sales for cars in Australia are down more than two per cent for May 2026 compared to May 2025. This decrease grows to nearly five per cent, if sales of the Tesla's Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan are excluded.This is reflected year-to-date data, which shows a more than one per cent overall drop compared to 2025 so far. The decrease comes after total sales declined slightly in 2025 compared to 2024, with sales already coming off a downturn in the second half of 2024. Even dominant players in the Australian car market like Toyota have experienced a near 25 per cent drop this year compared to 2025 numbers.This has been partly driven by a delay on supply for the new-generation RAV4 SUV, though. Economic factors are key drivers for buyer decline, including the ever-increasing costs of buying a new car, coupled with higher fuel prices. Potential buyers also need to satisfy cost of living pressures before thinking about buying a new car. The impacts of these economic conditions increases the possibility of the Australian market continuing to stagnate.Data provided from Roy Morgan last month showed buying intention to purchase a new car in the next four years has decreased by four per cent, and overall intention has dropped to 47 per cent. “The latest data on car buying intention reflects Australians believe now is not a good time to make big purchase decisions in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis,” Roy Morgan Chief Executive Officer Michele Levine said.The Kia Picanto, Australia’s cheapest new car on sale, remains the only car priced from less than $20,000. The exponential growth of Chinese brands in Australia has been driven by the comparative cheapness to legacy brand alternatives. Cars like the Chery Tiggo 4 and Jaecoo J5 EV small SUVs find themselves in the top 10 best sellers and have a price tag much lower than many of its legacy competition. 

Utes are the biggest segment in the Australian car market and have been for years.Among those utes have been some consistently successful ones, but there is a new era emerging to threaten the established pack.Fleets and private buyers are more closely considering the running costs of a predominantly diesel-powered segment.Electrified alternatives are increasingly, but will we see the established pack dislodged this year? With five months worth of sales data to look at, here are the best-selling utes in Australia predicted for 2026. There will be no surprises the Ford Ranger is still sitting at the top of this list. It continues to hold the title for the best-selling ute in Australia, despite a year-on-year decrease. Ford has already shifted more than 20,000 units, which is more than any other rival so far.The Ranger recently saw the popular 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel variant phased out, with Ford providing a cheaper single turbo unit as well as wider availability of the popular 3.0-litre V6 engine, and the brand has also added a range of unique Super Duty variants to bolster its line-up.The HiLux has also held onto its second-place spot up to April and will be expected to carry on this momentum, despite it, too, experiencing year-on-year drops. It still holds a clear lead over the rest of the chasing pack, with more than 17,000 sales so far this year, no doubt helped along by the arrival of the new-generation version late last year. Toyota will launch an electric version of the HiLux later on this year, to complement the current diesel-only range.BYD’s plug-in hybrid ute has well and truly garnered the attention of buyers, especially in a market where fuel prices are a primary consideration.The Shark 6 was one of the only utes to experience growth in 2025 and it has carried on this form into this year, and is on track to surge past the Isuzu D-Max in the coming months.With more than 6000 sales already in 2026, the ute is BYD’s second-best selling model, highlighting its importance to the brand’s top-two spot for April.BYD has added two new variants to the Shark 6 in 2026. A cab-chassis, and a new performance variant, which pushes towing capacity up to 3500kg.These new variants could open up new buyers for the ute Down Under, and push it up the standings further.The D-Max ute has sold steadily compared to April 2025, 4x2 variants picking up a solid boost so far, while the 4x4 variants are down. Based on its more than 8000 sales so far, we can expect the D-Max to stay on track for a finish in the top five, even though the Mitsubishi Triton is fast approaching. An electric version of the D-Max is also not out of the question for the brand, with it recently launching in Thailand alongside mild hybrid variants.The Triton has experienced a resurgent run on the sales charts so far in 2026, with more than 8000 sales, compared to around 7000 up to May 2025.Based on this start, you can expect the Triton to be in around the top places again come the end of the year. Mitsubishi recently unveiled a hardcore version of the ute called the Triton Raider, which has received specific tuning from Aussie engineering company Premcar. It is not a limited edition, and the brand is no doubt hoping it will help continue its renewed push up the sales charts.