Waiting times improving for Toyota hybrids, including RAV4

Toyota says supply of its popular hybrids is improving, and it won’t pause orders of popular models like the RAV4 as it recently did with the Camry.

It’s understood the average wait time for the RAV4 Hybrid is still currently sitting between 12 to 24 months, depending on the variant, with some customers cancelling their orders due to the lengthy wait.

These long wait times mightn’t be sticking around though as Toyota Australia has indicated production for the RAV4 Hybrid, among other models, is set to improve throughout 2024.

“Given what we know today, our production plans through to mid-2024 should see customer wait times improve progressively and substantially for most models in our range, including RAV4 Hybrid,” said a Toyota Australia spokesperson.

“At this stage, given the much-improved hybrid production outlook, we have no plans to introduce an order pause on other models.

“We are committed to being transparent and keeping our customers and dealers informed of any developments.”

Toyota says its hybrid vehicle order bank and ongoing demand remain strong.

Despite the long wait to take delivery of a new RAV4 Hybrid, Toyota says customers have largely been sticking it out.

“People can and do cancel orders for a variety of reasons; however, we have not seen any marked difference in the overall cancellation rate during what has been a period of extremely high demand for RAV4 Hybrid,” the spokesperson said.

“We deeply appreciate the patience of customers waiting for delivery and thank them for their ongoing loyalty to Toyota.

As recently reported, Toyota paused orders of the Camry Hybrid in Australia in the face of “extraordinary demand”.

The company claims 90 per cent of Camry buyers are opting for the hybrid, with the only non-hybrid Camry variant now being the entry-level Ascent.

Toyota now offers hybrid versions of its Yaris, Yaris Cross, C-HR, Corolla, Corolla Cross, RAV4, Camry and Kluger locally.

While the Camry Hybrid has no direct competition, the RAV4 Hybrid now has rivals from brands like GWM and Nissan. However, this doesn’t seem to have dented its popularity.

Launched in 2019, the RAV4 has received a number of running changes, with the most recent update being the introduction of Toyota’s new infotainment system that debuted in the Corolla Cross.

The XSE, Cruiser and Edge variants now receive a larger 10.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, with the more affordable GX and GXL sticker around a smaller 8.0-inch touchscreen but upgrading from a 4.2-inch to a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster.

There’s cloud-based satellite navigation on all models, with XSE variants and up getting a new-look embedded satellite navigation system. The RAV4 now also supports over-the-air software updates.

Pricing currently starts at $39,760 before on-roads for the GX 2WD, and extends to $58,360 before on-roads for the Edge Hybrid AWD.

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