2010 Toyota Rav4 Update And Auris Hybrid Revealed, Australian Debut Unclear

TOYOTA HAS TODAY revealed the updated-for-2010 Rav4, scheduled to make its debut at Geneva next month ahead of a European market introduction in the coming weeks.

Speaking with TMR today, Toyota Australia's Mike Breen confirmed that there are currently no plans to launch the updated Rav4 in Australia (the current Australian-delivered Rav4 was upgraded in late 2008).

Toyota has so far released only one image of the updated Rav4, with little in the way of specific details. It is clear from the image however that the SUV's new face is taken from the Japanese market Rav4, where it is sold as the Vanguard.

2010 Toyota Auris HSD

Along with the facelifted Rav4, Toyota has also issued a single image previewing the production version of its latest hybrid offering, the Auris HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive). The regular petrol-engined version of the Auris is sold in Australia as the Toyota Corolla.

According to Toyota, the Auris HSD is a major milestone in the carmaker's plan to introduce its hybrid technology across its entire model range by the early 2020s. 

Toyota has not offered specific technical details for the production-ready Auris HSD, but a variant of the new Prius’s 1.8 litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine and Hybrid Synergy Drive system are expected to provide power.

Toyota Australia's Mike Breen told TMR today that while plans to offer eight new hybrid models over the next four years are still in place, the Auris HSD (or Hybrid Corolla) is not currently on the cards.

"There are presently no plans to offer a local version of the Auris HSD. Bringing more hybrid models into the country remains our goal, but which models those will be, I can't say at this point," Mr Breen said.

The 2010 Toyota Auris HSD is scheduled to go on sale in Europe around August 2010.