JAPAN: Look! Another Toyota crossover
What was wrong with Toyota's popular little SUV the RAV4? Not enough seats apparently, so Toyota have heeded their customers' cries with this, the 7 seat Vanguard. Based on a stretched RAV4 floorpan, even some of the body panels come from the '4.
Launched today in Tokyo, the Vanguard comes with a choice of familiar engines: the 2.4liter 2AZ-FE or 3.5liter 2GR-FE, with a 7-speed "Super CVTi" attached to the former and "5 Super ECT" to the latter. Makes sense to us, as the extra torque and power of the V6 should dispense with the need for the pseudo-7-shifter's annoyingly frequent interventions.
Toyota says, "The Vanguard is a new luxury-class mid-size SUV with a high degree of mobility and power to spare." Follow the "read" link for more marketing guff, but make no mistake, they're on to another winner here, no matter how cramped that third row may be.
Prices start at around 2.7million Yen (US$23,000) rising to almost 3.5million.(US$30,000) The suits aren't saying if or when it's heading overseas though. Considering it's been labeled as a "luxury-class" model, one wonders if a glitzed-up Lexus version might be under consideration to be an Acura RDX and Infiniti EX competitor.
[Source: Toyota]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Simsala 11:43AM (8/30/2007)
Oh, a new Aud.., ah, wait, Toyota?! Stupid Reisfresser, still copying everything they like... and you Amerians buy that! SHAME! SHAHAME!
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m. 11:43AM (8/30/2007)
They are laughing in Japan - that they can create anything at this point, and people overseas will buy it. Everybody is in love with Toyota - puppy love.
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Miyoshi 7:04PM (8/30/2007)
That might be true, but your generalization doesn't apply to this vehicle. How did I deduce that you ask? Well, the indications could be the headline that includes the word, "Japan:" and the references in the entry to prices in Yen, which is the currency of Japan.
Aetius 11:50AM (8/30/2007)
Toyota/Honda both have no sense of design anymore. They simply take a collage of designs, slap it together and put it for sale. And it's not that they cannot design cars, ex - the Civic Coupe and the FJ Cruiser. I DARE say Hyundai has a better sense of cohesive design now.
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djSyndrome 11:50AM (8/30/2007)
Japan's RAV4 is shorter than ours by over a foot. This is simply the US version wrapped up in luxo duds.
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Drewboy 11:56AM (8/30/2007)
Exactly. I wish they'd give it the luxo treatment here though, I like the vehicle.
Guenther 10:10AM (8/31/2007)
I thought it looked just like ours... but uglier. I doubt its any nicer than our Rav in Limited trim. The 7speed box would be a benefit for the 4cyl though. What I would actually buy, if it were brought here, is the European 180ps/6spd manual D-Cat. That thing's COOOL.
Jruhi4 11:53AM (8/30/2007)
To us North Americans, the Toyota Vanguard is much ado about nothing. When the 3rd-generation Toyota RAV4 made its debut, they went to a "two lengths" strategy: It grew just a couple of inches and was strictly two-row seating for Japan, Europe and the rest of the world, while, for North America, it grew 18 inches, to 1st-generation Highlander/Kluger V size, and offered a 3rd-row seat option.
The Vanguard is merely the larger RAV4 that, to date, was North America-only, with a new name for the Japanese Domestic Market, new nose, fancier interior and the spare tire removed from the tailgate/hatch.
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John P. 12:06PM (8/30/2007)
Toyota really needs to hire a batch of new designers. This looks terrible inside and out. Probably sell millions of'em.
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Sgt. Hulka 2:29PM (8/30/2007)
BIGGER! HEAVIER! THIRSTIER!
But its OK 'cause it's TOYOTA!
(Cue the choir and release the doves)
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Barney 6:05PM (8/30/2007)
They have to, in order to appeal to those Americans who believe bigger is better.
Mark 1:03PM (8/30/2007)
Hello?!? How about doing some simple research? The Toyota Vanguard IS overseas. It is already sold in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as the Toyota RAV4! In Japan and Europe, Toyota sells a shorter wheelbase, 5-seat RAV4 that the US does not get.
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gsolman6 1:08PM (8/30/2007)
I still don't see the need for all of these 7 seat vehicles. Do parents feel obligated to chauffeur their kids AND their friends around?
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Mr. Oak 1:25PM (8/30/2007)
So this is what a Japanese hearse looks like.
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RockStoneSteel 1:34PM (8/30/2007)
Hey, they transformed the RAV4 into a Highlander! Why didn't they just use ...the Highlander?
Toyota now sells some five SUVs in the US market, with ridiculous overlap between models. To top it off, after morphing the RAV4 into a friggin' station wagon, they no longer genuinely offer a small SUV. Too bad we don't get that shorter Japanese version with seating for five. Not everyone runs a day care center needing that tiny third row seat anyway.
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Tsunami Racer 3:20PM (8/30/2007)
i recently rented a RAV4 from hertz and was amazed how horrible it was. underpowered, crappy plastic interior and a door panel that hits your knee. in contrast, i went into a Mitsubishi Outlander rental at my next stop and was pleasantly surprised. who'd have thunk, a Mitsu outdoes a Toyoter.
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John P. 5:29PM (8/30/2007)
Yep, same impression I got when I rented a Corolla, CHEAPNESS redefined. I know it's a cheap car and all, but ouch, the plastic is nicer in McDonald's kids meals.
Barney 6:08PM (8/30/2007)
"Yep, same impression I got when I rented a Corolla,.."
You should see what the Cobalt stoops down to being. A noisy & plastic bit of garbage.
Tsunami Racer 6:19PM (8/30/2007)
i guess we're saying that it's amazing how bad toyota has gotten. say what you will about the cobalt (which i've also rented) but i'm amazed how much better it is compared to an old cavalier. though it has a way to go, at least GM is "Moving Forward >" in design and materials.
Bryan 8:35PM (8/30/2007)
My brother has a Cobalt SS and the interior is light years ahead of any Carolla..ever. No rattles at all! Oh and Barney, what is the Carolla interior made out of? Gold? LMAO fool.
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