“The American people are willing to forgive and forget, but they would like a little gift,” AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson tells Toyota [via USAToday]. Toyota’s answer (other than possible warranty extensions): a nice, dull little facelift for a nice, dull little cute ute. Meanwhile, Toyota’s US dealers are not thrilled with the state of affairs, gifting Automotive News [sub] such saucy quotes as:
Dealers will be talking [at the NADA convention] about how this will affect their investments as a dealer. You bet I am questioning my investment. I think they have handled this poorly.
And that was the quote that didn’t feature expletives! Will the softroader update (shown here in European spec) tame the angry beast that is Toyota’s dealer network? Given that it’s only being shown in Europe until “later this year,” the answer seems to be “not for now.”
When will the US-spec RAV4 get headlight cleaners?
Maybe when HID headlights without headlight cleaners are outlawed, like they are in Europe.
Not a big T fan, but I’ve never been down on their quality. My daughter drives a 2000 RAV (bought new by us so many years ago) that to this day has had no major problems. Oil changes and tires. Everyone has a story, I guess. Maybe she was just lucky.
Probably the best design from Toyota in a few years. That said it needs moar chrome and melted boy-racer body kits to fit in with the rest of their line-up.
I looked at the photo (but not the badge obviously) before reading the text and thought to myself “gawd is that ever an ugly VW” … even as a Toyota, it still is ugly.
I also thought it was a VW Tiguan at first glance. Not good for either brand.
Is it just me or does anyone else think the Jetta looks like a Corolla?
That is the really the first thing I thought. A vw rebadge for Toyota?
Is the Tiguan selling that well in Europe that Toyota has to “rebadge” like this?
@Roundel:
The Tiguan sells about five times as good as the RAV4 in Europe.
That is exactly not the case in the US where the Jeep Compass has better numbers than the Tiguan and the Rav4 blows it out of the water. Of course that can be attributed maybe to the high cost of the Tiguan.
I’ve never seen a Jeep Compass on the road anywhere in Europe. The Tiguan is priced to match the RAV4 in Europe.
My understanding is that this isn’t quite the car we’d get anyway: the NA RAV is a stretched, butched version of the Euro model anyway.
Yeah, the grille fits in w/ the Euro look for Toyota. The Rav was just refreshed in model year 2009 in North America, so I wouldn’t expect anything to change until the full redesign due in model year 2012 or so.
Ed, I’m not sure you could have picked any less related topics as the Euro Rav and pissed US dealers.
Last year, 3G RAV4 in America received a very nice and modern 2.5L 4-cyl, with both better power and better fuel economy than of the old 4-cyl. Seems like a more important advancement than new bumpers to me, but perhaps not to the buying public.
I thought about about writing something suitably snarky about this “refresh”, but nothing comes to mind. It looks like the approach angle is getting worse than the old version. That’s… not dramatic enough.
BTW, Europeans continue to receive a diesel in that thing.
Europeans get a lineup of multiple diesels, with manual and automatic 6-speed transmissions. However, the RAV4 barely outsells the Phaeton in Germany.
This is definitely not as ugly as the American model RAV-4. I can tell because I would actually give this vehicle the time of day whereas from a looks perspective I shake my head in pity at the current US-spec model.
Then again, I sort of liked the Nissan Juke look so I guess my opinion on styling isn’t always watertight.
Upon first glance at the photo, I thought maybe I’m looking at an upcoming small Lexus CUV. Compete with the X1, slot beneath the RX…
Why not?
It would have to be colored in Champagne or Black… for that to happen, with a nice fat L symbol on the front clip, and absolutely no guts or point to its design.. whatsoever.
I’m pleased with both the Avalon and now the RAV4 refreshes. It isn’t much, but the current RAV4 had an ugly maw that has been made handsome, if ordinary. If anything, it more closely resembles an Audi Q5 or VW Tiguan; neither a bad thing. Now if only they could make the bloat-tastic Corolla pretty…..
It looks like a Hyundai Santa Fe that has been slightly Tiguanified.