Toyota Raize Officially Revealed

Following last week's leak, the Toyota Raize has been officially revealed and we have all the details about this Japanese compact crossover.

Assembled on the cheap version of Toyota's TNGA platform (dubbed DNGA for Daihatsu), the Toyota Raize sits in a class below the C-HR. Physically, it measures 3 995 mm in length, is 1 695 mm wide and has a height of 1 620. Given these compact dimensions, it comes as a surprise that Toyota is making big claims regarding its carrying capacity as well as interior space.

Speaking of, there's 369 litres of boot space with all the seats up, but that will increase substantially when you fold the seats down. The platform is said to offer "outstanding handling stability and ride comfort" according to Toyota. The engine on offer is a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor mated to a CVT. There's also the option of 4-wheel drive. The claimed outputs of this engine are 72 kW and 140 Nm, with consumption sitting at 5.4 L/100 km.

Despite its budget segment aspirations, the Raize is available with numerous advanced safety features like Crash Avoidance Braking Function, Erroneous Start Prevention Function with braking control (forward and backward), Adaptive Cruise Control with All Speed Tracking, and Smart Panorama Parking Assist. In Japan, the Toyota Raize will be available in 3 levels of trim.

The Toyota Raize is not officially confirmed for South Africa, however, it's interesting to note that Toyota SA has the right to adapt Diahatsu products for our market. So while the Raize may not be immediately confirmed, there's still a chance it would arrive. We suspect it will eventually get here, given the sudden influx of entrants like the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Venue, Volkswagen T-Cross and the updated Renault Captur, which will go on sale early next year.