Wondering how the updated Toyota RAV4 due Down Under late in 2022 will look behind the wheel? New images from Europe have lifted the veil.
The strong-selling mid-sized SUV has picked up a 10.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system in Europe, complete with wireless Apple CarPlay (and wired Android Auto). As was previously the case, the screen sits proud of the dash.
Also new for 2023 is a smart voice assistant, which allows the driver or passenger to change the radio, or the climate, or close the windows, by saying ‘Hey Toyota’ and telling the car what they want.
The driver in Europe is faced with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which is capable of showing maps, rather than the 7.0-inch trip computer currently offered on range-topping RAV4 models in Australia.
The updates mirror those made to the Corolla hatchback in Europe, and foreshadow what we’re expecting for Australia
It’s likely entry-level RAV4 models in Australia will retain their 8.0-inch touchscreens, while range-topping models will pick up the updated technology from Europe.
Toyota Australia hasn’t confirmed the makeup of its new RAV4 range, but has confirmed its strong-selling mid-sized SUV will gain “the latest generation multimedia system across the range that incorporates USB-C connection and the addition of Toyota Connected Services”.
Along with its updated interior, the 2023 RAV4 will gain a refreshed range of active safety features.
The car will gain emergency steering assist (which helps panicked drivers steer around an obstacle to avoid a crash) and intersection pre-collision safety (which prepares the car if it detects an imminent crash pulling out of an intersection).
The RAV4 was treated to a facelift for 2022, with new lights and minor detail changes to the styling. The interior was left largely untouched, however.
Despite supply constraints pushing wait times out to 18 months on some variants, the RAV4 is the best-selling mid-sized SUV in Australia with 17,787 sales to date in 2022.
Those same wait times mean, although the first examples of the updated RAV4 are scheduled to hit dealers before the start of 2023, anyone who orders a car in the lead-up to its launch will be waiting until 2023, or potentially 2024, depending on model grade.
MORE: Everything Toyota RAV4
MORE: Toyota dealers warn of multi-year wait times on key models
