Toyota has once again found itself on the wrong side of Australian advertising regulators, this time over a television commercial promoting its rally-bred GR Yaris hot hatch. The ad has been withdrawn from broadcast after being ruled in breach of the country’s motor vehicle advertising standards, reigniting a familiar debate about how performance cars can be marketed in a tightly regulated environment.
The commercial in question leans heavily into the GR Yaris’ motorsport image. It opens in a remote setting, where a driver clad in racing gear walks into a fast-food restaurant named Up’n Down Burgers and casually orders a burger, fries and a milkshake. While the food is being prepared, the scene cuts to the GR Yaris being driven hard across loose gravel, its rally credentials front and centre.
Things escalate quickly. The driver collects the takeaway order while executing a dramatic jump, before the car transitions to rain-slicked asphalt near a port. Here, Toyota showcases the GR-Four all-wheel-drive system, briefly switching to two-wheel drive before the GR Yaris finishes with a sharp sideways stop alongside the GR86 and GR Corolla—effectively framing the GR trio as a performance-focused family.
That final sequence proved to be the ad’s undoing. Following a complaint about unsafe driving practices, Australian regulators ruled that the commercial breached the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Code. The determination stated that if the driving depicted had taken place on public roads, it would “almost certainly” have broken road laws in any Australian state or territory.
Toyota pushed back against the ruling, arguing that the advertisement was clearly fictional and stylised. The company highlighted the GR brand’s genuine motorsport pedigree, noting that the driving portrayed rally-style action carried out by professionals on closed roads, in vehicles closely related to its Gazoo Racing competition cars. According to Toyota, the intent was not to promote recklessness, but to dramatise what a capable driver and a purpose-built car can achieve under controlled conditions.
Regulators were unconvinced. Despite Toyota’s objections, the media agency responsible for the campaign was instructed to pull the ad from broadcast, and it has since been removed from television programming—though it remains accessible on YouTube.
“Toyota Australia confirms the decision made by Ad Standards. The current ad for the GR Yaris has been suspended until we make the necessary adjustments,” a Toyota Australia spokesperson said in an interview with Drive.
The episode underscores the ongoing tension between carmakers eager to celebrate performance and regulators determined to ensure advertising does not appear to endorse dangerous driving. For Toyota’s GR division, the challenge now is clear: how to sell rally-inspired excitement without crossing the increasingly fine line drawn by compliance rules.
When Toyota launched the original RAV4 back in 1994, it quietly rewrote the SUV rulebook. Here was a vehicle that didn’t ask its owner to choose between city life and the outdoors—it embraced both. Nearly three decades later, the all-new sixth-generation RAV4 builds on that same philosophy, now distilled into a clear and modern mantra: Life is an Adventure.
This latest RAV4 is not just an update—it’s a strategic evolution shaped around three defining pillars: Diversification, Electrification, and Intelligence. Together, they signal Toyota’s intent to keep its best-selling SUV relevant in an era of changing lifestyles, stricter emissions rules, and software-driven vehicles.
Three Personalities, One RAV4 DNA
Diversification is front and center. For the first time, the RAV4 lineup clearly splits into three distinct characters.
The Z grade is the urban sophisticate, leaning into refinement with a bold hammerhead front design, body-colored bumpers, and a three-dimensional mesh grille. At the rear, a seamless integration of glass and lighting emphasizes width and polish, making it the most road-focused RAV4 to date.
At the other end of the spectrum sits the Adventure grade, designed to look as capable as it is. A higher front nose, prominent wheel-arch moldings, and a tougher stance give it genuine visual muscle. Inside, Toyota reinforces the outdoorsy vibe with a unique “Mineral” color scheme—low-saturation greens accented with orange—along with camouflage-inspired trim details that underline its rugged intent.
Then there’s the GR SPORT, arriving within fiscal year 2025. While details remain limited, its mission is clear: sharper driving performance and a more engaging on-road character, aimed at drivers who want their SUV with a dose of Gazoo Racing attitude.
Familiar Size, Smarter Packaging
Despite the fresh design and new technology, Toyota has wisely resisted the urge to grow the RAV4. Dimensions remain unchanged at 4,600 mm long and 1,855 mm wide, preserving everyday usability. The real gains are found inside.
Boot capacity now stretches to an impressive 749 liters, and a flatter load floor when the rear seats are folded makes transporting long or bulky items far easier. It’s a practical upgrade that reinforces the RAV4’s reputation as a true do-it-all vehicle.
Electrification Without Compromise
Electrification is no longer an option—it’s core to the RAV4 identity. The new model continues with a hybrid-electric (HEV) setup and introduces a newly developed plug-in hybrid (PHEV), scheduled to follow within the same fiscal cycle.
The headline figure belongs to the hybrid system: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with high-output electric motors, delivering a combined 240 hp (177 kW). Performance is smooth, immediate, and unmistakably electrified.
Toyota’s E-Four electric all-wheel-drive system precisely varies torque distribution between the front and rear—from 100:0 to 20:80—enhancing acceleration, grip, and cornering stability. Add dedicated TRAIL and SNOW modes, and the RAV4 becomes genuinely confident on loose, slippery, or uneven surfaces.
Ride comfort has also taken a step forward, thanks to platform refinements and newly adopted shock absorbers, giving the RAV4 a more premium, composed feel on the road.
A Cockpit Designed Around the Driver
Inside, the sixth-generation RAV4 introduces a new island architecture, grouping key controls into clearly defined zones. The horizontal dashboard reinforces SUV-like balance, while thoughtful placement of displays, vents, and switches reduces eye movement and driver distraction.
Two Toyota firsts stand out.
The angled color head-up display replaces the traditional upright layout with a perspective-enhanced design that improves information recognition. Drivers can choose between Full, Standard, or Minimal display modes, tailoring information density to their preference.
Equally innovative is the Electro-Shiftmatic system, a one-direction shift operation that simplifies gear selection and cleans up the center console. By integrating the gear selector, electric parking brake, and brake hold into a single functional cluster, Toyota has reduced both visual clutter and operational complexity.
Software Takes the Wheel
Perhaps the most important evolution lies beneath the surface. The new RAV4 is the first Toyota to fully leverage the Arene software development platform, marking a key step toward the brand’s Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) future.
This approach has already paid dividends. Toyota Safety Sense benefits from improved camera and radar performance, expanded detection ranges, and smarter automatic braking logic. Pre-collision systems now respond more effectively at intersections, while low-speed acceleration suppression works even during turning maneuvers.
Radar Cruise Control has become more intuitive, recognizing surrounding vehicles earlier and responding more smoothly in congested traffic. A new shoulder-stop function can even bring the vehicle safely to a halt if a driver emergency is detected.
On the infotainment side, a 12.9-inch central touchscreen comes standard across the range, featuring richer graphics, customizable layouts, and voice recognition that responds in roughly one second—around three times faster than before.
Crucially, Arene lays the groundwork for future over-the-air updates, potentially allowing multiple vehicle functions to be updated simultaneously and customized for different regions and user preferences.
Still the Benchmark
The sixth-generation RAV4 doesn’t chase trends—it refines the formula it helped invent. By offering clear stylistic choices, embracing electrification without sacrificing usability, and stepping confidently into the software-defined era, Toyota ensures its global bestseller remains deeply relevant.
Nearly 30 years on, the RAV4 is still doing what it does best: adapting to real lives, real adventures, and real-world needs—just with more intelligence, more power, and more personality than ever before.
Toyota’s product rollout over the past year has been impressively broad. While attention has often been grabbed by the wild GR GT supercar concept, the Japanese brand has quietly strengthened its mainstream line-up with a series of family-focused models. Alongside the new Urban Cruiser, an updated bZ4X and the arrival of the all-electric C-HR+, Toyota is making it clear that electrification is no longer a side project.
Now, pricing for the C-HR+ has been confirmed, with UK sales commencing on 6 January.
Despite sharing its name with the familiar hybrid and plug-in hybrid C-HR, the new C-HR+ is effectively an entirely different vehicle. Under the skin it has little in common with its combustion-based siblings, instead giving Toyota a direct entry into the electric C-segment SUV class. That puts it up against key rivals such as the Skoda Elroq, Kia EV3 and Renault Scenic E-Tech.
Prices start at £34,495 for the entry-level Icon trim. This version is fitted with a 57.7kWh battery, delivering a claimed maximum range of 284 miles. Stepping up to the Design grade costs £36,995 and brings with it a larger 77kWh battery, extending the range to up to 376 miles. At the top of the range sits the Excel, priced from £40,995, which uses the same battery and offers the same range as the Design but adds a more generous standard equipment list.
Even in Icon form, the C-HR+ is well specified. Standard kit includes 18-inch alloy wheels, an 11kW onboard charger, and a familiar digital layout combining a seven-inch driver’s display with a 14-inch central touchscreen, also seen in the updated bZ4X. Inside, buyers get fabric and synthetic leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel and not one but two wireless smartphone charging pads.
The Design trim, which we’ve already driven, builds on this with the larger battery, an electric tailgate, tinted rear windows and the option of eye-catching 20-inch alloy wheels. Choosing the range-topping Excel brings further upgrades such as a 22kW onboard charger, powered driver’s seat adjustment, synthetic suede and leather upholstery, and an exterior parking camera. Additional safety systems are also included, notably front cross-traffic alert and lane change assist. Buyers can further enhance the Excel with an optional Premium Pack, which adds a JBL sound system and a panoramic sunroof.
Within Toyota’s growing EV line-up, the C-HR+ sits neatly between the Urban Cruiser and the larger bZ4X. It uses the same e-TNGA platform as the latter, despite its more compact footprint.
Measuring 4,520mm in length, the C-HR+ is 40mm longer than a Skoda Elroq, although the comparison doesn’t entirely favour the Toyota. The Elroq’s more upright shape allows for a significantly larger boot, offering 470 litres compared to the C-HR+’s 412 litres, a compromise brought about by Toyota’s coupe-inspired roofline. Despite being around 150mm longer than the hybrid C-HR, the electric model doesn’t feel especially spacious inside, particularly when judged against class leaders like the Skoda.
Powertrain options are broad. The entry-level C-HR+ uses a 165bhp front-mounted electric motor paired with the smaller battery. Models equipped with the 77kWh pack can be specified either with a 221bhp front-wheel-drive setup or a 338bhp dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, shared with the most powerful version of the bZ4X.
Performance figures reflect this range of outputs. The least powerful version completes the 0–62mph sprint in 8.4 seconds, while the more potent front-wheel-drive model cuts that to 7.3 seconds. Toyota hasn’t yet published official figures for the dual-motor C-HR+, but given that the bZ4X achieves 0–62mph in 5.1 seconds with the same hardware, a sub-five-second time seems likely for the smaller and lighter C-HR+.
Interestingly, despite offering all-wheel drive, the C-HR+ doesn’t inherit the X-Mode system found on the bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, which provides tailored settings for low-grip and off-road conditions.
Charging technology mirrors that of Toyota’s larger electric SUV. Battery pre-conditioning is now standard, either activated manually or automatically when a charging stop is set in the navigation system. Peak DC charging power is rated at 150kW, allowing a 10–80 per cent recharge in around 28 minutes. While not class-leading, it’s competitive enough for the segment.
With sharp styling, competitive range figures and a clear position in Toyota’s expanding EV portfolio, the C-HR+ looks set to become a key player in the brand’s electric future—provided buyers can overlook its tighter interior packaging when compared to some of its rivals.
