Toyota’s mid-sized SUV, the RAV4, might be one of the most in demand cars in Australia. For Toyota, it has taken up the mantle of it’s best selling passenger vehicle, in fact it has spent the last two years as Australia’s best selling passenger vehicle. In order to keep it fresh, the 2022 Toyota RAV4 lineup has been tweaked with feature upgrades and additions for all variants, expanded availability of the Hybrid engine option, a new ‘sporty’ variant and changes to prices.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the new RAV4 updates ensure Toyota keeps delivering improvements that customers want.
“Customer demand for the RAV4 hybrid models has been most encouraging with the intelligent hybrid powertrain making up over 70 per cent of all RAV4 sales,” Mr Hanley said.
“The wider availability of hybrid, along with the introduction of the sporty XSE and other specification upgrades demonstrate Toyota’s commitment to deliver on what our customers demand, and continue to deliver ever better cars” he said.
Toyota has not been immune from the semiconductor and COVID-19 related shortages that continue to plague automakers. According to Toyota there is an average 9-10 month wait time for RAV4 Hybrid orders placed now, with reports of even longer delays for some customers.
With Hybrid models making up over 70 per cent of RAV4 sales, Toyota has expanded availability of its Hybrid technology to all 2022 RAV4 variants, though all drivetrains are unchanged compared with 2021 models. The range-topping Edge, previously only available with a 152kW/243Nm 2.5-litre petrol engine, has gained the 163kW 2.5-litre Hybrid option. In addition, a new XSE variant is only offered as a Hybrid. Sadly for lovers of shifting gears themselves, Toyota has discontinued the GX manual variant due to low demand, leaving the RAV4 as the latest casualty of its push towards an automatic-only vehicle lineup.
The existing GX, GXL, Cruiser and Edge models all receive feature additions, upgrades and aesthetic changes for the 2022 model year. This includes new alloy wheel designs, a new colour option, start/stop engine technology for all petrol engines, new LED headlight designs for Hybrid models, safety upgrades for the Edge variant, luxury additions for the Cruiser variant and other more minor upgrades for the GXL and GX variants. Hidden amongst the feature additions is the deletion of satellite navigation as a standard feature for the GX – it is now a $1,000 option.
The new variant, dubbed the ‘XSE’, slots between the existing GXL and Cruiser variants, and mirrors the XSE model currently offered in the US. Based on the GXL, Toyota is positioning the XSE as a more ‘sporty’ option. A range of black accents for the exterior and interior, in addition to standard two tone paint and a new gloss black 18 inch alloy wheel design set it apart from other models. The equipment list expands on the GXL to offer ‘Softex’ faux leather upholstered seats with front seat heating, 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat including lumbar support, a power rear tailgate and a 7.0-inch driver’s multi information display. The interior changes are rounded out by unique interior mood lighting and leather accented door trims.
Unsurprisingly, pricing has also been tweaked for 2022. With the aforementioned discontinuation of the previously price leading GX manual, the range now starts at $34,300 (plus on-road costs) for the GX petrol automatic – making it $1,605 more expensive to get into the cheapest 2022 RAV4. Retail pricing for returning GX models has decreased by between $270 and $395, depending on which drivetrain is selected. Retail pricing for the GXL, Cruiser and Edge variants has increased, with a $410 to $1,585 premium on 2021 pricing. The price for premium paint has also risen for 2022 to $675 (+$75).
These are the specific model-by-model changes for the 2022 Toyota RAV4:
GX:
- New light grey 17-inch alloy wheels
- Front fog lights are now LED
- DAB+ digital radio now standard
- Rear seat reminder
- Stop/start added for petrol variant
- LED interior lighting
- Satellite navigation deleted and now part of $1,000 option pack (or $1,300 with a full-size alloy spare wheel)
GXL (in addition to GX changes):
- New 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheel design
- Illuminated window switches
XSE (new model):
- New black 18-inch alloy wheel design
- Black exterior roof with black mirror, front and rear bumper and grille accents
- ‘Softex’ faux leather upholstery with blue accents
- 10-way electric driver’s seat
- Heated front seats
- Power tailgate
- Mood lighting
- Leather door inserts
Cruiser (in addition to GXL):
- Digital rear view mirror
- Three-stage heating and ventilation for front seats
- Front passenger seat now with eight-way electric adjustment
Edge (in addition to Cruiser):
- New matte grey 19-inch alloy wheel design
- Rear auto emergency braking (AEB)
2022 Toyota RAV4 pricing (plus on-road costs):
- GX 2WD petrol: $34,300 (-$395)
- GX 2WD hybrid: $36,800 (-$270)
- GX AWD hybrid: $39,800 (-$270)
- GXL 2WD petrol: $37,825 (+$410)
- GXL 2WD hybrid: $40,325 (+$410)
- GXL AWD hybrid: $43,325 (+$410)
- XSE 2WD hybrid: $42,825 (new)
- XSE AWD hybrid: $45,825 (new)
- Cruiser 2WD petrol: $42,500 (+$1,585)
- Cruiser 2WD hybrid: $45,000 (+$1,585)
- Cruiser AWD hybrid: $48,000 (+$1,585)
- Edge AWD petrol: $49,820 (+$905)
- Edge AWD hybrid: $52,320 (new)
Colours:
- Glacier White (Not available for XSE or Edge)
- Mineral Blue (premium) (not available for GXL, XSE, Cruiser or Edge) (new)
- Mineral Blue with Eclipse Black roof (XSE only) (new)
- Crystal Pearl (premium) (not available for GX, XSE or Edge)
- Crystal Pearl with Eclipse Black roof (XSE only) (new)
- Silver Sky (premium) (not available for XSE or Edge)
- Silver Sky with Eclipse Black roof (XSE only) (new)
- Graphite (Premium) (not available for XSE)
- Graphite with Eclipse Black roof (XSE only) (new)
- Eclipse Black (Premium) (not available for XSE variants)
- Atomic Rush (Premium) (not available for XSE variants)
- Saturn Blue (Premium) (not available for XSE or Edge variants)
- Jungle Khaki (Edge only)
Options:
- Premium Paint: $675 (+$75)
- Navigation (GX hybrid only): $1,000 (new)
- Navigation and full-sized spare (GX hybrid only): $1,300 (new)
- Panoramic roof (Edge AWD petrol only): $1,300
The 2022 Toyota RAV4 is due in dealerships now. Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews.
Words by David Diekman
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