Will Toyota PH bring RAV4 PHEV GR Sport?

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) launched not one, not two, but three vehicles recently: the all-new sixth-generation RAV4 with HEV, the Urban Cruiser EV, and the refreshed Corolla Cross GR-S HEV.

With it, the leading automaker in the Philippines continues to introduce more electrified vehicles for Filipino customers. What's more surprising, however, is the fact that TMP finally decided to bring EVs, particularly the bZ4X and the Suzuki-based Urban Cruiser.

Both of these EVs represent Toyota's willingness to launch battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for the Philippines, which is slowly adapting to the ongoing change. In fact, Toyota Motor Philippines recently listed the first 12 dealerships where customers can buy or recharge the Urban Cruiser EV (and perhaps also the bZ4X).

With TMP now having charging stations available at some of its dealerships, it begs the question whether the company also plans to introduce plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). One vehicle in particular that has been garnering attention from fans and enthusiasts on social media is the RAV4 PHEV/GR Sport.

Unlike the RAV4 Adventure & Limited HEV models, the RAV4 PHEV/GR Sport is the plug-in hybrid version that can run on electric power over certain distances and makes more power than the GR Corolla & GR Yaris.

With dual electric motors and an electrified 2.5L four-cylinder, the plug-in RAV4 delivers a combined 329 PS. It also has a 22.7 kWh lithium-ion battery, which gives the RAV4 PHEV the ability to travel up to 150 km without using a single drop of fuel. Last but not least, it has a V2L function that can power homes or power up appliances during a blackout.

With TMP now installing charging stations at some of its dealerships, we were curious if the automaker eventually plans to bring the RAV4 PHEV soon. Curious, we asked TMP if they have any plans of the sort to bring the PHEV/GR Sport version of the RAV4.

For now, the company said they have no plants yet to bring the RAV4 PHEV. The company did say they were launching the all-new RAV4 and the Urban Cruiser, along with other vehicles that the automaker will launch later in the year, such as the Land Cruiser 300 Hybrid, the Land Cruiser FJ, and the next-generation Hilux.

The keyword here is “yet”, which could be an indicator that the door is open and TMP might not yet be ready to make such announcements. After all, the RAV4 PHEV only made its debut in Japan last month.

Given the all-time high (and about to get even higher) fuel prices now, it may be worth considering. The problem, however, is that demand in Japan might be high too. We shall see later on if Toyota's plans change.