Toyota Sprinter Reviews

Toyota has confirmed it will introduce a first-ever fully-electric Yaris hatch alongside the hybrid and petrol versions. Toyota’s European Vice President of Strategy and Marketing Andrea Carlucci said in an overseas interview the brand will look to embrace electrification in the segment.“If electrification is the direction, I think we cannot avoid having a fully electrified version ,” Carlucci told Auto Express.“The ideal path is to offer a platform where we have multi-energy options, so delivering different powertrains that are the right solution for every customer. “Let me put it to you this way: a multi-energy approach isn’t just one solution. It has to be the solution.”There is no official news yet on whether we will see the electric Yaris in Australia, but it could be a welcome addition for the brand. Toyota currently has only one all-electric vehicle on sale, which is the bZ4X, while an electric HiLux is also on the way. An electric Yaris gives Toyota a competitor in the growing electric hatch segment, and would be expected to be the brand’s cheapest EV. It would take on the likes of the recently-unveiled Volkswagen ID. Polo,  which could be on the cards for Australia, as well as Chinese rivals such as the BYD Atto 1.Toyota Australia has been contacted for comment to see if the electric Yaris has a future Down Under. Starting at under $30,000, the current hybrid-only Yaris is the cheapest car for Toyota in Australia, but any electric version is expected to be a decent step up in price.One potential roadblock for the Yaris EV getting to Australia is where it will be sourced.It will first launch in Europe and will likely be sourced from Toyota's factory in France. European budget car imports to Australia are often prohibitive due to high costs of shipment and other applicable tariffsThe Yaris currently available in Australia is sourced from Japan, which usually does not incur the same shipping costs as from Europe, meaning it can be offered at an affordable price point. Any new Yaris is not expected until 2027, when the new-generation hybrid will launch, with the electric version potentially not arriving until 2028.

Year-to-date registration data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) show ‘electrified’ passenger and light commercial vehicles have crossed a significant tipping point to become a more popular choice than traditional diesel and purely petrol-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) options in Australia.To the end of April, sales of battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles stood at 50,976 units, a 79.2 per cent increase on the same four-month period in 2025 (28,448 units).At the same time, sales of ICE vehicles (including light commercials but not heavy trucks) have dropped 35.9 per cent from 64,991 in 2025 to 47,813 units this year.Tellingly, sales of pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have grown by just over 100 per cent, with key players BYD up 110.8 per cent (25,243 vs 11,974) and Tesla 49.9 per cent year-on-year (8485 vs 5660).Individual (higher volume) stand-out BEV models include the BYD Sealion 7 and Dolphin, Geely EX5, Kia EV3, Tesla Model Y and Toyota bZ4X.And when it comes to hybrids, thanks to better supply of the new-generation version, the ever-popular Toyota RAV4 has come up to its more usual monthly sales rate and has been joined by its big-brother LandCruiser 300 Hybrid.Add in other relatively recent hybrid arrivals like the Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid joining now established disrupters like the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha and hybrid sales are set to expand even further. Clearly, April 2024 marked a historical moment in time for the Aussie new vehicle market.

Toyota’s next Corolla is approaching, but the brand is keeping quiet on what we can expect from the next generation of on of the world’s highest selling cars.

Toyota Australia is currently dealing with a couple of problems that, while it’s not alone in facing, seem to be affecting it more than most.With Australia’s new emissions laws set to continue tightening, Toyota will have to start looking for more and more efficient vehicles to lower overall emissions from the vehicles it sells.At the same time, its line-up of EVs remains behind the curve while people are more readily looking to go electric.This coincides with a sales dip thanks to the changeover in generations of the Toyota RAV4, something the brand might face more challenges with due to its lack of ANCAP rating.The dramatic increase in interest in cars built in China is another factor, with new brands sapping market share from the local market veterans to the point that China was the third-biggest source of new cars in Australia in 2025 behind Thailand 2nd (thanks to dual-cab utes) and Japan (thanks in great part to Toyota and Mazda).China is on-par with Japan for first in Q1 2026, and was the biggest source of new cars in March.It seems like a big problem for Toyota, but it could also in part contain the solution.Toyota has two major joint-ventures in China, a requirement for foreign companies to operate in China, one with Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) and one with First Automotive Works (FAW). GAC will be familiar to some Australians, having launched here in 2025, with the Aion V electric mid-size SUV leading the charge.Interestingly, the GAC Aion V is built on a platform co-developed with Toyota that also underpins the Toyota bZ3X in China.Given Toyota is in need of electric cars, and it has access to a readily available EV in China that would surely be more affordable than the bZ4X mid-size SUV, we asked Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, John Pappas, whether bringing in cars like the bZ3X from China is on the cards to increase sales in the EV space.While Pappas wouldn’t be drawn to comment on any specific models, or even whether Chinese cars were under consideration, he told CarsGuide there’s always scope for new models to come in from anywhere, regardless of the market of origin.“So the beautiful thing, the benefit of being such a global company like Toyota, and being in around 180 markets all around the world, and having so many manufacturing plants, that enables us to assess - whether it's sourcing of the vehicle, spec, power train.”“We are always considering from all parts of the world where we should source our next vehicles from. So that's an option for us, right? And that's the beautiful thing about being part of the Toyota global platform and family.”When asked if there were any learnings to be drawn from China’s rise to dominance in Australia or whether Toyota has gleaned insights from its joint-ventures, Pappas played down the focus on China, instead saying he believes Toyota’s history in Australia puts it in a strong position for its future here.“We want to make sure that whatever decisions we make, whether we're sourcing a car out of Europe, whether it's sourcing a car out of China, whatever it is, it's all about making sure we look after our customers through our extensive Toyota dealer network.”

The 2026 Toyota RAV4 Cruiser is the top-spec model in the new RAV4 line-up priced from $56,990 in front-wheel drive or $60,340 as an AWD before on-road costs.It features high-end inclusions like high-grade LED headlamps, leather-accented seat trim, head-up display, digital rearview mirror, four heated seats, two wireless phone chargers, plus a sunroof, a premium nine-speaker JBL audio system and 20-inch alloy wheels.It also comes with plenty of the RAV4’s standard features like LED headlights, privacy tinting, eight-way powered driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, a 10.5-inch touchscreen display for multimedia, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, five USB-C ports plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has a full-size spare wheel.Powering either the front or all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is a 143kW/221Nm series-parallel hybrid 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, which Toyota claims uses 4.5 (2WD) or 4.6L (AWD) of petrol per 100km of driving. It also now needs 95RON instead of the previous minimum 91RON.Toyota expects a five-star ANCAP rating, though will not find out until later in 2026.Eight airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) pre-collision, emergency steering assist, full-speed active cruise control, front and rear cross-traffic alert, lane trace, automatic high beam, parking support brake and blind spot monitor are all standard across the range.The brand’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty can be extended to seven years if you maintain your logbook servicing with Toyota. Capped-price servicing ($325 per service) comes every 12 months or 15,000km - this lasts five years or 75,000km. 

Toyota has just released the pricing for its new 2027 hybrid LandCruiser four-wheel drive, and it will be the most powerful variant yet.It will start from $156,060 (before on-road costs) for the GR Sport grade and $156,810 (before on-road costs) for the Sahara ZX.This means a hybrid LandCruiser costs around $9000 more than the highest grade of the diesel-only model.It is a significant step up in price on the recently-announced Denza B8 plug-in hybrid off-roader, which starts from under $100K. Toyota's hybrid LandCruiser announcement is also an early warning shot to the returning Mitsubishi Pajero, which we will learn more about before the end of the year.The LandCruiser hybrid will be powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 engine along with a single electric motor.The hybrid system has been adapted from the Tundra full-size pick-up, which itself offered some serious power and torque.The addition of an electrified boost to the LandCruiser has seen substantial improvements in power, now producing 341kW and 790Nm, up from 227kW and 700Nm. These new figures boost the car’s power beyond that of the soon-to-be phased out V8-powered Nissan Patrol. Toyota said this hybrid transition for the LandCruiser was designed to improve performance as opposed to efficiency like on other models such as the Camry sedan and RAV4 SUV.On the inside, there are leather-accented seats, with the front and outward rear ones heated and ventilated. Elsewhere, the car gets a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a 14-speaker premium JBL audio system.The GR Sport grade comes with front and rear lockable differentials as well as electronically-controlled suspension for increased rugged off-roading capabilities.Sahara ZX models have a rear limited-slip differential, for added poise on the road. The car’s new hybrid set-up allows for a rear auxiliary power socket, which is capable of powering small appliances.The new LandCruiser hybrid will arrive in showrooms in the middle of this year.2027 Toyota LandCruiser 300 hybrid pricing  

The 2026 Toyota RAV4 XSE is an all-wheel-drive, mid-size SUV priced from $58,340 before on-road costs.It features high-end inclusions like synthetic leather and suede sports front seats with contrast stitching and three-stage front seat heating and ventilation, plus a sunroof and 20-inch alloy wheels.It also comes with plenty of the RAV4’s standard features like LED headlights, privacy tinting, eight-way powered driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, a 10.5-inch touchscreen display for multimedia, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless smartphone charger, a six-speaker audio system and five USB-C ports plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has a full-size spare wheel.Powering all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is a 143kW/221Nm series-parallel hybrid 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine.Toyota claims it uses 4.6L of petrol (now 95RON instead of 91RON minimum) per 100km of driving.Toyota anticipates the new RAV4 will score five stars thanks to extensive safety kit, but it is as yet unrated, that comes later in 2026.Eight airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) pre-collision, emergency steering assist, full-speed active cruise control, front and rear cross-traffic alert, lane trace, automatic high beam, parking support brake and blind spot monitor are all standard across the range.A five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty covers the RAV4 and can be extended to seven years if you maintain your logbook servicing with Toyota. Capped-price servicing comes every 12 months or 15,000km and costs just $325 per service - this lasts five years or 75,000km. 

The 2026 Toyota RAV4 Edge is a mid-size SUV available only in all-wheel drive, rather than having a front-wheel drive option like much of the RAV4 line-up. It’s priced from $55,340 before on-road costs.It comes with plenty of the RAV4’s standard features like LED headlights, privacy tinting, eight-way powered driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, a 10.5-inch touchscreen display for multimedia, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless smartphone charger, a six-speaker audio system and five USB-C ports plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has a full-size spare wheel.The Edge has a unique (to the RAV4 line-up) 20mm wider wheel track and its own front-end design plus 18-inch dark matt grey metallic alloy wheels.Under the bonnet, a series-parallel hybrid 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine produces 143kW and 221Nm. It powers all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).Toyota claims it uses 4.6L of petrol (now 95RON instead of 91RON minimum) per 100km of driving.The RAV4 is yet to be crash tested by ANCAP, but Toyota anticipates five stars thanks to extensive safety kit including eight airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) pre-collision, emergency steering assist, full-speed active cruise control, front and rear-cross traffic alert, lane trace, automatic high beam, parking support brake and blind spot monitor. All this is standard across the range.Toyota’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty can be extended to seven years if you maintain your logbook servicing with Toyota, plus capped-price servicing (every 12 months or 15,000km) costs just $325 per service for five years or 75,000km. 

Enough is enough – serious questions have to be raised about Australia’s independent crash testing authority.The Australasian New Car Assessment Program, better known as ANCAP, has been a beacon of safety for the past three decades.And while it has no doubt been a driving force in ensuring Australians and New Zealanders drive safer cars, in recent years I have noticed some troubling, confusing decisions that have raised concerns in my journalistic head.And the latest example is perhaps the most troubling of all – ANCAP’s decision to not independently crash test Australia’s most popular passenger car, despite the car maker acknowledging it is missing key safety technology required to get ANCAP’s maximum five-star safety rating.I’m talking about the new Toyota RAV4, which the Japanese giant admits is missing key safety elements required for a five-star rating under the new-for-2026 testing protocols.This is because the RAV4 was meant to launch in late 2025 and Toyota designed it only to meet the previous testing protocols.While you can certainly question Toyota’s ‘just in time’ approach, and the fact that if Toyota had met those requirements it would have received a five-star rating that it could use for the the majority of the new RAV4’s showroom life, even as other new SUVs launched from now onwards would require a higher standard of safety (but that is an ongoing problem for ANCAP and not unique to this situation).Importantly, Toyota has said updates are coming to ensure the RAV4 meets the new five-star standard, but hasn’t made it clear precisely when that will happen or what those changes are.What is most troubling is that ANCAP has not publicly stated when, or even if, the RAV4 will be crash-tested by ANCAP or its sister organisation, Euro NCAP.A statement provided by ANCAP and attributed to Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg on said: “As with any new model entering the Australian or New Zealand market, the Toyota RAV4 is a potential candidate for ANCAP assessment.“Details of models scheduled for testing and rating are not publicly released until assessments are complete.“We are aware of Toyota’s planned update to the RAV4 later this year. Until independent safety testing has been conducted, the updated model will remain unrated.“Given the RAV4’s popularity, ANCAP encourages fleets and consumers to consider the availability of an independent safety rating when making purchasing decisions.”That’s sound advice, people should definitely consider the safety of an unrated car.But it doesn’t answer the question of why ANCAP won’t simply crash test the RAV4 now.It was the biggest selling passenger vehicle in Australia in 2025, so it is an obvious choice for families.ANCAP is funded by governments, motoring clubs and other industry bodies, but it does not have infinite resources to crash test every new model that comes into the market – especially as each test requires between six and seven cars to be written-off as part of the process.Therefore, the majority of the testing is carried out on cars supplied by the car brands.It’s a mutually beneficial relationship – the car brand (hopefully) gets a five-star rating to advertise, while ANCAP gets another crash test to promote and consumers get an independent assessment of the safety of what cars they are buying. It’s a win-win-win situation.Except in this case, because Toyota is, understandably, not about to submit a car it knows won’t pass all the tests with flying colours. And ANCAP is seemingly happy to wait until that time.As time in crash labs is in-demand and usually booked months or even years in advance, CarsGuide understands Toyota has already arranged for the updated RAV4 to be crashed by Euro NCAP later in 2026.But why wait? Why is ANCAP happy to give Toyota this time to sell an unrated version of the RAV4? This is fundamentally a bad thing for you – the Australian consumer (and taxpayer).Without knowing specifically when the updated RAV4 will arrive in Australia, let's use an example of six months. In 2025 Toyota sold 24,034 examples of its mid-size SUV in that span.That means, if it takes six months for Toyota to update the car and get it into showrooms, potentially more than 20,000 Australians will be buying an unrated car.I completely understand ANCAP’s budgetary limitations, it simply cannot afford to go out and buy six or seven examples of every unrated vehicle.But surely, if it is going to spend its own money on crash testing specific models, surely you start at the top of the sales charts and work your way down?Some of the cars that ANCAP has self-funded crash tests for in the past include the Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai i30 Sedan and Suzuki Swift.Combined, those three models sold 12,303 examples in 2025, compared to 51,947 RAV4.Far be it for me to tell ANCAP how to run its business, but it would seem like, from a return-on-investment perspective, it should be looking to help the greatest number of people for its direct funding, and crash testing the best-selling models would seem like the best way to do that.To be clear, I’m not accusing ANCAP and Toyota of collusion or favouritism, but this is simply a very strange situation and a very hard ‘square to circle’, so to speak.As the organisation states on its own website: “ANCAP plays a vital role not only informing consumers of the differences in safety performance of new vehicles entering the Australian and New Zealand vehicle fleets.”Also stating: “ANCAP is Australia and New Zealand's independent voice on vehicle safety.“We crash test cars and conduct on-track and on-road performance assessments on safety features and technologies then publish a simple star rating or grading to indicate relative safety performance.“Over the last three decades we have published independent safety ratings for thousands of new vehicle makes, models and variants. These independent safety ratings and gradings are used to compare the relative safety between vehicles of similar size and have become a critical factor in vehicle selection for private consumers and fleet buyers.”Except in this case, where one of the best-selling vehicles in the country has been given extra time to prepare and leaves thousands of customers set to miss out on safety features that ANCAP itself has deemed important (hence the updated 2026 protocols).What is most troubling to me is, what message does this send to the industry and to consumers?Can a car maker launch a less-well-equipped model with an attention-grabbing initial price, sell it for a few months (or longer) and then add safety and submit it for ANCAP testing? That would be a dangerous precedent to set, in my opinion, but in the future car brands will be able to point to this situation and claim that it is simply following past form.Again, to be crystal clear, I’m not accusing Toyota of deliberately deploying this as a tactic, it seems like a genuine production-related issue.But ANCAP, as the independent safety body that it is, should step in and crash test the RAV4 that is on sale today to give consumers a clearer choice.

Toyota Australia’s reputation for reliability has, in the last few years, had to work hard against its reputation for long wait times.Especially after supply chains were ravaged in the lockdowns of the early 2020s, Toyota’s most popular models became the subject of months-long waits.So, with the arrival of a new generation Toyota RAV4, we asked Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas if customers can expect times to diminish.“So on average, across our range for RAV4, on average, the lead times will be within three to six months,” Pappas told CarsGuide.“And we obviously, together with our dealers, communicate that when we're taking any of the orders for our customers.”When asked whether a six-month waiting period was still acceptable to the brand, he said it was usually only customers who had more specific preferences that would wait longer.“I think for us a lead time is always going to differ a little bit whether it's going to be a one month versus a three month depending on, you know, the grade, the colour, the spec. “And let's not forget that the RAV actually has, when you look at the RAV breadth, when it comes to spec, two-wheel drive, all-wheel drive… It's quite broad.”Pappas added, now that the line-up for the RAV4 is more diverse thanks to a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain on the way and a series of trims with either two- or all-wheel drive, he expects those looking for more ‘standard’ versions of the RAV4 won’t have to wait as long.He says it also means anyone looking for a bit more out of the RAV4 will have an option thanks to the introduction of the more powerful GR Sport model that will sit atop the range.“And the reason why we've done that is because, on the strength of RAV now becoming an icon in Australia since 1994, six generations, and it's so popular that we've taken all that sort of customer feedback, and that's why now… when you look at the range, we've got the plug-in coming now with a new halo vehicle, GR Sport, because we want something more sporty, more aggressive at that top end, with more power. “And then you can look at where the Edge sits now versus where it used to sit. So we’ve strategically done that based on meeting customer requirements.”